Posted on 12/17/2005 7:19:59 AM PST by dukeman
WASHINGTON - The Catholic Church identifies homosexuality as a serious moral and psychological disorder of unknown origin, one that is serious enough to make a man who suffers from it ineligible for priestly ordination.
Nonetheless, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a glowing movie review of the homosexual propaganda film, Brokeback Mountain, a story of two rugged cowboys who engage in homosexual liaisons and adultery.
The film's theme is a favorite of homosexual folklore: two lonesome cowboys, removed from the repressions of artificial social mores by their work in the great rugged outdoors. Freed from the constraints of female society, their passions erupt in what is depicted as some deep, natural, repressed well. The sex is depicted off screen in a way described by the author of the short story upon which the film is based as a manly act, "quick, rough, laughing and snorting."
The unnamed USCCB reviewer, in keeping with the now-standard tone of acceptance required of Catholic "progressives," walked a hair-thin line between Catholic teaching and wholehearted approval of the homosexual lifestyle. "The Catholic Church," the reviewer writes, "makes a distinction between homosexual orientation and activity, Ennis and Jack's continuing physical relationship is morally problematic."
He goes on to praise the film saying, "While the actions taken by Ennis and Jack cannot be endorsed, the universal themes of love and loss ring true."
A Christian activist who has worked to debunk the propaganda of the homosexual movement was more forthright. Referring to the film's seven Golden Globe nominations including best picture and best director, Stephen Bennett, a former homosexual said, "What a sad day in America when a movie that glorifies homosexuality, adultery, dangerous and deadly unprotected anal sex and deception is up for Best Picture of the Year."
Bennett is a radio talk show host who, with his wife, works to expose the work being done by homosexual activists to undermine the family. He called the film and the awards nominations, "an all time moral low our culture has sunk to."
"When a movie based on a short story, containing graphic, explicit, dangerous homosexual anal sex by two men is elevated to Best Picture of the Year, America better wake up," Bennett said.
The Catholic reviewer seems to have missed the moral depravity angle. The review, which is featured on the USCCB's official website, is written in much the same glowing terms as those of New York Times' reviewer who called it a "moving and majestic" depiction of thwarted love. The USCCB's reviewer enthused about the film's depiction of "love and loss," calling it "a serious contemplation of loneliness and connection."
The film offends not only Christian moral sensibilities, however, but those of anyone who believes in the sanctity of marriage. The two characters separate and marry, have children and make themselves and their wives miserable by the life of "denial" so denigrated by homosexual activists.
Years later they meet again and revisit their passions, this time betraying their wives. The final sop to the homosexual mythology comes when one of the men suggests they leave their wives and set up house together. The other refuses not out of respect for his wife or for love of their children, but because of a traumatic childhood memory of a man beaten to death with tire irons for living with another man.
"Looked at from the point of view of the need for love which everyone feels but few people can articulate, the plight of these guys is easy to understand while their way of dealing with it is likely to surprise and shock an audience," the USCCB review says.
Bennett, in line with Catholic teaching that says the "gay lifestyle" can never be condoned, said, "With HIV and AIDS on the rise, and homosexual men dropping dead because of this dangerous, potentially deadly behavior, you better believe, I'll be sounding the alarm on this movie."
"I've buried too many friends who died from AIDS to keep quiet on this one," said Bennett.
The bishops' organization gave the film a rating of "L," warning of its "tacit approval of same-sex relationships, adultery, two brief sex scenes without nudity, partial and shadowy brief nudity elsewhere, other implied sexual situations." The "L" rating is two notches above the most censorious available in the bishops' system - "O" for morally offensive.
The USCCB's official review is not signed but another, almost identical piece by Harry Forbes appeared on the USCCB related Catholic News Service website. LifeSiteNews.com contacted the USCCB and was informed that Forbes is the head of the USCCB Office for Film and Broadcasting.
You might just as well have admonished Christian Americans to "take back your country."
I spend every waking hour fighting for both, as do many millions of others.
Somebody - anybody - please send a copy of this to:
Pope Benedict XVI,
The Vatican,
Vatican City
and ask him for urgent action against US "Bishops"!
Are you talking about moral teachings or behavior? Because the Catholic Church has not wavered in its moral teachings, while many of the weak men within have. Likewise, I know a lot of immoral behaving Mormons.
We're working on it, believe me.
Sorrowfully, I must point out that that charismatic churches are rife with divorce/remarriage and contraception. Don't know about the Mormons, who have a reputation for strong marriage and family life.
But it's too easy to feel morally superior to slack bishops. Way too easy. And a sense of moral superiority is a tricky thing to get forgiven of: because you never feel you're in the wrong. Not compared to "them"!!
Lord have mercy.
OK, now, from the practical point of view: how can we prevent our loyal Catholic pew-sitter dollars from going to the USCCB?
Honestly, I can't see how good Catholics can stand the pack of hireling, craven, white-washed sepulchres at the head of the church.
I don't trust my diocese......I have to make all my judgements myself. We are on our own.
Get a grip! A movie reviewer does not an Apostate Church make. There will be some Catholics who will go see the movie, which by the way is NOT about cowboys, but shepherds, but then there are some who call themselves Catholic who think nothing of supporting abortion, the homosexual lifestyle, and euthanasia. In other words, they're Catholic in name only.
Besides, Jesus told Peter that he was the Rock upon which God's Church would be built and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it.
I'm not Catholic...and was not talking about them. I could though but prefer to mind my own business about some things I see I don't like since my dog is not in that hunt.
Charasmatics here in Nashville are pretty conservative
I got flamed for this a few years ago but I don't put money in the collection basket precisely because some of it goes to the Bishops. I volunteer time at the parish and pay for specific things the church needs. Also I consider donations to specific causes (in our case an orphanage & school) to be our way of tithing.
"Somebody - anybody - please send a copy of this to:
Pope Benedict XVI,
The Vatican,
Vatican City
and ask him for urgent action against US "Bishops"!"
I just printed out a copy of this, but MANY of us need to do this.
These guys seems to have missed the big important lesson they just got. The really big tuition they paid should have helped it sink in.
Somewhere on FR, the Catholic Review from the USCCB was posted, and had a rating of L for limited audience. That was later changed to O for offensive, even though when reading the review, I had the distinct feeling that the reviewer seemed to have enjoyed the movie a little too much.
As some other posters on that thread seemed to think, the reviewer seemed to be suffering from swish-itis extremus.
"Makes you wonder, doesn't it? What IS their agenda?"
There is political leftism, economic leftism, and theological leftism. They are facets of the same phenomenon, which is of and from Satan, and has the same agenda.
Thanks be to God, the Catholic Church has not yet lost the war with theological leftism, although, obviously, it still rages.
"the reviewer seemed to be suffering from swish-itis extremus."
Just one more reason that some of us are disappointed that the Holy Father hasn't seen fit to take steps to remove men who suffer from SSAD from all positions of authority and influence.
He probably meant to say "racist, sexist, homophobic, and speciesist." (Did I forget anything?)
“Personally, I don't think the movie is (controversial) but I think maybe the Mormons in Utah do. I think it’s hilarious and very immature of a society.”
Immature? I cannot take seriously the pronouncements of someone who makes his living play-acting at perversion for a camera.
They're good at what they do, which is why they're so dangerous.
Try reading the Catechism. You'll find its doctrines reassuring.
Chastity and homosexualityThe opinion of a film reviewer employed by the USCCB is not considered infallible. But reviews like this serve to sew confusion among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.2357
Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.2358
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.2359
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's Church.
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