Gay and Lesbian Catholics Will Enter Catholic Cathedrals Nationally On Pentecost Sunday

Yahoo News ^ | May 23, 2006

[NYer]

CHICAGO, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was released today by the Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM). The RSM will respond to the fear and intolerance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) persons, by many of our Catholic Bishops on Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2006. We will be entering, with our straight allies, Catholic Cathedrals across the nation on Pentecost wearing Rainbow Sashes as a sign of identification. Some Bishops have welcomed us in the past, and we are thankful for their welcome.

Nationally our Bishops have lobbied against our human rights. Our grief is intensified because many in the GLBT Catholic Community feel alienated from the Church because of this assault on our human rights. We believe the Bishops have a serious obligation to root out structures and attitudes that discriminate against the homosexual as a person. A small number of courageous Bishops are exerting their leadership in behalf of this effort, and these Bishops will have our full support and prayers.

The Gospels reveal that, while Jesus did not hesitate to proclaim radical ethic of life grounded in the promise of God's kingdom, he never ceased to reach out to the lowly, to the outcasts of his time even if they did not live up to the full demands of his teaching. Jesus offered forgiveness and healing to all who sought it. And when some objected to this compassion, he responded: "Let the one among you who is guiltless be the first to throw the stone,"(John 8:7)

We are followers of Jesus Christ, and Catholic. This is why members of the Rainbow Sash Movement will wear Rainbow Sashes on Pentecost Sunday. We see homophobia within the Church as both an opportunity for education, and a way to promote the idea of love of neighbor. We are calling for dialogue.

To find out more, and get involved with Rainbow Sash Movement please visit our Web site at http://www.rainbowsashmovement.com, or email: Sashmovement@AOL.Com

[AnAmericanMother]

There's plenty of evidence. The pro-gay contingent in ECUSA have published quite a lot of stuff. . . which I read when I was still an Episcopalian and trying to get a handle on exactly what their intentions were. They want to take over the church and silence all those who oppose their view of marriage as available to all. Like "open communion" destroys the meaning of the Eucharist, this destroys the meaning of what marriage is.

If you go and read the websites of the GLBTQ activists groups, it's all there. I don't spend my time there, have better things to do.

And WRT liberties and legal rights, it doesn't matter what they SAY they believe . . . they can say they believe anything. What matters is what is available to them as a matter of law. That's not arguable or a matter of personal opinion. The law varies somewhat from state to state, but it is clear that in this state you can set up whatever legal relationship you like between adults. My dad is a lawyer, and he helped the two ladies next door get their domestic situation regularized. It wasn't difficult. In fact, it's so easy to set up that the local activists clearly have something else in mind when they're claiming that they don't have the same rights and liberties as everybody else.

[dcnd9]

"Woe to those who call good evil and evil good, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Isaiah 5:20).

[Sunsong]

Not at all. I just don't like you people, in the same way that I don't like Nazis, child molesters, people who beat their wives, people who kick their dogs, thieves, and liars.

After all, from a moral perspective, there is no difference between homosexuality and such things.

So, from your *moral* perspective, homosexuality is equivalent to being a Nazi, molesting children, beating a spouse, stealing, lying, or kicking a dog?

If true, are you working day and night to get it made illegal and have homosexuals rounded up and jailed?

[dcnd9]

Nice spin job to equivocate but that won't work here!

[Sunsong]

1. Depends on how you define demand. A call to repentance, which is the God given role of the church, would be a demand, in your view?

Not in my view. A demand would be an insistence, a command - such as what government does by force. The government demands that we pay taxes and wear seat belts. 2. What about public nudity? Sex in public restrooms? For that matter, sex in public? Is anyone hurt by that? How? How about polygamy? Prostitution? Bestiality? Etc.

Yes, I think people are hurt by most of those. And I think they are illegal, aren't they?

I would argue that the whole of society is harmed by homosexuality. And when you place homosexuality into a protected class status such as race, you are using the power of government to force immoral attitudes on everyone. It is oppressive to the mission of the church.

Well if you think that homosexuality harms society - then you should work to make it illegal, shouldn't you? Unfortunately, the idea of placing certain groups into a "protected" class has been used for some time now. Minorites of numerous sorts are considered "protected" classes in some states are they not?

[Sunsong]

I see you are once again grasping at straws to justify same sex behavior.

Actually I am saying it no ones business what consenting adults do in their own homes. I am pretty libertarian when it comes to sexual practices. There are surely things that people do sexually that I would not justify - but that I would see as their "right" to do - as long as they are not deliberatle attempting to harm someone, and it is not illegal.

[marshmallow]

Then, it seems to me, since you see yourself as a "real big sinner" that you are not in a position to throw stones. Wouldn't you be more effective if you dealt with your own sins first, sort of got the beam out of your own eye, before attacking and condeming others?

Whom am I "condemning" and "attacking"?

What I am attacking is sin, not the sinner. It is the Rainbow Sash movement that is using the ad hominem route by attacking the Church because it continues to hold to its centuries old doctrine that sodomy is a serious sin. Their showing up at Mass in their regalia is a simple and open act of defiance. An "in your face" gesture which says we reject official Catholic teaching.

Guess what? When Catholics perceive their Church as being under attack, they get angry.

Wow!! What a shocker! Who knew??

Apparently the Rainbow Sash movement and its apologists construe any attempt to defend the Church as an attack on them.

That's too bad.

Your "take the beam out of your own eye" reference is a tortured and largely inappropriate attempt at biblical quotation. Jesus was referring to those who refused to acknowledge their own sins and maintanined their own righteousness while condemning others. My position is that we are all sinners......me.....the homosexuals....all of us and that our only chance of salvation comes by admitting that sin and asking for forgiveness. Ironically, it's the Rainbow Sash crowd who are the equivalent of the Pharisess here, as they refuse to acknowledge the sinfulness of their actions and actually have the nerve to think that the Catholic Church should simply toss overboard its own doctrine and agree with them. They are stubbornly set in their own self-righteousness.

Tragic.

[Sunsong]

I ask a third time for some response as to the consistency of your efforts. There are many things that are considered *abominations* in the Old Testament. Why do you only focus on one?

If your resoning is that because something is an *abomination* it should be condemned - then I ask you why you are not condemning all abominations?

[BnBlFlag]

The picture of the gays on the Cathedral steps with the two young boys in the rainbow sashes is more than disgusting.

[Sunsong]

I have not read those web sites. Do you have any links to them expressing thier agenda?

And WRT liberties and legal rights, it doesn't matter what they SAY they believe . . . they can say they believe anything. What matters is what is available to them as a matter of law.

Well, it may not matter to you what they say - but it matters to them. I'm sure you understand that. I think it was kind of your father to help the two ladies next door. Perhaps if more people were doing things like that the *issue* could more easily be resolved? As far as I understand things, it is a matter of having the same liberties as everyone else and if the financial and legal matters were resolved - it seems to me that that would be a huge step forward.

[durasell]

Sure, it's all good clean fun, then suddenly the radio keeeps playing, If I Could Turn Back Time. I ask you to imagine the horror of this one:

Do you believe in life after love
I can feel something inside me say
I really don't think you're strong enough,
No
Do you believe in life after love
I can feel something inside me say
I really don't think you're strong enough,
No

[Sunsong]

Whom am I "condemning" and "attacking"?

I am referring to this:

Note to self: practice knuckle-crunching handshake for "sign of peace" with limp-wristed shirtlifter on Pentecost.

[Petronski]

Great post!

[trisham]

Sure, it's all good clean fun, then suddenly the radio keeeps playing, If I Could Turn Back Time. I ask you to imagine the horror of this one:

Do you believe in life after love

I can feel something inside me say

I really don't think you're strong enough,

No

Do you believe in life after love

I can feel something inside me say

I really don't think you're strong enough,

No

**************

LOL! You could be banned for that.

[durasell]

Fear the gay music agenda!

[Petronski]

So you hate homosexuals?

That doesn't follow from the quote you cite. The disgust and revulsion is for the sin they want the Church to condone and even bless.

[durasell]

Behold the horror of it:

First I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
and so you're back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed my stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
you'd be back to bother me


Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
'cause you're not welcome anymore
weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
you think I'd crumble
you think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
as long as i know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
and I'll survive
I will survive

[Petronski]

Would you say that you hate queers or just dislike them intensely?

When did you stop beating your spouse, sunsong?

[Petronski]

And eating shrimp is an abomination as well...as is touching pig skin Are you as obsessed with shrimp eating and football as you are with other people's sexual practices?

Are those prohibitions reiterated in the New Testament? Got a citation?

[durasell]

When did you stop beating your spouse, sunsong?




Is that what they're calling it now?