" .... in their zealousness" - and there's the problem! Aiding and abeting their gay impulses is not compassion.
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Posted on 11/02/2005 10:45:24 AM PST by hattend
Catholic Schools Punish Students for Opposing Homosexuality By Randy Hall CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor November 02, 2005
(CNSNews.com) - Two Catholic universities have tried to censor students during the past week for defending the church's teachings against homosexuality, actions the head of one Roman Catholic organization called "ridiculous."
One incident took place in Pittsburgh, where a Duquesne University student used an independent website to voice his opposition to a proposed "gay-straight alliance" on campus and described homosexual sex as "subhuman actions."
According to the school's website, several students complained to Duquesne's Office of Judicial Affairs, which held a hearing and concluded that Miner had violated the university's Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct by failing "to respect the rights, dignity and worth of other individuals."
In addition to requiring Miner to remove his online posting -- which he did upon request -- Duquesne has also demanded that the student write an essay on Catholic teaching about human dignity. Miner has refused to do so because he claims his post was simply a paraphrase of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which describes homosexual activity as "intrinsically disordered," "contrary to the natural law" and "gravely" sinful.
Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a national organization dedicated to renewing Catholic identity at the church's colleges and universities, told Cybercast News Service he considers the school's punishment a "ridiculous" exercise.
"Duquesne punishes a student for defending Catholic teaching by mandating an essay on Catholic teaching -- despite the fact that Miner clearly has a better grasp of that teaching than Duquesne's administrators," Reilly said.
"No doubt Catholic teaching on this subject is unpopular and offends many people who disagree with it," he stated. "But if gay sex is gravely sinful and opposed to the natural order of human sexuality and family life, then to argue that it is beneath human dignity is as accurate as it is provocative."
The university's website also states that a special committee made up of students, teachers, staff members and administrators "is examining the issue" of establishing a "gay-straight alliance" on campus "in light of our Catholic identity and mission.
"This is a complex, sensitive issue that must be considered carefully," the website states.
Reilly said the fact that the school is giving the issue such extensive consideration is "adding injury to insult" because such a club "would further confuse students and would endorse a lifestyle contrary to Catholic teaching."
As a result, the Society is preparing to launch a letter-writing campaign to call for Miner's exoneration and urge Duquesne "to uphold its Catholic identity and deny support for the proposed gay-straight alliance."
A similar incident took place in Spokane, Washington, where Gonzaga University ordered students not to advertise a lecture on the medical implications of homosexual sex.
The College Republicans club invited John Diggs, a physician with the Massachusetts Physicians Resource Council, to speak about "The Medical Effects of Homo-Sex" on Oct. 27.
Responding to concerns that the event might stir up anti-homosexual sentiments, university officials refused to approve the event and ordered students not to advertise it on campus.
"Prohibiting students from advertising a campus lecture is censorship," Reilly said. "Even though Gonzaga was prevented by its own rules from halting the event altogether, it attempted to ensure that few students would attend the lecture.
"Fortunately, Gonzaga's political correctness backfired," he added. "The auditorium was packed with students eager to hear medical facts that Gonzaga's officials and the mainstream media don't want them to discuss, even in an academic setting."
Reilly noted that these incidents are the latest events in a trend on Catholic campuses and cited a number of examples:
-- Student clubs at the University of Notre Dame set up a large "closet" on campus and encouraged students to "come out" and proclaim their sexual preferences. Student activists wore orange T-shirts that read: "Gay? Fine by Me."
-- At Boston College, a campus lecturer asserted that Native Americans were tolerant of homosexuality and blamed European explorers for bringing "homophobia" to North America.
-- The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota hosted an "OUT!Law" meet-and-greet reception for homosexual law students, lawyers and judges.
Nevertheless, Reilly told Cybercast News Service that while he is critical of these colleges and universities on this issue, the Cardinal Newman Society is "by and large supportive of these schools, which are trying to do the right thing.
"However, in their zealousness to show compassion to people who are battling their gay impulses, these institutions are failing to get out the message that such activities are sinful," he said. "We're doing our best to correct that."
A lesson in calling good evil and evil good.
" .... in their zealousness" - and there's the problem! Aiding and abeting their gay impulses is not compassion.
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
The Vatican needs to reign in alledgedly Catholic institutions in the USA.
On one hand, I do think this says something rotten about Duquesne, because I can hardly imagine a student being expelled for calling Pope Benedict "subhuman," for opposing gay "rights."
On the other hand, the student did not merely oppose homosexuality. He called it "subhuman." He can hardly be accused of engaging in a thoughtkful discussion or summoning people towards Christ.
Besides, if he were smart, he'd write it on "showing compassion towards the most perverse of sinners."
...on the other hand, it looks like it is time to yank Gonzaga's Catholic affiliation.
Not exactly.
A professor must be approved by church authorities to describe his course offerings as "theology" in a Catholic school. If not, he needs to find another name, such as "religious studies."
Catholic professors may receive a "mandatum," signifying that they are in accord with Catholic teachings. Unfortunately, few prospective Catholic students know of mandata, and most American colleges consider it something between the church, the school, and the professor. Only about 20 or so Catholic colleges publicize their mandata; the rest may call themselves Catholic without publicly presenting which of their professors have mandata.
Colleges may not present themselves as being "Roman Catholic institutions" if their bishop will not permit it. Several major universities have been stripped of this permission, such as St. John's University, but, again, unfortunately, most students don't realize it. They see the name "St. Johns's" and presume it's Catholic.
And then there's Catholic, and then there's "Catholic." The "Roman" Catholic church does not have a lock on the word "Catholic." Although I don't know of this being a problem with schools, many churches besides the Roman one describe themselves as Catholic.
That's weird. The other articles I've read about this student said he had to write it about the pros and cons of homosexuality from a Catholic perspective:
Catholic University Threatening to Expel Student for Calling Homosexual Acts 'Subhuman'
As punishment, Miner was ordered to remove the comments from the website and to write a ten page "objective, expository essay on the viewpoints for and against homosexuality using specific readings."
Duquesne Student Sanctioned For Comments On Homosexuality
Miner is also supposed to write a 10-page paper on homosexuality in the Catholic Church.
He refuses to do that.
"If I write this paper, I'm going against my faith and my beliefs on the issue and topic of homosexuality within the university and the Catholic Church," said Miner.
Homosexuality is the practice of seeking sexual gratification through perverse acts with others of the same sex. Is this human or subhuman? It depends on the somewhat ambiguous definition of "human." If you mean, "Human beings do indulge in perversion," then: homosexuality is all too human. If you mean: "This behavior is still within the norm for human beings," that's false. Homosexuality is not "human" in that sense.
If Ryan (the student) meant, "Homosexuals are not human beings," he was grievously wrong, and his statement is deplorable. If he meant, "Acts of perversion are beneath human dignity," he was right. In any case, all I saw was the one line about Homosexuality is (not "Homosexuals are" ) subhuman, and, while ambiguous, it seemed to be referring to the behaviors, not to the ontological status of the human individuals. Why didn't the concerned officials of Duquesne just write him a letter and ask, "What do you mean?" Or let him assemble a panel discussion on the subject. That might arguably be related to the purposes and methods of "higher education."
It certainly is a complex and sensitive issue. Somewhat along the lines of: "How can we professors and administrators contradict the Catholic catechism to suck up to secularized students, and still keep our jobs and pensions?"
The Cardinal Newman Society dies.
Well, actually, I've heard that Fr. Spitzer, the prez of Gonzaga is trying to turn it around. And obviously is having some troubles.
It is getting better, though.
Actually, the bishop in the local diocese has the right to yank the word "Catholic" from the name of the university, if he so chooses.
An institution can not call itself Catholic unless he gives his approval.
>> Thank youse two for the info. May you be blessed with many children and all the energy needed to make them. <<
*scratches his head, wondering if X5452 a woman*
Ummm... Thanks, I think. Oh, you didn't mean necessarily with each OTHER. *whew!*
"Catechism of the Catholic Church, which describes homosexual activity as "intrinsically disordered," "contrary to the natural law" and "gravely" sinful. "
Maybe if we went back to calling these actions MORTAL sins people would get the message.
Re: this thread's headline: "Not for long!"
Things are really beginning to "move" over in Rome. I think an end to this sort of nonsense is at hand.
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