Posted on 05/10/2007 7:57:56 AM PDT by NYer
The Rainbow Sash Movement is reconfiguring itself as a rainbow ribbon revue for this year's Whitsunstunt -- presumably on the grounds that a slenderer middle finger flipped at the Church will make those clergymen who refuse the flippers communion appear the more unreasonable.
The Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM) announced today that they will be challenging the practices of the Catholic Church this Pentecost Sunday, May 27. RSM members wear a simple 2-inch wide ribbon of rainbow colors across their shoulders, and respectfully present themselves to receive communion.
Priests have withheld communion from people wearing the rainbow sash in prior appearances by the RSM. According to Joe Murray, US Convener for the RSM, parishioners have taken it upon themselves to share their wafer with ribbon-wearing churchgoers, much to the consternation of the priests.
"For some reason," says Murray, "Church officials have chosen to go against their own teaching, that individual conscience is paramount in guiding the individual to spirituality. These ill-advised bishops cannot possibly know our hearts when they deny us communion. They actually turn the Holy Eucharist into a weapon of division and exclusion."
Got it exactly backwards, chum. If Catholic church doors were guarded by bouncers and dobermans specially trained to sniff out persons with same-sex attraction -- irrespective of dress, demeanor, or declaration -- you might have a point. But in reality there is no such screening. There never has been. The logic intrinsic to Catholicism makes it the case that, because the Church's children are agreed that her teaching is true and her sacraments salvific, those children don't care what particular weaknesses their fellows drag with them through the doorway. All gather as sinners drinking at the springs of salvation and -- as has been stressed on other occasions -- even if you have reason to suspect your fellow Catholic has a vulnerability to one particular sin, you have no grounds whatever to think he doesn't accept the Church doctrine pertinent to it. Your brother has to go out of his way, he has to stand on his head, he has to garb himself in wacky multi-color livery, in order to ANNOUNCE his disturbance and his dissent to the other worshipers. He has to shake you to get your attention.
So you think the Church is wrong, Joe? Well, lots of folks do: more than 80% of the world does. They call themselves Buddhists, Muslims, Methodists, agnostics, etc., and manage to steer clear of Sunday Mass with no damage to their civil rights. What they don't do is seek out that particular body of Christians -- who, being Catholic, believe the truth the Church teaches in the year 2007 she taught in the year 57 and will still be teaching in the year 10,007 -- in order to 1) declare to them that they're mistaken, and at the same time 2) demand to share in their highest act of Communion.
Complains Murray, "These ill-advised bishops cannot possibly know our hearts when they deny us communion." Well, if you didn't do everything in your power to wear your heart on your sleeve -- in the form of polychrome polyester -- it wouldn't even occur to them to deny you. But for your ceaseless insistence to the contrary, they'd assume you came to church to find God.
ping
How I wish these people would just join the church of McGreevey, already. Leave us alone!
Is that Cleveland?
I think I see my sister in the backround.
Maroons.
This just makes me want to cry.
Glancing carelessly at the headline I thought they were on their way to bedevil the Pentecostals.
I’m dashed! You are joking, I pray? If not, that is so very sad!
F
I want to see the video if that happens!
ROTFL you might want to rephrase that!
I’m assuming the Pentecostals would pray over the homosexuals, with extremely entertaining results.
If the Catholic Church really wanted to make this a fun event, they could have Charismatic Renewal prayer teams available to pray for anyone who put on a rainbow sash. (In fact, I think I’ll wear my red Pentecost dress and Official Charismatic Hat on Pentecost, just in case ...)
Ah, I was having a dreadful morning, but I’ll be smiling about the possibilities all afternoon ...
Yeah, what a shock! You advertise to the whole world that you're in a state of mortal sin and before you know it, the Bishop won't give you Communion. Unbelievable.
We're all Catholics, aren't we? The only signs of division are coming from you.
Why wear a symbol which indicates that you're different from most other Catholics? Why wear a label which tells people you practice sodomy? Maybe we should devise a labeling scheme for all Mass goers and just carve up the Church. Adulterers and fornicators shall wear green ribbons. Drunkards and wife beaters shall wear yellow. Thieves and fraudsters will wear pink.
Of course, if we made it obligatory for the gays to wear a ribbon, there would be merry hell to pay. There'd be shouts of "Nazi Germany", amongst others. But since it suits their self-serving purpose and helps their faux martyrdom cause, it's OK.
Hypocrites.
**Complains Murray, “These ill-advised bishops cannot possibly know our hearts when they deny us communion.” **
But when they wear the sash/ribbon, it is a statement of their heart. The Bishops DO know!
What’s the color for “FReeps too much and drinks cheap wine”?
Key requirement to join this club — be misshapen and ugly?
bedevil the Pentecostals
The more I look at it the more accurate it appears to be.
My money would be on the Pentecostals.
Isn’t “Rainbow Sash” one of the characters of the “My Little Pony” kid merchandising endeavor?
That’s “Rainbow Dash.”
It's hard to go wrong betting on the Holy Spirit. But oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth ...
Depressing looking bunch of earnest liberals. The one behind the flake in the red sweater looks like Nancy Pelosi, another “good Catholic.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.