Posted on 12/18/2007 12:52:02 PM PST by GratianGasparri
USCCB Reviewer Caught Okaying Another Film Celebrating Homosexual Immorality
Special to LifeSiteNews.com by Pete Vere
NEW YORK, December 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Harry Forbes, director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Office of Film and Broadcasting, has given a positive review to the homosexually-themed "Rent".
Forbes, whose initial positive review of "Brokeback Mountain" two years' ago was subsequently modified by the USCCB, became the center of controversy earlier this month after the USCCB withdrew his positive review of "The Golden Compass".
The 2005 movie "Rent" is based upon a musical of the same name.
The movie's plot follows the relationships between a group of friends who come together through New York City's East Village fine arts community.
Three of the eight main characters are HIV-positive, while a fourth named Angel is a transvestite street musician with full-blown AIDS.
One of these HIV-positive characters is Mimi, a heroin addict who earns a living as a stripper and a prostitute. The movie portrays some scenes of her performing in the club.
A second HIV-positive character is Tom, a philosophy professor who finds himself in a homosexual relationship with Angel.
Two of the other main characters include Maureen, a bisexual performance artist, who breaks her engagement to aspiring film-maker Mark in order to enter into a sexual relationship with Joanne, a lesbian lawyer. Maureen and Joanne will hold a commitment ceremony part way through the movie.
The only one of the eight friends to settle down and marry is Benjamin, who is often portrayed as the antagonist for "selling out" the fine arts community. In fact, the name "Rent" comes from Benjamin's attempt to fulfill his family obligations by collecting rent from the other seven characters.
Although Forbes admits in his 2005 review that the "film's subject matter may turn off many viewers," he nevertheless describes it as "a snapshot of a piece of cultural history -- both the era depicted and the musical itself," calling it "an impressive achievement."
"The cast is superb," writes Forbes. "The original cast members wear the years lightly, while newcomers Dawson and Thoms fit in beautifully with the ensemble. [...] The dissolute, countercultural lifestyles of some of the characters take second place to the overriding themes of love, connection, dealing with loss and appreciation of life."
Sample lyrics to "La Vie Boheme", one of the musical's main songs, include the following:
"Bisexuals, trisexuals, Homo Sapiens, Carcinogens, hallucinogens, men, Pee Wee Herman German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein"
As well as:
"To sodomy It's between God and me To S & M"
See Forbes' Review of Rent published by the Catholic News Service: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/movies/05mv673.htm
To express concerns contact:
USCCB President Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. Archdiocese of Chicago 155 E. Superior Street Chicago, IL 60611 312-751- 8200 mfox@archchicago.org
Pete Vere is a canon lawyer and co-author of "Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy" available at http://www.atheismforchildren.com As well as Surprised by Canon Law II (St. Anthony Messenger Press)
bump
The bishops, unfortunately grew up in Democratic households, and cannot get it into their heads that the New Deal coalition of which Catholic union leaders were a part, was shattered in 1972. It is now the party of the Unitarian George McGovern. While nominal Catholic like Pelosi, pretend to be moved by Catholic social doctrines, and they sometimes use the language, they are radical laicists who only listen to the liberal abbes at place like George town.
Honestly, on Broadway there was no blood and guts flowing. The film is a teen slasher film, so I’ve been told.
agree!! Yet, it’s that political view which unfortunately is being disguiesed as a theological view by certain bishops, for certain by the apparatchiks at the USCCB like Kathy Sailes, and by so called catholic in name only politicians.
They have what you might call a “bully” pulpit. And, while national conferences are cannonical creatures, their unique institutional natures are, I believe (and with defference to a view of a cannonical scholar) formed without cannonical regulation. The USCCB is an ideological cesspool and, again looking at these stupid movie reviews as only a symptom, largely a wing of the democratic party. That is why you see at best a muted USCCB cry and hue over the conduct of politicians from any party who flout their so called catholicism in defiance of natural law and church teaching regarding abortion, euthanasia and family v homosexual agendas. You will also see that the USCCB incrementally undermines the Church’s theological teachings on such things as subsidiarity and immigration. Thus, what happens is that the USCCB is a safe harbor for the socialists and democrats seeking backing for leftist policies such as federalizing all aspects of our lives and open borders. In that sense, the USCCB has entered the political fray and unfortunately it does tend to confuse many catholics and it does abuse the power of its often used institutionalized prudential “guidance” on a host of issues.
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