Fields: The Pope And Gays

 

BY SAM FIELDS

 

It’s okay to be a Catholic…as long as you don’t practice Catholicism.

Sound silly?

Yet, that is precisely the position that Pope Francis took about homosexuality when he said, “Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?”

Let me answer that for you.  You’re the Pope and that’s all you ever do is judge people. Our first Argentine Pope is “Senor Infallible” on matters of morals and faith.  And that includes homosexuality.

Following up, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan made it clear when he clarified the Pope’s statement that you can be a homosexual…just no homo behavior.

Or, as the Pope might put it to active Sodomites:

“It’s my way or the highway. And homosexual sex is a Highway to Hell.  And I am not talking about the AC/DC record. I’m talking to those of you living the AC/DC lifestyle.  I’m talking Hieronymus Bosch Lake of Fire with a side order of eternal burning flesh.”

All institutions, and for that matter all people, have rules.  So to a certain degree they must be judgmental. The key is whether the evidence supports the judgment. (Charles Manson bad.  Tom Hanks good.)

Religion, which produces nothing but rules, can’t exist without being especially judgmental.  Violate some religions’ particular version of God’s rules and your punishment can come in the “here” and/or the “hereafter”.

But Popes and their Infallibility are not just garden variety judgmental. They are the Major League of “right and wrong”. It’s a world of 100 mph bean balls for   those who won’t conform in either “word” or “thought” or “deed”.

On his recent trip to Brazil, Francis was even judgmental of the local bishops for failing to attend to the poor, thus Rome is losing market share to Evangelical Protestants.

He’s continues to crackdown on U.S. nun’s who are the foot soldiers of attending to the poor. American nuns are literally subject to a current Inquisition for merely talking about things like ordination of women and gay marriage.

The Number One Him wants it clear that “My Way” is the Number One Hymn.

It was not that long ago that Catholic judgmentalism punished like the Taliban.  And you can be damn sure that burning heretics at the stake did not end because Popes had a change of heart.  It was because the rise of secular government meant the power of the State could no longer be used to resolve religious debates.

Given the opportunity, they would, once again, be sending folks like me to the auto-da-fe.

 



11 Responses to “Fields: The Pope And Gays”

  1. Christine says:

    If only they could Sam…..if only they could…

  2. ziggy says:

    sam imagine the money to be made in admissions alone to see at the stake

  3. Ha Ha Ha says:

    Sam, AC/DC doesn’t mean “homosexual” – it means “bisexual”.

  4. Catholic Dem in Broward says:

    The Catholic position on homosexuality is not a judgemental one and is consistent with everyone else. Just as it is ok to be heterosexual, you aren’t supposed to act on your heterosexual desires. Remember that pre-marital sex is a sin in Catholic theology. Likewise, homosexual pre-marital sex is a sin as well. It is merely treating homosexual acts just like heterosexual acts. What made Pope Francis’ statement so great was that it is changing the tone of the Church. Instead of focusing on issues like gay marriage he is shifting the focus of the church to tending to the poor.

    The Church also is a hierarchy similar to the military with rules and regulations and chains of command. The nuns are not supposed to be advocating ordination of women or gay marriage because those are issues that are contrary to Catholic teaching. You can disagree with it all you want but just because a person or religious institution is against gay marriage doesn’t make them a bigot against homosexuals. In Pope Francis’ defense while he said the issue of women ordination is closed, he did advocate a greater role for women in the administration of the church. They don’t need to be able to consecrate the host or say mass to have influence.

    Every institution, government or otherwise, have questionable histories. We live in a country that was founded on the enslavement and torture of millions of human beings. Likewise the Church has instances of bad history. That doesn’t change the fact that the Church have changed from things that happened 500 years ago. Of all the Christian religions the Catholic church, theologically speaking, is the most accepting towards homosexuals. They are not bashed in catholic schools, they are not bashed in church. That doesn’t mean that some Catholic individuals might not misrepresent the religion just like the tourist “Bad American” misrepresents the USA overseas. That doesn’t change the fact that Catholic theology accepts homosexuals and does not claim they are any devil or evil like other religions do. They are treated just as heterosexuals in terms of pre-marital sex and this is applied in their teaching in schools and churches.

  5. SAM FIELDS says:

    Dear Cath Dem

    “We oppose all premarital sex…and we also oppose gay being allowed to get married.” Catch-22.

    Bigotry is a social construct. Seventy-five years ago interracial love was prohibited and NOT seen as bigotry. Times change and so has the social construct of miscegenation.

    The Catholic Church is one of the least tolerant institutions. Spend some time at a Unitarian or United Church of Christ service where the level of tolerance is far more significant.

    Having spent 5 years at the Catholic University of America I got to know priests, nuns, monsignors and even Bishops as fellow students. It ain’t what you think it is. At least 30% were gay and they understood that the rules did not apply to them. They are for the little people like you.

    The “my way or the highway” church is the most tolerant! What are you smoking…and can I get some.

    As for Christine I am quite sure she is genuinely part of a segment of Catholics [The Tridentines] that would like to see the Roman Church as the legal state religion of America. We would be governed by Church Law in the same way Muslim wackos want us to live under Sharia law.

    She would truly not have a problem with torture and murder …as long as it done in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

    FROM BUDDY:

    I want to point out that Sam is on Social Security so his time at the Catholic University of America was more than a generation ago.

    He also has no idea if the person who comments under the name Christine “would truly not have a problem with torture and murder” in the name of Christ nor whether she/he would like to see the Catholic Church the state religion of America. To know Sam is to realize that he has a vivid imagination, especially when it comes to anything involving religion.

  6. Catholic Dem in Broward says:

    So anything short of completely embracing gay marriage is bigotry? Now that’s “my way or the highway.” The Church has sound philosophical and theological reasons for being against gay marriage (even if you don’t agree with those reasons) that have nothing to do with bigotry or picking on a group of people.

    That is why I think Pope Francis’ comments were great. Its a change in tone. The Church isn’t against homosexuals or homosexuality as it is more against promiscuity of any kind. It doesn’t need to waste time and energy battling gay marriage or contraception or things like that. It can be against them philosophically but also focus instead on more pressing issues like poverty, environmental issues, etc.

    That doesn’t mean that there aren’t many catholics, prominent and otherwise, who are fervently and passionately against issues like gay marriage where they border on bigotry. They do exist and they are vocal. Which is why Pope Francis’ message of “who am I (we) to judge them” is so important.

    I can tell you that I’ve been educated at catholic institutions all my life through elementary, junior high, high school and even college. Never can I recall any priest or professor teach that homosexuals should be ostracized, judged and condemned. There was never any teaching of conversion therapy or nonsense like that. Homosexual sex wasn’t going to get you into hell any faster than heterosexual sex. The message I received has always been one of acceptance and understanding.

    Now is that message always received? No. Are there Catholics who are bigots? Yes. Which is why the earthly representative of Jesus Christ in the Catholic religion telling everyone “who are we to judge them” is a good reminder to those Catholics that the church is not about rounding up, ostracizing, judging and condeming homosexuals as it is about helping the poor, protecting the environment, etc. Afterall, “he who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

  7. SAM FIELDS says:

    Buddy,
    Isn’t religion nothing but “vivid imagination”.
    Sounds like a “pot/kettle” issue.

    Let Christine speak for herself.

  8. SAM FIELDS says:

    Followup.
    You would like to think that my fears are hyperbole.

    Not Really.

    Consider that Pennsylvania has an anti-blasphemy law. IT WAS PASSED IN 1977!!!!

    Type in “Christian Constitutionalists” and see all the groups that want to establish a state religion and insist that this was the intent of the Founding Fathers. Citing to a reference of Justice Joseph Story they insist that the First Amendment protections for religion apply only to them.

    Disappointingly, The European Human Rights Court recently upheld an Italian law requiring crucifixes in all public school classes. The display of crucifixes comes from a 1920’s deal between the Vatican and Mussolini.—surprise, surprise.

    FROM BUDDY:

    The question is why do you have fears….or obsessions about religion?

  9. SAM FIELDS says:

    Buddy,
    Apparently tens of millions annually murdered and otherwise oppressed over the phony argument that “my god is better than your god” is not important to a guy like you.

    Apparently tens of billions in tax subsidy to the Godheads and their phony beliefs is not important to a guy like you.

    If murder and tax ripoffs don’t bother you…what does?

    FROM BUDDY:

    Sam, I’m sorry. I forgot you carried the weight of the world and all religious history on your shoulders.

  10. justme says:

    you two are hilarious!

  11. Christine says:

    Sam,

    You are smoking too much of that pot you so publicly like to celebrate..and that is against the law.

    I hate to disappoint you. I am not a Tridentine Catholic. I am actually a Vatican II Catholic. You know, the kind that embraces social ministry,the religion that opened up the first homes for unwed mothers and orphanges, that supports hospitals, the aged and infirm, the unborn babies? That supports only just wars..the preferential option for the poor, calls for a living wage and safe working conditions? The kind that reads the Bible as a contexulaist and not a literalist, and sees our God not as the one who is full of fire and brimstone , (a god in the image of those that do not know God) but one of forgiveness and mercy.

    As for “She would truly not have a problem with torture and murder …as long as it done in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” Aren’t you referring instead to the cruelty and bloodshed perpetuated, in the 20th century alone, by totalarian regimes that have professed “scientific atheism” such as Stalinist Russia?

    But that’s okay Sam. I understand. You simply do not believe you are good or worthy enough to be loved by Love itself. But you are- as we all are.