Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 1:17pm

More Mush From the Wimps

no wimps

 

R.R. Reno at First Things reminds us that under the current pontificate Catholics who stand up for the traditional teachings of the Church are strictly on their own:

 

 

 

As I expected, the leaders of the Catholic Church have done everything they can to avoid saying anything in response to the furor over the Indiana RFRA. Their counsel is “dialogue,” an unfortunate weasel word long used by administrators who don’t want to take a stand.

On its face, the wording of this bland statement suggests the bishops believe the Indiana law could permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. (They’re calling for “dialogue” to make sure that doesn’t happen.) But this is an over-reading of the statement. It’s really just a political evasion of responsibility searching for words.

Some months ago, I predicted that Catholicism in America would basically accommodate itself to whatever sexual regime dominates our society. The accommodation won’t be explicit. The Church won’t endorse homosexuality or gay marriage. Instead, the bishops will step aside, avoid controversy, and just stop talking about things that carry a high price for dissent. This duck-and-cover non-statement fits perfectly into this trajectory.

My first impulse is to laugh. The statement tries to signal support for religious freedom, but qualifies. “The rights of a person should never be used inappropriately in order to deny the rights of another.” And so maybe Tim Cook is right to denounce the Indiana law. Time for dialogue. Oh, “justice and mercy” too. But wait, religious liberty is important. Except when it’s not. But sometimes it really is . . .

But I can’t laugh, because the tragedy is too poignant. Doubtless there are faithful Catholics in Indiana who think marriage is only possible between a man and a woman. Doubtless they resist the pro-gay propaganda their children are subjected to by the media and often in school. Doubtless they try to support the Church’s teaching on sex, family, and marriage. In the midst of a propaganda blitz denouncing all dissent from the coming regime of gay rights, this anodyne non-statement says to them, “You’re on your own.”

 

Go here to read the rest.  Here is the statement of those fearless Hoosier Shepherds with my comments:

April 1, 2015

The date is appropriate.

The recent passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana appears to have divided the people of our state like few other issues in recent memory.

They supported the bill.

We urge all people of good will to show mutual respect for one another so that the necessary dialogue and discernment can take place to ensure that no one in Indiana will face discrimination whether it is for their sexual orientation or for living their religious beliefs.

Translation:  We are in favor of both sheep and wolves so don’t protest us.

The Catholic Church is convinced that every human being is created in the image of God.

Well, duh!

As such, each and every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

We are also in favor of mom, apple pie and baseball!

This includes the right to the basic necessities for living a good life, including adequate healthcare, housing, education, and work.

Hey, can’t we change the subject to the full throated endorsement by Pope Francis of endless giveaways by Caesar?

The Catholic Church teaches that the principle of religious freedom also is rooted in the dignity of the human person.

Something to placate the rubes in the pews.

Religious freedom is one of the most cherished rights in the U.S. Constitution.

See the above.

The rights of a person should never be used inappropriately in order to deny the rights of another.

Now the big but.  Religious freedom must not stand for an instant if it gets in the way of the gay agenda.

We are called to justice and mercy.

Filler.

We believe that it is crucial that religious freedom be protected.

We are in favor of religious freedom, really and truly we are!

As Pope Francis wrote in his apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel: “No one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions” (n. 183).

See, we are even quoting the Pope!

We support efforts to uphold the God-given dignity of all the people of this state while safeguarding the rights of people of all faiths to practice their religion without undue burden from the government.

And with this little exercise in speaking out of both sides of their mouths out of the way, they append their names:

Most Rev. Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Most Rev. Charles C. Thompson, Diocese of Evansville

Most Rev. Donald J. Hying, Diocese of Gary

Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Most Rev. Timothy L. Doherty Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana

In the declining days of the Carter presidency in 1980, the Boston Globe accidentally put on an editorial about one of Carter’s useless pronouncements the classic, and true, headline:  More Mush From the Wimp.  The proper headline for this exercise in ecclesiastical weasel doublespeak is :  More Mush From the Wimps.  These days Catholics need principled and courageous leadership, and usually they get this type of tripe.  Jesus wept.

 

 

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Foxfier
Admin
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 10:56am

Listening to lots of Fulton Sheen these days…. can’t imagine why it came to mind…..

A plea for Intolerance
In the face of this false broadmindedness, what the world needs is intolerance. The world seems to have lost entirely the faculty of distinguishing between good and bad, the right and the wrong. There are some minds that believe that intolerance is always wrong, because they make “intolerance” mean hate, narrow-mindedness, and bigotry. These same minds believe that tolerance is always right because, for them, it means charity, broadmindedness, and American good nature.

What is tolerance? Tolerance is an attitude of reasoned patience toward evil and a forbearance that restrains us from showing anger or inflicting punishment. But what is more important than the definition is the field of its application. The important point here is this: Tolerance applies only to persons, but never to truth. Intolerance applies only to truth, but never to persons. Tolerance applies to the erring; intolerance to the error.

America is suffering not so much from intolerance, which is bigotry, as it is from tolerance, which is indifference to truth and error, and a philosophical nonchalance that has been interpreted as broad-mindedness. Greater tolerance, of course, is desirable, for there can never be too much charity shown to persons who differ with us. Our Blessed Lord Himself asked that we “love those who calumniate us, for they are always persons,” but He never told us to love the calumny.

Art Deco
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 11:24am

The original wimpy mushmeister had trouble setting priorities, making decisions, and building connections with members of Congress. He was also a Navy veteran, engineer, agribusinessman, athlete, and carpenter. He also had brother Billy to mock him and wife Rosalynn to shame him (“aides said his visibly toughened stance after taking the call was pure Rosalynn”). What’s Blaise Cupich got?

DJ Hesselius
DJ Hesselius
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 12:46pm

1) The bishops get a lot of their spending money from the state. In some dioceses, vouchers for their diocesan schools, or for their “social justice” projects, or adoption through CFS or some such.
.
2) I suspect many bishops and priests likely have homosexual leanings themselves, or have good friends who are homosexuals, etc.
.
I do have to wonder, however, if “religious freedom” would allow a Muslim taxi cab driver to refuse to transport someone with a seeing eye dog, or allow a Muslim cashier to refuse to check out bacon or ham at the grocery store. Could Muslim men be allowed polygamy? Could they set up Sharia Law courts?

Clinton
Clinton
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 2:20pm

In 1532 Henry VIII threatened England’s bishops and extracted the infamous
“Submission of the Clergy”. Of all the prelates of the kingdom, only one
bishop, (St.) John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, stood up for the Church and for
the the Church’s belief in the sanctity of marriage. The Church in this
country seems to have the same ratio of good shepherds to mushy wimps
as 16th century England.

Art Deco
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 3:41pm

I do have to wonder, however, if “religious freedom” would allow a Muslim taxi cab driver to refuse to transport someone with a seeing eye dog, or allow a Muslim cashier to refuse to check out bacon or ham at the grocery store. Could Muslim men be allowed polygamy? Could they set up Sharia Law courts?

Cab service is not a monopolistic common carrier. If he owns his cab, let him define his custom. The cashier works for the firm. If she’s costing her employer sales, let him deal with it by telling her he’s not in the business of promoting her dietary laws so she’d best suck it up or go work elsewhere. Islam permits but does not require polygamy and it generates social problems where it is practiced. One can make this clear to aspirant immigrants. As for ‘Sharia courts’, they can set up whatever private tribunals they care to; it’s just that they cannot call on constables to enforce their decrees.

Art Deco
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 3:43pm

1) The bishops get a lot of their spending money from the state.

Catholic hospitals do and agencies like Catholic Relief Services may. Not the diocesan administration.

Art Deco
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 3:47pm

I suspect many bishops and priests likely have homosexual leanings themselves, or have good friends who are homosexuals, etc.

Per some social research, 20% to 33%. Per Andrew Greeley, a large fraction are not part of any gay social scene. Richard Sipe, who despises the Catholic clergy, put the share of active homosexuals at 10%. Doesn’t explain why the vast majority seem to be men without chests.

Tom M.
Tom M.
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 4:25pm

Does anyone know if this bill will be able to be used by Muslims to have internal sharia law councils?

Tom M.
Tom M.
Saturday, April 4, AD 2015 4:39pm

Donald,

I was referring to the dust up over the issue in the following link. Would this law supersede what Irving is trying to do?
*
http://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-town-supports-forbidding-sharia-law-despite-plea-from-new-islamic-tribunal-mayor-says-citizens-need-to-respect-us-law-136350/

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 2:10am

Art Deco wrote, “Cab service is not a monopolistic common carrier.”
It is, insofar as it requires a hackney carriage licence from the Public Carriage Office, which restricts the number issued to prevent over-supply. They have always been governed by the Prætorian Edict Caupones, Nautæ, Stabularii. Hence a cab standing in a cab rank, or plying for hire, cannot refuse a fare, where the destination is within the area of his licence.
A private hire company, whose drivers respond to telephone requests may refuse a fare for any reason or none (but have no lien over their fare’s luggage, in the event of non-payment)
This is why the The acts 1537 c 61 and 1587 c 91 obliging an advocate to plead causes whether he chooses or not if in the one case a client and in the other the court pleases to insist on it is popularly referred to as the “Cab rank principle.” Again, their exclusive right of audience in the higher courts is the justification.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 2:24am

Donald R McClarey wrote, “They could have voluntary courts for religious matters whenever they please, which almost all denominations have.”
There is the more general right to submit virtually any civil dispute to arbitration, which is an enforceable contract. Most legal systems favour this and both Scotland and France have procedures to compel the appearance of witnesses and havers of productions before arbitrators and decrees arbitral can be registered for summary enforcement.
Likewise, the parties are free to choose the governing law of their contract.
However, a decree arbitral can be reduced for misconduct by the arbitrator; this ranges from taking a bribe to misdirecting himself in law.
This is quite different to the position of the courts of the Kirk. Their jurisdiction rests on the Ministers Act 1693 (still in force), not the consent of the parties. No court can reduce or suspend their sentences; on the contrary: “Their Majesties with Advice and Consent foresaid Doe Hereby Statute and Ordaine that the Lords of their Majesties Privy Councill and all other Magistrates Judges and Officers of Justice give all due assistance for makeing the Sentences and Censures of the Church and Judicatures thereof to be obeyed or otherways effectuall as accords.”

George Kadlec
George Kadlec
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 11:57am

“There are many ways to fall but only one way to stand. ” G. K. Chesterton
I suspect that after gay pride will come beastiality pride, pedophilial pride, etc.

Mike
Mike
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 3:25pm

How is it going against your faith to serve gay people pizza? It is not a sin to serve gay people pizza. How will the owners know if a person is gay? Will they ask everyone that comes in what their sexual orientation is? Owners of a bake shop making wedding cakes for a gay marriage is another matter, but I don’t understand how the pizza owners were going to deny gay people without asking their sexual orientation, which would be ridiculous.

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 7:34pm

Those people are Christian haters. They constantly slander Christ’s religion and brawl against His teachings. Christ will forsake the haters (bless their hearts) and lying liars when He comes in glory.

simple layman
simple layman
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 9:10pm

Wimps milktoasts. They’ll pull all stops though when it comes to attacking or punishing those attracted to the traditional Latin Mass. Believe me, my family and I have been on the receiving end from Bishop Doherty.

Sydney O. Fernandes
Sydney O. Fernandes
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 9:30pm

And some say homosexual practice is a victimless activity!

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Sunday, April 5, AD 2015 11:19pm

Not Mush:

When some homosexual couple comes to your Christian business for services at their immoral event, don’t panic. Go ahead and take their business!
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Then explain what is going to happen next.
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Tell them that the food and services will be just fine. And then inform them that all of the money that they pay for the services will be donated to a traditional pro-family lobby. If it is something like catering, where your employees have to be there to provide services, tell them that all your people will smile, be professional, and everyone of them will be wearing crucifixes and have the Holy Family embroidered on their uniforms. Then show them pictures of your uniforms. When the truck pulls up, speakers will be playing Immaculate Mary. Show them the truck and play the music.
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“Oh, you would be offended by that? I’m so sorry. You approached us because we are Christians. Right? We are happy to provide services for you and we are grateful that you chose to come to our Christian catering business. We just want to be of help.”
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Then tell them that you will take out an ad in the paper to let everyone know what you did with their money, thanking them by name for their business so that you could make the contribution.
.
I suspect this approach, if adopted far and wide, would put an end to attacks on Christian businesses.

.
Some commentors have their doubts, but I think they’re overthinking it.

Steve Phoenix
Steve Phoenix
Monday, April 6, AD 2015 8:48am

“I suspect that after gay pride will come beastiality pride, pedophilial pride, etc.” – Kadlec.
Sadly, Kadlec we are there. In this, the City of Saint Francis (tr.: “San Francisco,” for those born after 1985), one of the main protest groups positioned against Archbp. Cordileone and his attempt to have Catholic teachers sign an agreement upholding “Catholic identity” in diocesan institutions, is of course, our old friends, Dignity USA.
“An integral arm of DignitySF is ‘The Defenders’, an s/m group that practices “Leather Spirituality.” (California Catholic online 4/1/15). From a false notion of love to bondage and sadism— it is only a short distance.

Micha Elyi
Micha Elyi
Tuesday, April 7, AD 2015 2:36am

Some months ago, I predicted that Catholicism in America would basically accommodate itself to whatever sexual regime dominates our society. The accommodation won’t be explicit. The Church won’t endorse homosexuality or gay marriage. Instead, the bishops will step aside, avoid controversy, and just stop talking about things that carry a high price for dissent. This duck-and-cover non-statement fits perfectly into this trajectory.
–R.R. Reno, First Things

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