www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology This is a topic about Catholics who try to corrupt the moral teachings of the Church.

DocBrian:

I'm stepping in as both a moderator of this forum and as a bi-ritual Catholic deacon. I do not appreciate the accusatory tone of your posts. The tone is inappropriate here, and in fact anywhere one comes to discuss Christianity.

That you, personally, don't hear the teachings of the Church from the pulpit doesn't mean it isn't being done. Just this morning I spoke on the importance of being a part of the life-chain taking place near our parish in support of stopping abortion.

Both the pastor and I have been up front in presenting the Christian approach to the issues at hand so that our people can make informed decisions.

You say you are in the seminary as a deacon candidate for the "eastern rite." That statement alone makes your claim suspect. As Eastern Catholics we know that there are at least five rites (some claim a sixth rite exists). We do not speak of "eastern rite" here so much as the particular Church sui iuris to which we belong (I happen to be Melkite but most here are Ruthenian).

You are certainly free to enter into dialog here -- but dialog, as the word implies, requires two. For that to happen we cannot have one making dogmatic claims and rejecting the replies of others.

Fr. Deacon Edward
Moderator/Administrator

Dr Brian, my friend, are you interested in any other topics besides homosexuality>?
I am with you regarding the immorality of homosexual acts, but when I see someone go on and on about it, with nary a post on other topics it starts to seem, well, weird.
-Daniel

"Dialog?"

America's bastardization of the English language is really getting to me! I can handle spelling flavor without the u, but words like dialog *must* have a u-e attached!

Logos Teen

According to my dictionary "dialog" is an acceptable alternative to "dialogue" -- and is the normal spelling in computing (which is where I've spent most of my professional career).

Fr. Deacon Edward

It may be a case where prudent decisions to protect one's privacy online dictate one be circumspect, or the thought that when one is willing to publicly voice opposition to powerful agendas and cultural movements, even though it is not politically correct to do so, their presence in such a program may be opposed.

But since you've seen fit to cast doubt upon the veracity of my post and my truthfulness in general (what a Christian thing to do!), you'll be glad to know that I'm in this program: Deacon Program of the Eparchy of Saint Josaphat [stjosaphateparchy.org]

I spent five years doing general Catholic apologetics at www.freerepublic.com. [freerepublic.com.] I've written articles in national Catholic periodicals. My wife and I taught NFP for 10 years. I've done missionary work in Haiti. I witness to patients in my practice, and I share the gospel with every soul I meet who is receptive to hearing it. I've been a Catholic activist for years in the pro-life and pro-family movements.

However, at this time in the history of the Church and our culture at large, the single greatest threat to our free practice of Catholicism is the homosexual agenda.

In Europe and Canada, it is already a hate crime to speak out against homosexuality, and similar legislation was just passed here in the USA.

With the upcoming Vatican release of the guidelines for admissions to seminary and ordination, Catholicism will have run afoul of these secular forces promoting by judicial fiat the homosexual agenda.

It will be the beginning of a persecution for the Church. We will have to follow the Vatican and face the consequences, or compromise with the world and face the eternal consequences.

If one is not intellectually prepared to engage this aspect of the Culture Wars, then the homosexual agenda will complete its destruction of the few remaining Christian cultural norms.

If one has not personally witnessed the evil that the homosexual agenda does as a matter of course (I have two close friends who were molested by homosexual priests and two close priest friends who have been driven out of diocesan ministry due to the opposition to the homosexual agenda through the machinations of the homosexual clique that runs their diocese) then they might find my vocal opposition to it "weird" or "confusing."

I would disagree that the homosexual "agenda" (whatever that may be) is the single greatest threat to the "free practice of Catholicism." The singles greatest threat is our failure to be the "light of the world." Rather than reverting to polemics, to attempting to find a single issue that is paramount I submit that we need to be what we say we are.

11 men changed the course of history by being followers of Christ. They, in turn, converted hundreds who converted thousands... It was the examples of their lives that spoke of the reality of Christ living in and through them If we don't do that then our abilty to freely worship is already compromised. If each of us does not reflect the love of Christ, the single-mindedness of true disciples, then it doesn't matter what agenda others may have -- we have already failed.

The reason I suspect a "homosexual agenda" is that there is no monolithic agenda being put forth. Different groups have different goals, and sometimes those goals are in conflict.

BTW, thank you for the clarification of your status with the Ukrainian Eparchy.

Fr. Deacon Edward

Father Deacon,

My post was mostly just a joke! I personally shudder every time I see words such as "dialog" and "thru," but my post was intended for humo(u)r.

Maybe I should just stop joking in general on ByzCath since I seem to be the only one who gets my jokes!

Logos Teen

Dear Logos Teen,

I think we got the humour, but it was not the right time for it . Timing is everything in humour you know?!

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Dear DocBrian you said:

"However, at this time in the history of the Church and our culture at large, the single greatest threat to our free practice of Catholicism is the homosexual agenda."

I say:

Homosexuality is a result of our falling away from God, it is not the cause of it.

As for their agenda, it started over 15 years ago. I recall watching an Evangelical program that was quite in the know politically. They would mention exactly what law cases were being brought up and at what courts throughout the country. It was obviously a well thought out agenda on the part of those that sexually deviate from the norm.

More recently I heard one homosexual on TV actually admit that their latest target would be Montana. Or so I believe that Montana was the state he mentioned. By saying that, he was referring to the fact that when they reside in a small state such as Vermont, (which they have taken over, just ask any native), they will have power way beyond their percentage in the overall population of this country.

Obviously they want that 'power' for reasons of their own. (I guess paganism is alive and well). Now my problem is, if Homosexuality was unacceptable in society as it was 100 years ago, would so many boys have that disorder? Probably not! What a pity, so many souls....

Zenovia

Somehow the idea of Montana as a gay haven strains my imagination - the extreme right-wing loonies seem to have staked out a claim to the place. Besides, isn't Pope Pius XIII thought to be living there?

I've driven through Vermont any number of times, enjoying the foliage and the maple syrup. But I never noticed any particular indications of the sex lives of the Vermonters.

Incognitus

Just a thought. Has anyone else seen the cover story in the Oct. 10 Time Magazine? If you don't have the print copy, you can see some of it here. Time [time.com]

Dear Incognito Brother in Christ,

Actually, for many years we used to spend the post Christmas days with friends and all our children at an inn (run by a Greek Jew) in Manchester, Vermont.

The last year we spent any time there, there were two attractive young ladies there that were clearly lesbians (leading to much adolescent snickering and giggling on the part of our collective children). They slow danced together on New Year's Eve and they held hands. Apparently, they were there to plan their wedding reception. :rolleyes:

So, along with Vermont snow, skiing, maple syrup and country inn charm, I have indeed come across the sex life of Vermonters!!!

In Christ,
Alice

Dear Icognitus,

You know the conservative rural Protestant North East goes back to Civil War days. Strange that Vermont should have changed so drastically this past decade or two.

I said that I heard a homosexual on TV say that they intend to go and reside en masse in another underpopulated state, and I'm almost sure that person said Montana. That person was bragging about their homosexual 'political' aims and it was on one of the News cable channels.

Now it was undoubtably on one of the main News channels although someone unaware of these political issues might not have picked up on it.

I certainly didn't pull it out of the air, so either I heard it or not. If I did not hear it, then you are calling me a liar. Frankly, I believe I am due an apology.

Zenovia

My Friends

We must take up arms with the armor of God and fight the terrible spiritual war that is raging throughout this country and the world.

Sincerly