Don't let priests use sacraments as political weapons

[eridani]

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2518/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11973

The Cihak family of Barnesville, Minnesota, are faithful Roman Catholics who raised their son Lennon in the church. Last month, 17-year-old Lennon was preparing to make his confirmation when the family's parish priest found out that Lennon had posted a photo on Facebook opposing an anti-gay ballot measure.

When Lennon refused to recant his support for marriage equality, the priest refused to confirm him and began denying Holy Communion to the entire Cihak family.

With this story making national news, we have an opportunity to shine a spotlight on how right-wing extremism is hurting the church. Let's show the local bishop that we're standing with the Cihak family and demand that he stop priests in his diocese from using holy sacraments as political weapons.

Sign the petition: Don't use the sacraments as political weapons.

Thanks!

-- Michael and the whole Faithful America team

Source:

[rug]

1. Done.

There are two of them.

http://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/event/article/id/34911/group/homepage/

[Patiod]

2. Frankly, as a former Catholic, I would take this as a wake-up call

Let me start by saying that I just lost my Dad on Labor Day after taking care of him in his home for three years, and his Catholic community was AMAZING in their support of us. His current pastor, two former pastors, and the deacon were all regular visitors during the time he was homebound. Guys my dad knew from church sat with me for hours while he was comatose in the hospice. He got Last Rites four times - I didn't have the heart to tell any of them "not to worry, he's covered". The church secretary and the deacon's wife helped me plan the funeral Mass. The bereavement committee, which doesn't know me because I haven't been a Catholic since 1982, brought me coffee cake.

Catholics need to wake up and start demanding a real voice in their Church. They can vote with their checkbooks, or, worst case, do what I did and vote with their feet. I saw first-hand the wonders of a strong parish community, so I know how tough both of those actions would be, but the alternative is to endorse the anti-gay, anti-contraceptive, anti-woman obsessive direction the Church is taking. These crazy old men have gone so far as to start harassing NUNS for doing too much work for the poor, and not enough anti-abortion work. They need to get the message that this nonsense won't be funded by parishioners any more.

[skepticscott]

3. Catholics will never have a real voice in the Church

on issues like this. The RCC is not a democracy and never will be. Those who need community can find it in other places, if they have the courage to leave behind the corrupt, controlling, homophobic, sexist, child-raping, morally bankrupt Thing from Rome.

[rug]

4. Information, as is usually the case, is the solution.

The RCC has no greater authotity on civil matters than you do. The proper role of the Church in a civil society has been described many times over many years. The laity, along with non-Catholics, will and are reminding the bishops that they are overstepping their authority.

So, yes, on matters of civil law, it must function democratically.

[skepticscott]

5. And does the Catholic Church

adhere to that "proper role", as described, or do they constantly and deliberately stray outside it? Does the church consider itself subject to the same laws as everyone else, or do they think they have the right to deal with the problem of child-raping priests "within the family" instead of reporting them to the proper "civil" authorities, as any decent, moral person or group would? Do they think they have the right to endorse political candidates in violation of their tax-exempt status, and do they flaunt those violations openly, confident that they have enough of the civil authority cowed and afraid to enforce the rules against them, and not giving a ratfuck what the "laity" says?

[rug]

6. Of course not, no more than any group composed of humans.

It is as political as any other institution.

Are you surprised it tries to protect itself from criminal and civil liability, regardless of the moral and human cost? It would be naive to think so.

Fortunately, they're not the only ones who can play a political game. That is the heart of the matter.

[skepticscott]

10. I'm surprised that the RCC can be so shamelessly hypocritical

in trying to dictate morality to the whole rest of the world, while being so immoral themselves, and in trying to avoid taking responsibility for their wrongdoing, while preaching fire and brimstone as the wages of sin for everyone else for so many centuries.

I guess I shouldn't be, but the Catholic Church is a constant source of WTF.

[rug]

11. The world is full of hypocrites.

That's why it's so startling when somebody like Francis, Dorothy Day or Bertrand Russel comes along.

[skepticscott]

12. Figured you'd dredge up

the tired old "everyone else is doing it" argument.

[rug]

13. Read it again.

[localroger]

7. A sacrament used as a political bludgeon isn't a sacrament

The most powerful possible protest would be for those who received the confirmation that Cihak was denied to go to another parish and demand to be confirmed properly, in a service not tainted by secular political controversy.

[dimbear]

8. That would be enviable and brave, but the most powerful protest would be to go away. n/t

[Festivito]

9. God lets it rain on the unjust. Ban God as well?

Our politics is secular. And, there is secular reason to allow others support even for their "wrong" family situations.

For example, if Islamics forced us all to wear burkas and not touch bacon, the backlash would leave them without a convert for the next twenty years - or more. This pinheaded prick of a priest is doing more for anti-theism than the devil himself.

Of course, the priest does not care about the church, God, or anything sacred. He cares most about that beautiful big-buck donor, who happens to be politically motivated.