Catholic Archbishop John J. Myers of New Jersey released a pastoral letter this week reminding the faithful that “we cannot define and redefine marriage to suit our personal tastes or goals.”
Calling gay relationships “degrading,” he suggested that Catholics who support marriage equality should refrain from taking Communion at Mass,” as they are “unable to assent to or live the Church’s teaching in these matters.”
The prevalence of false ideologies about our nature affects how we think of our bodies. These ideologies have degraded the body, treating it as separate from the identity of the person. Identity appears to rest only mind and will, and the body is regarded as part of a lower order of creation. To some, sexual activity is understood simply as a source of pleasure or recreation, or as a way of satisfying an appetite just like hunger or thirst. Its deeper meaning as a one-flesh unity of covenantal partners is lost.
The loss of the sense of fidelity and permanence within marriage and the loss of the centrality of offspring within marriage (through contraception and abortion) in favor of pleasure, has contributed to the arguments for “same-sex marriage.” Worse, it has undermined the well being of many children and contributed to numerous social problems affecting the common good.
One of the best services we can provide to our Church and our society is to commit or recommit to faithfully and lovingly living out our own commitments to marriage and celibacy for the Kingdom. Our children and our nation need the example of many, many faithful people fulfilling in a joyful and self-sacrificing way their vocations. In particular, I ask all to renew their efforts to be child-focused families where the good of the children comes before career or ‘personal fulfillment…
I urge those not in communion with the Church regarding its teachings on marriage and family (or any other grave matter of faith) to sincerely reexamine their consciences… If they continue to be unable to assent to or live the Church’s reaching in these matters, they must in all honesty and humility refrain from receiving Holy Communion until they can do so with integrity; to continue to receive Holy Communion while so dissenting would be objectively dishonest.”
The issue of marriage equality is being fiercely debated in the Garden State: In February, Governor Chris Christie vetoed a same-sex marriage bill that passed the New Jersey Legislature. Meanwhile, polls have shown U.S. Catholics support legalizing same-sex marriage at a higher rate the general population.
Makes for some pretty empty pews, no?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
breal
First, black is supposed to have a slimming effect, pink is so 2007 and men in jewelry just don’t do it for me. Honestly, if you wear something like this to church you shouldn’t be able to get communion. The people handing out communion should just be like “no soup for you”. On top of it, if you are going to have a profile picture you should have a full smile and not some half smile like you are some child molester (hehe).
Ronbo
I’m amazed that these poofs in the church don’t get spit on much, much more often. Well, we know that the kids are spitting; but, that is “OK” by them, swallowing priest semen isn’t required to get communion.
Spit on Priest month is October! Have a happy month.
Billysees
I’m not a cynic of any church, holy text or the very significant verse from scripture of Proverbs 20:24 — Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
I copied the following from a comment section. It’s humorous and yet slightly true to me.
—————————————–
Time to take Christianity out of the hands of the weird, the fossilized, and the irrelevant. The purity of the pristine gospels has been smothered by the corrupt, funny old men in jeweled hats and silk dresses spreading flowers, muttering their pious poppycock, and swinging golden censers in order to mask the stench of the rotting garbage and the decay.
The only role left for these churches is to preserve culture and the myths which spring from culture. These old geezers produce a dazzling floor show for the masses. Administer a narcotic for the anxious and depressed. Inject elixirs for those needing a boost. Apply a soothing salve for the guilt-ridden.
Other huckster shamans spread sweet smelling spices and flowers over a ditch of cow pies and call it an act of God.
Fortunately, the whole world is beginning to see through the veneer, through their veil of religious chicanery, deception, and hypocrisy. For these cult leaders their time is up.
They’re all being exposed, but the ignorant and superstitious continue to be deceived by them and swept off their feet by their splendid rites and liturgical mumbo jumbo.
Mjl-428
using communion against your followers to change their beliefs and Re-establish control over them. if this doesn’t put up a red flag that the Churches can’t be trusted anymore, then I don’t know what does. Then again, when there were reports of Child molestation going on, there were still people bringing their kids to the church, so I guess it’s too late for their followers
erikwm
Interesting. I see nothing in the Archbishop’s statement about abstaining from tithing or offerings.
Lets not be too hasty, right?!
How does one say “beggars can’t be choosers” in Latin?
erikwm
“Worse, it has undermined the well being of many children and contributed to numerous social problems affecting the common good.”
It takes a lot of brass for a Catholic archbishop to talk about undermining the well being of children.
BiL
Once again Pedophiles R Us has spoken.
2eo
Wanna rape children though that’s fine, and encouraged.
Dumdum
ab irato.Hujus ecclesiae quae advocat esus carnium et potatio sanguinis, aliena est et barbara. Si igitur daemones haec patria est.
QJ201
But it’s okay to take communion if you are greedy, cheat on your taxes, rip off your employees, and of course, fuck children.
craigfloody
Wow…. I am not surprised that this poylester wearing stale celebete holyer than thou Catholic is threatening it’s DYING audience to no flesh during their rituals……. It is the Catholic way to rule in fear of the ignorant to keep their BUSINEESS in operation…..
Dosen’t the church of Hate, Discrimination and Pedophilia get that they are no longer the super power that they were in the last century? Go back to the Vatican’t, ( the stinky old mens club ) and get the hook… You know, go fuck yourselves……..
Dumdum
An irrational statement from a church that advocates the eating of flesh and drinking of blood. If demons do exist then this is their home.
craigfloody
@Dumdum: please enlighten me dum dum….. forgive me father for i have not learned latin…lol
Chris-MI
I say let him do it. The (mostly straight) people who don’t base their decisions on one interpretation of a confusing passage with a bizarre context can go to a different church or no church at all. If it’s true that the Catholic church makes better people than the liberal churches, then the Catholics will rule the world and the liberals will get bogged down in planning the big church socials.
Or maybe science and common sense and compassion and “their personal opinion” will work after all, and Archbishop Myers will preside over a small clique of people just as dense as himself.
petensfo
I always thought the wafers needed salt.
Katholic Khurch Kulture has no place in American Society.
horace
I am wondering a couple things like if he ever got any and who does his hair?
Kieran
It’s always tragic to see a Catholic primate using “the body and blood of Christ” as some sort of weapon to whip fellow Catholics into line with. I don’t know what church law or dogma the archbishop is relying on here but it doesn’t sound very Christian.
Jesus said, “I will reject no one who comes to me.”
But then, God’s mercy and compassion is far greater than man’s.
Thank God.
Candice Marie Sweet
@Dumdum: I am going to reply to your statement about taking communion in general.
Please do not think that I in any way am defending the archaic Catholic church and this Archbishop and the hateful, ‘Not as Jesus taught’ (my words) way of practicing Christian faith that is in part, an example for the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s led by Martin Luther and followed by Calvin and others.
Frankly, it amazes me that such stupidity as this actually makes for press in our community when we have MUCH bigger fish to fry (Romney sic*).
Holy communion is very important to my faith journey as a christian. The practice of Communion is not ‘owned’ by the Catholic religion. It is a ‘Christian’ tradition that happens to be also practiced by the Catholic church.
When we observe Communion we show our participation in the body of Christ. His life becomes our life and we become members of each other:
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NIV)
The main reason I am posting this is to show how ‘we’ (westerners) are greatly ignorant to the various religious practices of many of the great religions. ‘We’ fail greatly at our understanding and tolerance of the Muslim faith, this is all too prevalent in the dangerous, misunderstood world we live in today.
If you (assuming here, a western, most possibly LGBT American – since this is a post reply in ‘Queerty’) do not understand the basic fact that Holy Communion is a CHRISTIAN tradition, then it is not a stretch to think you have absolutely no idea of the basic practices in MOST of the worlds religions.
If you are that uninformed, then in my mind, you really should not post such ignorance publicly. It only furthers the extreme right wingers bigotry of me and the LGBT community at large.
Candice Marie Sweet
@Billysees: Amen!
jmps
My parents tried to raise me as a Catholic but when it came time for first holy communion I was baffled. 40 years later I still am. What kind of ritual is this? You pretend eat someone’s body and drink their blood. Why would anyone want to do that? Religion in any shape or form is just plain nuts.
Andrew
@Kieran: You took the words out of my mouth. How DARE he use the Eucharist as a tool of coercion. It’s not “his” table to deny places at it.
Candice Marie Sweet
@jmps: Your comment uses one word correctly: ‘Ritual’.
Yes, Communion is a ritual in a service, a Christian service. If you do not or can not understand the meaning behind Communion then perhaps Christianity is not for you.
I personally believe that Jesus died for our sins. Because of this act, we are invited to eternal life in heaven.
The 1st communion was that of the night before his death on the cross. Jesus was host and invited the 12 to ‘Take, eat, for this is my body, my body that will be broken for you’, in the same way, Jesus took the cup and after blessing it, offered it to the 12 saying, take, drink, for this is my blood, my blood that will be spilled for you…’ The whole scene was a ‘ritual’. A metaphor for all Christians faith journey from then forward.
God is in us. We are of God. Jesus is God incarnate, God in flesh.
When taking communion, you confirm your faith that Jesus body and blood is in you. And taking communion was in the beginning, directed upon Christians in that blessed meal by Jesus himself.
To me it is an important part of my personal confirmation of this. Each week when I take communion (in a predominately Gay/LGBT church) I am reminded of this fact.
Religion in it’s self, is not ‘nuts’ as you so non-eloquently put it. What I think is ‘nuts’ (using your description) is when ill/non-informed people pass judgement on any other persons faith journey and the ‘rituals’ that solidify for those, their faith. And this is where your ‘nuts’ comment brings your feeling not so far apart from the Archbishop’s one that Communion, freely given by Jesus himself, can used as a tool, as a key if you will, to enter heaven. The Archbishop does not have that right just as you do not have the right to Lump an important part of my faith in with it.
jmps
@Candice Marie Sweet I am so sorry I am not as eloquent as you and I am so sorry if you don’t like me to say that religion is nuts. What if I put it another way? Religion is fucking crazy! I understand that you follow the silly and somewhat gruesome rituals of eating bodies and drinking blood and I also understand that you do so because you truly believe that if you pretend to eat Jesus than you will somehow survive death, or “eternal life in heaven” as you so eloquently put it. You and the child raping priest can go ahead and take these silly acts seriously. I think you are all bat shit crazy.
Candice Marie Sweet
@jmps: Bat Shit Crazy!? Really… Hmm.. you are quite judgmental of people you do not even know! Call me crazy if that makes you feel better about yourself, but my faith has absolutely nothing to do with your inane comments.
You probably like Corn flakes for breakfast… Yeah, Everybody that likes Corn flakes for breakfast is ‘Bat Shit Crazy’! That makes just about as much sense as your statement on Religion.
Since I’ve put my core beliefs out there for the world to see and ridicule in your case, how about you share yours?
Never-mind, I highly doubt you have the mental capacity to think beyond what you can touch and feel. You have every opportunity here to prove me wrong however.
But honey, really, to judge a person, ANY person for what they believe is the driving force behind their each and every breath is just ludicrous.
This whole line of posts were in reaction to The Roman Catholic Church and one of it’s leaders directives. All I tried to do was to help educate some reactive, non-thinking posters about the meaning of Communion. Nothing more, nothing less. You chose to take the low road… enjoy yourself on it, you seem to have a lot of ill-informed, ignorant company.
I prefer to not take the easier, lower road (yours) and actually enjoy what this amazing world has to offer, separate the wheat (non-judgmental, open minded) from the chaff (judgmental, closed minded) and celebrate the wonders and beauty we have been given.
You jmps are chaff in my life and it continues to amaze me how people like you jump at the chance to prove their ignorance and intolerance.
Curious, I must assume that you then think the vast majority of ALL peoples on Earth now and throughout history, “are bat shit crazy”. I bet this includes at least one of your parents and most of your lineage. This would also include people such as Martin Luther King, Beethoven, The Founding Fathers of the USA, Gandhi, Julian of Norwich, Mozart, FDR, Ronald Reagan (if he is one of your favorites), John f. Kennedy… geez I’m just getting started.
What I am trying to point out (but sincerely doubt you will understand) is the VAST majority of great thinkers and world leaders/changers/shakers (not all, but easily most) have had a profoundly deep faith, not Religion, but faith… Do you even understand the difference? Never-mind, redundant question.
If we were able to wager, I would bet everything I own and will ever own, that your comment, IF THERE IS ANY CONVICTION ATTACHED TO IT, would exclude almost all of the people you find endearing in your life. You, with one short, un-examined, ignorant statement, have ‘dissed’ your fore-bearers, and nearly anyone you have looked up to or ever will.
I suggest a nice tight muzzle since I bet your mouth has kept you from many opportunities. Also, try mittens, it should be really hard to type your ignorance while wearing them.
I have thanked God that I am not you, I bet I’m not the only one. I have prayed you (and others) will at least be a tiny bit less judgmental after reading these posts.
The Archbishop and The Roman Catholic church are wrong here and in many, countless other ways, but you have lumped me in with them and for this I am saddened for your ignorance. It must be terrible to have such a great tool given to you (your brain) and to know it has not been used, gone to such a waste.
Billysees
@Kieran: Re 17 “It’s always tragic…
Very well said.
Especially these —
Jesus said, “I will reject no one who comes to me.”
But then, God’s mercy and compassion is far greater than man’s.
Thank God.
Billysees
@Candice Marie Sweet: Re 22 “Yes, Communion is a…..
You’ve spoken simply and meaningfully.
Billysees
@jmps: Re 20 “My parents tried…
It’s a waste of time to make fun of things that are not understood.
Jesus said, “Learn of me”.
At least try to do some of that “then” make your comments.
If your church hasn’t taught you anything that has imparted some knowledge, then do your own learning, reading, studying and so on.
A great verse you might enjoy, “To be spiritually minded is life and peace”.
Life means “it’s important”. Peace speaks for itself.
jmps
Religion = ignorance and judging from all of these comments from the religious right there is a whole lot of ignorance being displayed here these last couple of days. Candice Marie Sweet, you will never convince me that blind faith in imaginary beings is the way to live and I will never convince you that reason, logic and rational thinking are the best guide through life. You are incapable to carry on a rational argument without including irrational constructs like god. Go have your self a big heaping helping of Jesus and wash it down with some blood. buh bye.
Candice Marie Sweet
@jmps: Hi jmps!
Religious right? HAHAHAHA! That is really funny!
Religious, yes if by Religious you mean I have faith in a higher power.
Right? Why thank you! I always try to right, correct in my statement/facts, unlike you it seems. Oh no, wait… You meant ‘Right-Wing’! Oh hell no!
Honey I bet I am so far left of you that if you and I were campaigning for office against each other, you would be the one getting the Tea Party endorsements and money!
But what you said about me and others here being from the religious right touches on a problem that is swept under the rug in the LGBT community.
The ‘Assumption’ that if you are 1) LBBT 2) Liberal 3) Democrat or other than Republican
you can not possibly be a person of faith.
Frankly, I don’t/can’t understand why this is so, except for the damage many DENOMINATIONS (not religion) has done to those mainly in the LGBT community.
And The Roman Catholic Church is the preeminent leader in said damage but it in no way holds this title solely!
If one thinks about it, these religious ‘choices’ are not too dis-similar to that of the Political choices we are force fed. But I digress…
Personally, I think those that hold onto the scars a toxic religion has given them are partly to blame, in fact, mostly to blame. Think of it this way, you sit and watch a TV program you can’t stand, don’t agree with, tells you that you are a freak or whatever, you change the channel. Pick up the remote or get up and push the button, whatever, change the channel, hell, you can even turn it off!
The same goes for those (I assume this includes you), change the damned channel!
But DO NOT tell the Billions and Billions of viewers that get something/anything out of the programming that they are ‘Bat Shit Crazy’ for doing so! Well, you can say that, but do not expect me to be silenced when you do, oh hell no, I’m just the Queen that’ll get right in your face (or Fred Phelps face if he ever had the balls to show it) and tell you about the revelation(s) that I experienced and how I know Jesus.
One more thing, You say “You are incapable to carry on a rational argument without including irrational constructs like God”, well I can’t let that go.
Apparently you didn’t read my earlier posts. No, I bet you read them, but when I say “read” I mean actually look at the words (reading) and understand the words in their context (comprehension). One can learn what the symbols on a page or screen sound like but the much deeper intellectual construct is to fully understand the meaning given to those symbols. I doubt you have a very high level of comprehension, there are classes for that, you should look into it. My 1st post (to you) #22, was solely an explanation of communion and how it fits into my faith. I was not having an ‘argument’ with you or anyone. I was merely stating for the world basic facts.
If you will re-read my next post #24, in reply to your inane comments, I barely brought up God in that one also!
Reason, Logic and Rational thinking… you throw those words out in an effort hoping that anyone reading this line of posts will agree with you, that I do not posses 1) Reason 2) Logic and/or 3) Rational Thinking. I have given you nothing but reason, logic and rational thinking… Oh wait Candice, this is another example of jmps’ sorely needed comprehension classes.
No jmps, you have made my point very clear to those that actually use their brains and try to better themselves then I ever could with my eloquence in writing (thank you by the way)
jmps
I skimmed over your rant and it kind of made me feel sorry for you. It is too bad you have nothing else to do but rattle off these posts in which you sound so agitated. I didn’t read it too closely as quite frankly I have better things to do. I suggest you cool off, go have yourself some Jesus wafers and find yourself a hobby. This is the end of our correspondence as I will not open any more notices from you. I wish you well and I do hope you find the help you need.
JOHN 1957
Enough with the devils church already. We know what they’re about for thousands of years along with their pompous self appointed grandeur. They’ve gotten caught and found guilty of child molestation and rape how many times and have had to pay how many millions in damage and yet they still insist on throwing stones? At this point those who go back and take their children there deserve what they get because they’re looking for it subconsciously or just right down stupid or are hoping for it to happen to attain a cash settlement. Find God in your hearts and by your positive actions, not by manmade religion. I wouldn’t want his hands anywhere near my mouth in the first place not knowing if he had just finished devouring an innocent child.
Billysees
Here are a few thoughts I have about the person this article is about and the things he said.
It’s a shame that too many preachers, priests, rabbis and other “untouched by Jesus” representatives of the faith community are out there in this world causing “havoc” with their cruel and unjust words and deeds.
I’m personally sickened by these grievous people and the junk that comes from their lips.
How can followers of Him be like this? What’s happening here? Why are their words in the gutter?
The answer without doubt is “religious fundamentalism”.
Christianity and all of the other great faiths suffer from this scourge of fundamentalism and its many manifestations.
The plain and simple “love based” ideals that are represented by these faiths are even sometimes trashed by those that actually contributed to the writing of their holy texts.
Here’s a couple of examples to illustrate my point —
Scroll down to see the slide presentations.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/grant-storms-anti-gay-louisiana-pastor-obscenity_n_1825132.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/angela-mccaskill-gallaude_n_1972044.html#slide=123018
The following is an example of a fundamentalist family that could offer no comfort to their son. If only some good old fashion happiness and love could have been recollected by him, he may not have done what he did.
Read the whole thing if possible but, if not, at least make sure you scroll down to read the paragraph that starts out with …
—
I’d also like to address my family…..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/07/bill-zeller-dead-princeto_n_805689.html
My personal Christian beliefs want nothing to do with any scriptures I know are not worthy.
That’s the way the holy spirit works in me.
That’s the way I’ve worked out my own salvation or understanding.
The most important thing Jesus said that applies to us moderns is, “The holy spirit will lead and guide us into all truth and the things we should really be interested in and the good things we should do with our lives”.
Not all scripture verse is equal.
Some are better than others.
Let’s concentrate on the meaningful stuff.
Here’s are a few excellent illustrations of what I mean, and they are good examples of how LGBT folks should be treated —
These verses are either paraphrases or translations. 3 are written by Paul and 1 is written by Peter —
1. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
2. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
3. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
4. Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
Paul also wrote, “The Kingdom of God is not in word (that means scripture verse), but power (that means the ever modernizing work of the Holy Spirit)…….it’s not food and drink but righteousness (that means doing good works and deeds) and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”.
Let’s focus on the “love” stuff and we’ll diminish our interest in the other stuff.
Cheer…