I won't be censoring this topic, because quite frankly, this forum is very boring right now. There is legitimate discussion taking place and I do not need to remove comments I disagree with or call people names that I disagree with, because then I would be no better than the worthless liberal media that consistently slanders those who disagree with their agenda.
Part of being Catholic is the inevitable crucifying coming from the ignorant and uneducated who assume that every priest is a child molester. These people (almost always anonymous, of course) love to find flaw and exploit those flaws because of either hatred or jealousy. The Church believed erroneously that it was too big to address a problem that exists in every culture and it has paid and will pay dearly, as it should for trying to make it go away. The sexual predator rate is far higher amongst teachers than it is for priests or other church ministers.
Being Catholic is not an easy choice. It requires a level of discipline and faith not found in many other Christian faiths and that is never more evident during Lent where self-sacrifice, penance and service are a daily commitment. It is rooted in a tradition traced back to the first disciples of Jesus Christ and has existed over a 2,000 year history; it has not been without flaw. The United State has been in existence for 1/10 as long as the Church and look at how radically this country has been transformed in that time. I will allow you to determine whether it has been for the better or worse.
Most people bail from the Church because they want to have their cake and eat it too. And why not they say, my relationship with Jesus is my own and no one should be able to tell me otherwise. Church is boring, they say, I would rather be entertained. Do I struggle with some of the doctrine of the Church, you bet, but I would I be better served by creating my own church that aligns better with my own personal beliefs, No. Part of the strength of the Church comes from the discourse within and the realization that we as a Church are all working towards the collective goal of strengthening our community, our family and our relationship with God and I commend the Church for not falling into the trap of relativism which is easy and popular to do.
All that being said, these decisions are made with the intention of preserving a relationship of respect between men and women. It seems like a battle that is ultimately not worth fighting by the Church and I am disappointed that the diocese has not put a little more thought into it. Do we know for certain that these matches will not be allowed to happen? Who has made the official decision? And what is the actually basis for the decision? If it was here, I would spend a week with the bishop debating the topic and not leave until I was completely educated on the matter. He knows I would do this too. So I guess we will see what happens, but at the end of the day, what is flawed with trying to to instill modesty and respect for women in our children?
If any of you are ever in Hays, look me up, I’ll take you to Mass with me so you can see that the place is not filled with molesters, hypocrites and thieves and I’ll answer any question you may have. Then I will take you to Gella’s for an IPA because, well that’s what Catholics do.
I know many of you love our liberal government, but nobody redistributes more wealth than the Catholic Church.
Regardless of your circumstance, good luck to all of the coaches this weekend. I am jealous of you all.
