Far Better To Be Ourselves
The problem with classifying people into understandable concepts -- whether "gay," "conservative," or any of the rest -- is that people are ferociously not concepts. Labels "know" the person by reducing him to a series of understandable traits, grinding away his distinctions and forcing him to stand in an abstracted community of liberals, gays, reactionaries, or atheists, no matter how unique he may be to the liberal or atheist he brushes abstract-shoulders with. Labels provide unity … [Read More...]
No Longer Anonymous: Why I Decided to Come Out as a Gay Priest
Bravely facing the applause of a world in love with labels, and just in time for the release of a second edition of his new book "Hidden Voices, Reflections of a Gay, Catholic Priest," Fr. Gary M. Meier came out today and declared himself openly gay to the notoriously unsympathetic Huffington Post. Bless the man, may the Lord keep him, let His face shine upon him and give him His peace. He'll be attacked by idiotic Catholics, whose quotes will undoubtedly be used in his up-and-coming "This … [Read More...]
Pope Francis!
Sorry, I couldn't resist. I only have a few more days of the "he's a teenager" excuse. So. Let me know if you're excited for the new season! … [Read More...]
Whence Opposition to Birth Control? A Rebuttal.
The wonderful Libby Anne of Love, Joy, Feminism recently critiqued a poorly-designed graphic made by well-meaning Catholics, saying its "very simplicity...is the downfall of this illustration." She's dead right, and I'm thankful that she points it out. Graphics attempting to pixelate the complexities of chastity, marriage, and contraception naturally reduce the intricate, opening themselves to easy criticism. But if the graphic falls short, Libby Anne's critiques fall shorter, due -- I hope … [Read More...]
Quick, Label Me!
Labels are not concerned with the accurate description of people. In fact, they work against description by allowing us to avoid dealing with the person -- who is confusing -- by pointing to an abstraction -- which is simple. We replace the infinite, complex man with the immediately recognizable "liberal." This evident in that the labels "liberal" and "conservative" -- in themselves -- mean nothing. A man who is liberal is a man who allows, and a man who is conservative is one who … [Read More...]
How Not To Know God
The word "eternity" scares us post-Christians. It was no contradiction for atheists like Nietzsche to disavow the existence of God while simultaneously reveling in the idea of eternity, but now that popular atheism has been irretrievably wed to the idea that truth is only in the material world, and that physical science rightfully usurps all other forms of knowledge, a rejection of God has come to mean a simultaneous rejection of eternity. Why? Because if truth is only known through science, and … [Read More...]
Virginity is Sexual
This post will probably make a lot more sense if you read Is Female Purity Bullshit? and Is Purity Culture Sexist? first. Virginity is sexual. This is difficult to grasp in a post-Christian culture which lacks the social presence of nuns and religious sisters in daily life. We are educated to laud and await the day we'll misplace our all-too-clingy virginity, making it impossible to imagine a beautiful woman freely and joyfully giving up everything she owns, shaving her head, taking up … [Read More...]
Is the “Purity Culture” Sexist?
When discussing purity as it relates to our awesome, sexually-liberated culture, it's best to begin with a brief history of the female breast. The bosom has been through a lot, but allow me to point out its place in two distinct time periods, one Christian and one post-Christian. According to the traditional feminist narrative, a heavily Christian culture that promotes purity -- and even virginity -- would be a culture busy repressing the hell out of the female breast, while a liberal, … [Read More...]
Is Female Purity Bullshit?
Yerp, says the wonderful Lindy West of Jezebel. Her critique comes from being righteously pissed over an evangelical culture which has guys saying they want a "pure" girl without defining their terms. She discusses "sex-ed" classes which liken women who have had sex before marriage to chewed up pieces of gum no one wants. Allow me to murder my way through her thesis: "Purity" is a vague, repressive expectation imposed on women by men, a unique method of controlling female sexuality, with the … [Read More...]
Catholic. Nuff Said.
When I modify the word "Catholic" with some preceding description -- be it traditional Catholic, liberal Catholic, or faithful Catholic -- I do a disservice to the Catholic Church. Perhaps there are times when a concise modification is good, true, and beautiful, but on the off-chance that you -- like me -- are doing your Catholicism wrong, have a reason to quit your modifying: It's usually a reaction which unintentionally gives credence to the thing reacted against. I used to call myself … [Read More...]
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