One of the Riddles of the Universe…

May 22, 2013 by Mark Shea

is “Why are you reading me when you could be reading Marc Barnes?”

Here, let me help cut that Gordian Knot right now. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the inimitable Marc Barnes, who just can’t write badly.

As Dan Savage might say: It gets better.

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Andiron
Mr. Barne’s assertion seems to be that the application of any label is necessarily reductionist. This is silly, but he will have to work that out for himself.
I use the word “gay” to describe myself because it aligns me with those who shared a common experience of childhood formation which encompassed far more than mere sexual attraction: the ostracism, contempt and often violence experienced by many of us. This in combination with the sense of shame and isolation created such a reservoir of esprit d’corps that when I finally “came out” and found a welcome far more warm than in any church, it would have been impossible not to align myself with it. Simply because I am celibate, I see no reason to reject that community
To those who claim “it’s such a small part” of who I am, I can only reply that your are speaking out of ignorance.
Andiron
I meant what I said and nothing more. Your attempt to co-opt my words to beat your drum is unappreciated and unwelcome.
Newp Ort
Marc is kind of the fair-haired-boy of catholic bloggers, at patheos in particular. But I usually find his writing to be parroting standard talking points regarding well tread ground, with a splash of smugness and a dash of memes. This is more of that, heavy on the preachy tone, dismissing the experience of those he cannot share.
- chezami
  Um, when you are presenting a *Tradition*, treading familiar ground is a *good* thing.
  - Newp Ort
    I think the idea of “don’t limit yourself to a label, don’t define yourself by what gives you a boner” is not tradition but a relatively new thing some catholics are telling gays. It sounds to me too much like “yea I guess it’s not sinful to be gay if you’re chaste, but please keep it to yourself” and then to say “i don’t define myself with the label heterosexual” is kind of phony because pretty much everybody at church will just assume youre straight if you don’t say otherwise.