Today’s D&C has an article about yet another interfaith collaboration in the Rochester area. This latest one involved the presentation of a program called The Two Thousand Year Road to the Holocaust. The presentation took place at Temple B’rith Kodesh in Brighton. There are several aspects of this presentation that bear examination.
The Catholic Spectator
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DOR Officials Have Strange Bedfellows
April 20, 2009 by Eugene Michael
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What is Truth?
April 17, 2009 by Eugene Michael
In anticipation of Joan Chittister’s DOR speaking engagement on June 25, here are two of her “theological” insights:Dogmatism will always get you there. Ask a Catholic. We’ve been there. We do it well. It was dogmatism that split us in the first place in the 16th century. It’s dogmatism, this whole notion that there is a truth–one eternal and unquestionable truth. This means that we have to close our mind to whatever the Holy Spirit, whatever the impulses of a creating God is creating.
But I do not believe that just because you’re opposed to abortion, that makes you “pro-life”. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking. If all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed and why would I think that you don’t? Because you don’t want any tax money to go there. That’s not “pro-life.” That’s pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is.
I didn’t know that my morality is deeply lacking for opposing the killing of children. Or that it was dogmatism that caused the Protestant revolution.
And, of course, truth can’t be eternal and unquestionable. Especially if you’re a famous dissenter.
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Humans are the Least Innocent?
April 15, 2009 by Eugene Michael
Today’s nonsensical letter of the day from the D&C’s editorial page:This letter is in reaction to another radio tirade against abortion’s killing of “innocent life.” I quite agree with these callers’ lofty ideal until the callers betray their disregard of the majority of innocent life that agonizes in slaughterhouses, in fields and forests bustling with firearms, and on and on. These are abuses “religious folk” perpetuate without shame, halos askew. Close your butcher shops, fur salons, hunt parties and bloody restaurants before you step up on your podium of “righteous indignation” at the doctors, nurses and sympathizers which unwanted pregnancies keep in practice. These good folk are often more merciful than you who judge. Humans are the least innocent.
Abortionists are merciful? Humans are the least innocent? The fields are bustling with firearms?
Welcome to the world of pro-choice America. It’s a little scary, isn’t it?
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Clueless
April 13, 2009 by Eugene Michael
In yesterday’s D&C, the editors asked some of their regular contributors to share their insights about Easter Sunday. Although many of these contributor’s insights were far removed from any meaningful understanding of Easter, there was one that really stood out. Here it is:Lent and Easter are associated with spring – a time for renewal and birth. And eggs are common in Easter traditions. My outlook on these themes has changed considerably since I became involved in animal rescue work. Eggs are certainly a common theme for Easter, but we’d do better to avoid real eggs and use decorative ones instead. The egg industry is among the cruelest in all of animal agriculture. Though cage-free, free-range, and “certified humane” eggs are becoming more popular, these labels are essentially a marketing ploy. And hey, you don’t need the cholesterol, anyway.
Maybe the Opinion Page editors at the D&C should have a policy that would screen out irrelevant opinion pieces. That is, unless they too think that animal rights are more relevant to Easter than Jesus Christ.
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We Deserve Better
April 11, 2009 by Eugene Michael
Thomas Warfield is the liturgical dancer who performed at Sacred Heart Cathedral during the Chrism Mass earlier this week. Here an an excerpt from a press release announcing his winning of the RIT Isaac L. Jordan Diversity Award:He coordinates the local Education for Peace conference and ARTWalk Alive Festival, participates on the boards of Nazareth College Dance Festival, The Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus and AIDS Rochester.
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Liturgical Dancing with the Stars
April 10, 2009 by Eugene Michael
Following is an eyewitness account from the Chrism Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral earlier this week.Unfortunately, most of the Mass was rather disappointing. After the brief moment of prayer preceding Mass, there was a musical call to prayer, which featured an exorbitantly flamboyant male dancing around altar. Since Mass had not yet begun, I simply tried to ignore the behavior in hopes that once the Mass was underway, such absurdity would cease. Sadly, he continued to prance about throughout every song, hymn, psalm, or otherwise musical part of the Mass except the Eucharistic Prayer and Communion Hymn. It was truly a disgraceful liturgical abuse, the Gospel Acclamation in particular. This rather oddly dressed fellow danced about carrying the Evangeliary around the altar, in what would be the Cathedral’s version of a sanctuary, and to the ambo. This entire behavior, from start to finish, did more to detract from the Mass than add to it. In short, it was distracting, strange, and otherwise unpleasant.
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Priest Battles with Communicant
April 1, 2009 by Eugene Michael
Following is an excerpt from an email that I received, slightly edited and with the name of the offending priest removed.I had the unfortunate experience of attending 5:30 PM Mass at St. Lawrence Church in Greece this evening(3/29).