Homosexuals, Homophobes, Homosapiens – The Third Way

Recently, several dynamic Catholic speakers teamed up to teach the actual, the real, the reasonable, and the true belief that Catholics hold regarding same-sex attraction.  The video, called “The Third Way”, is posted below.  The video is about 35 minutes long, but well worth the time.

Important Notes:

1. Catholics believe that homosexuality is a sin.  People are not homosexuals, acts are homosexual.  People are people.
2. The proper term, instead of “homosexual”, is a person with same-sex attraction (SSA).  This describes the person who wrestles with (or struggles with, gives into, indulges in, etc.) homosexual acts.
3. Same-sex attraction is a disorder (meaning it goes against the natural law) and should be avoided, as should all other disorders.
4. Catholics believe that every single solitary person has innate value, no matter what their disorder(s) may be, and should be loved.
5. Catholics love people, even if they indulge in sinful behavior.  Love the sinner, hate the sin.
6. The Catholic faith isn’t homophobic, individual people might be.  I am not.  See #4.
7. All persons are called to chastity (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2337.)
8. Simply because people who profess to be Catholic have acted or spoken improperly about the subject does not negate the teachings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 2357-2359.
9. TrueMen support, inspire, encourage, and challenge other males with SSA.
10. The Catholic Church offers support and encouragement to individuals with SSA through a group called Courage, as well as support groups for family/friends of individuals with SSA called Encourage.

This is, obviously, a very complex issue and widely discussed.  It would not be possible to write about every aspect, and I’m not intending to do so.  The bottom line… love people!

Here’s the video:

TrueMan up!

The Third Way from Blackstone Films on Vimeo.

A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Lawyer – Civil Liberties Under (Blatant) Attack

Here’s a pretty good video about the HHS “Healthcare” Mandate.  If you haven’t seen the previous post from Archbishop Dolan, please click HERE to watch that video and read that post first, then watch this video.

They fail, in my opinion, to really distinguish one of the biggest problems here.  Yes, the cover the civil liberty assault well, and

certainly the Rabbi spoke well about this not being a Catholic-only issue, and so forth.  However, what they fail to mention is that there is a fundamental difference between what the Catholic Church teaches on contraception, sterilization and abortion versus the idea of “women’s health.”  No matter how it is spun, even by medical doctors (OB/GYNs at the forefront), contraception, sterilization, and abortion ARE not healthcare… they hurt women and kill babies.

For those in favor of this mandate, they state issues about, as the press secretary did over and over in his press conference, “increasing access to these important preventative services.”  This is their attempt at watering down the mandate so that it seems as though it won’t really effect that many people.  This is a lie and is a blatant one at that.

Men – as you see this Priest, Rabbi, and Lawyer doing, you must also do.  You must stand against the attacks that are befalling our country, our communities, our women and children, and our Church.  This must end.

TrueMan up!

Catholics Murdered by Muslims in Baghdad

In an attack on Syrian Catholics worshiping at Mass on Sunday (Oct 31, 2010), 58 people were killed, including 2 priests and 75 people were injured.  The attack was conducted by Muslim extremists.

When will the world wake up and realize that Islam is NOT a peaceful religion?!?!  This story makes my blood churn.  This sort of injustice and attack against humanity must be stopped.  Here’s the story from Catholic Online.

‘The October 31 attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad that killed 58 and wounded 75 has shocked and horrified the Catholic community and all people of goodwill. We join Pope Benedict XVI in expressing our profound sorrow at this savage violence and offer our heartfelt prayers for the victims, their families, and the Church and people of Iraq.’

More Destinations

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) – We were among the first online sources to report on the evil actions of extremist Muslims which were committed against the innocent Catholic faithful of Iraq while attending Holy Mass. I wrote an article entitled, Catholics Killed at Mass in Iraq: Extremist Muslims invade Church, Murder Priests .

Of course, the reaction from the Holy See was immediate. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his profound sorrow and solidarity. On the Feast of All Saints he called for an end to the “heinous episodes of violence that continue to ravage the people of the Middle East.” He addressed the “grave attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral of Baghdad, (where) dozens of people were killed and injured, among them two priests and a group of faithful gathered for Sunday Mass.”

The Pope called the faithful around the world to prayer, ” I pray for the victims of this absurd violence, which is even more savage because it struck defenseless people, gathered in God’s house, which is a house of love and reconciliation…. May everyone unite their efforts so as to end all violence.”

We received an extraordinary number of letters in response to that article on the massacre against Catholic Christians in Iraq by extremists Muslims. Many of our readers asked why this evil act of terror and violence was not covered by the mainstream media and Major Press sources. It took a while, but it finally was. As the news came out, Catholics, other Christians, other people of faith and all people of good will uniformly expressed outrage, deep sorrow and shock at the barbaric act. The sacrifice of their lives must not be forgotten. It points to the growing persecution against catholics and other Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East.

We present below the full official statement released by Francis Cardinal George, the President of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops on November 1, 2010. This great Churchman is equally strong in his remarks referring to this “most recent murderous attack”. He placed it within the context of the ongoing persecution of Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. Once again, we invite our readers around the world to pray for those who were killed while attending Holy Mass, for their families and for all our brethren in Iraq who are in deep mourning over this evil act.

*****************************

Statement on the Attack on the Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad, Francis Cardinal George, OMI

The October 31 attack on the Syrian Catholic cathedral in Baghdad that killed 58 and wounded 75 has shocked and horrified the Catholic community and all people of goodwill. We join Pope Benedict XVI in expressing our profound sorrow at this savage violence and offer our heartfelt prayers for the victims, their families, and the Church and people of Iraq.

In the recent Synod on the Middle East, the bishops from Iraq spoke of the perilous situation facing Christians and other minorities in that country. They recalled: kidnappings for ransom; bombings of churches, schools, and other property occupied by Christians; threats to Christian-run businesses and livelihoods; and the death of Archbishop Rahho and other priests following kidnappings.

Together with this most recent murderous attack, this pattern points to an appalling lack of basic security. Many Christians have been forced to leave their homes or have fled abroad in search of safety. Many have little hope of return to Iraq in the near future.  The Synod called on the international community to help Iraq “put an end to the consequences of a deadly war and re-establish security, something which will protect all its citizens .”

The United States bears responsibility for working effectively with the Iraqi government to stem the violence. Our Conference of Bishops raised grave moral questions prior to the United States military intervention in Iraq and then called for a “responsible transition.”

While we welcomed the end of U.S.-led combat in Iraq, we share the Iraqi bishops’ concern that the United States failed to help Iraqis in finding the political will and concrete ways needed to protect the lives of all citizens, especially Christians and other vulnerable minorities, and to ensure that refugees and displaced persons are able to return to their homes safely. Having invaded Iraq, the U.S. government has a moral obligation not to abandon those Iraqis who cannot defend themselves.

At the conclusion of the Synod, the pope said, “Peace is possible. Peace is urgent. Peace is the indispensable condition for a life of dignity for individuals and society.”

We offer our prayers and solidarity with the suffering Christians of Iraq at this terrible time of loss and horrific violence. We stand with the bishops, Church and people of Iraq in their urgent search for greater security, freedom and protection. We call upon the United States to take additional steps to help Iraq protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable. “

Here are just a few pictures you can find while doing an internet search of Islam.  Seems like the opposite of peaceful to me.

Absolutely Ridiculous.

A Dirty Conundrum

One of the mysteries of the Catholic faith is why Mass attendance on Ash Wednesday is so high. It truly baffles me. When attending Mass on Ash Wednesday, you see droves and droves of people coming to receive dirt on their foreheads. The dirt (actually ashes, created by burning last year’s palm leaves) signifies our mortality, and is a reminder of our sinfulness. Do people turn out in record number because they like dirt? Do they think it’s a holy day of obligation (opportunity)? Do they enjoy receiving something? Is there another reason? The baffling part about it is that they could faithfully receive the Eucharist each and every Sunday (an actual holy day), or everyday if they so desired… how much better is the Eucharist than Ash Wednesday ashes?!

Another element about the fair-weather crowds on Ash Wednesday is the assumption (or maybe ‘sense of entitlement’ is the better phrasing here) that they can receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist isn’t simply a snack, or a party favor. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity! The Eucharist is reserved for Catholics, in the state of grace, who fully proclaim and live the truths of the Catholic faith.

Why do I bring this up?  Partly to vent, because it’s frustrating to me.  But, more importantly, because we need to realize the importance of catechesis and of witnessing to non-Catholics and others we come in contact with.  We have to be reminded of what’s happening to our Church, and as men, step up and lead others to a deeper understanding of Christ and His Church.

Man up!

How Men Were Created To Pray

In response to a comment, stemming from a recent post: The question was asked, “How were men created to pray?”  Please note, this post, as with all my posts, comes from my experiences and may or may not take into account every aspect of the topic.  If you have additional thoughts, questions, doubts or replies, please write them in a comment below.

I believe that men were created to pray in a manner that is wild, unrelenting and strong.  What do I mean by that?  I mean that a man has to pray in the same way that he was created.  It doesn’t make sense to do it any other way.  We were created, as evidenced in the creation story in The Book of Genesis, to protect, defend and guide.  (See Genesis chapter 2, specifically verse 15).  Adam was instructed by God to do all these things as the man, the one who has dominion over the earth and the creatures of the land, air and sea.  This was no small task.  Adam was given a great amount of responsibility.  Until the fall, Adam relied totally on God to direct and guide him.  We should take this as a guide – that in all things, we should ask God to direct and guide us.  After the fall, Adam was distanced from God and he toiled in the fields.  This is where we find ourselves today.  We toil, in whatever profession we have, and specifically, we toil in a real way when it comes to our conversations with God.  Why is this?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraph 397, explains this clearly.  It says, “Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command.”  We do this daily!  No wonder it’s so hard to pray!

If we know that we must trust God and that we must have reckless abandonment to God’s commands, then it will help us to pray.  If we know that we were created to protect, defend and guide others, it will help us to pray.  Now, some practicals:

• Find what works for you.  We’re all different and there are many different ways to pray.  Whatever your preference, do it often!
• Remember that prayer is a relationship with God.  It takes two; God always does His part.  Are you doing yours?
• Make your life a prayer.  Every chance you get, talk/listen to God.  (Guess what, you’ve got lots of chances to do this during your day!)
• A Man was created with a wildness within his heart – live wildly for God.  Your prayer can be wild, rugged and intense.
• Do it often.  Did I mention this already?
• Prayer is NOT an emotional thing; emotions may come about during/after prayer, but prayer itself is not emotional.  Our prayer is based on our faith – if our faith is founded on the Truth, then it is stable and unchanging and our prayer must follow that model.  If our faith isn’t founded on the Truth, then our faith (belief in God and His dominion over us) can change as quickly as the wind.
• Use helpful “tricks” to guide your prayer.  One easy one is ACTS – Adoration Contrition Thanksgiving Supplication.  Adoration is praising God, adoring Him, fervent worship of Him and His glory.  Contrition is asking for forgiveness for our sins; NOT in place of Confession!  Thanksgiving is thanking God for the blessings in our lives.  Supplication is asking God for the things that we need in life.

I suggest that you read up on men of the Bible, as well as Catholic saints, to get more ideas on how men pray.  Find one of these men that you share similarities with and try to emulate him and his style of prayer.  These men came before us and succeeded (and sometimes failed) in order to pave the way for us.

Man up!