From: lancer@edwards.WPI.EDU (Stephe Lewis Foskett)
Newsgroups: rec.music.misc,alt.rock-n-roll
Subject: Re: One Catholic's view of Sinead on SNL
Date: 9 Oct 92 17:07:32
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609-2280
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In-reply-to: khaberl@bbn.com's message of 9 Oct 1992 19:07:32 GMT

>>>>> "khaberl" == Karl Haberl <khaberl@bbn.com> writes:
khaberl> Many people, including many who call themselves Catholic and yet
khaberl> don't even attend Mass regularly, have trouble with the Church's
khaberl> positions on artificial contraception and abortion. As difficult
khaberl> as these teachings are for many in modern society, particularly
khaberl> the teaching on artificial means of birth control (and I include
khaberl> myself in the category of those who struggle with this one), the
khaberl> Church's position on these issues has been consistently and
khaberl> clearly taught throughout its history.

Is this really true?  I don't want to get into an abortion-rights battle on
a music newsgroup, but I don't think the Roman Catholic church has always
remained steadfast in their hatred of abortion and contraception.  I had
heard from many different sources that their position neatly reversed when
the RC population was declining worldwide.  Well, actually, that they had
never really said anything pro or con about these practices until the mid
19th century, when the Pope released a statement condemning them.

khaberl> I am also tired of the attitude whereby the popular and stylish
khaberl> causes get all the attention and understanding, while it has
khaberl> become fashionable to heap derision and ridicule on organizations
khaberl> like the Catholic Church, which with all their problems, perform
khaberl> many extraordinaryly useful functions for society, in addition to
khaberl> providing a spiritual home for their members.

It seems very fashionable in Roman Catholic (and many other religious)
circles to blame all the problems of youth on Rock and Roll.  Does a child
kill himself because Black Sabbath says "Do It!"?  Certainly not.  Do
morals decline because Elvis waggles his pelvis for all to see?  I really
wouldn't call it a decline, just a change.

As for the good the Roman Catholic church does, that is indeed true.  In
fact, ALL religions (I can't think of an exception) do a great deal to help
those who are in need.  The PTL, for instance, helped a lot of people, but
this doesn't excuse their leaders' behaviour, or their cult-like status.
Many people look to Allah for solace, too, but this does not excuse the
warlike ways of some of their numbers.  And in exactly the same way, many
of those who look to the Christian god mistake the inherently pacific
teachings of Christianity as an excuse to make war.  And Sinead, being from
Ireland, has probably had her fill of the Roman Catholic invasion of
Northern Ireland.  To her, the Roman Catholic church may indeed seem to be
a great evil.  Just as Palistinians or some Arabs see Jews, or Jews see
them back, or every other religious warrior has seen his "enemy".  The
truth, though, is that almost every religion is inherently pacific and
wants the best for all people.  Every religion teaches that one should
"love thy neighbor".  I just haven't found one which, without exceptions,
actually FOLLOWS its own teachings.  Hypocracy has forced me to turn my
back on religion.

khaberl> In my classes, I teach compassion for other human beings: whether
khaberl> they are Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, or otherwise; whether
khaberl> they are living in the poverty of a run-down inner city
khaberl> neighborhood or the affluence of a suburb; whether they are
khaberl> heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual.

Then you are teaching what the Bible truly says.  You are the model the
religion should look to, not a Pope who tolerates religious war from
Northern Ireland to Palistine.  He is the head, and he is therefore
responsible for all that goes on in the name of the Catholic Church.
Sinead didn't tear up a picture of YOU, because YOU are doing right.  She
tore up a picture of the Pope because she sees him doing wrong.

khaberl> She gave her opinions. Now I'll
khaberl> give you mine. What she did was, in my opinion, immature, selfish,
khaberl> arrogant, conceited, misguided, deliberately offensive, and
khaberl> counter-productive

I must agree with you here, inasfar as your judgement of what she did.  The
war that she wanted to make a statement about, though, is all these things
tenfold.  And she was right to say "Fight the real evil".

.s.





--
- so spake lancer@wpi.wpi.edu - - such is the way of the victim: -
-             But I will not go. And I shall not go.             -
-  I shall wake up and I shall walk from this room into the sun. -
-               Where the dirty angel doesn't run.               -
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