From: wherndon@smiley.mitre.org (William Herndon)
Subject: Re: One Catholic's view of Sinead on SNL
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 20:33:42 GMT

In article <ldbm3kINNhu3@news.bbn.com> khaberl@bbn.com (Karl Haberl) writes:
>
>Well, I *am* a Catholic, and I teach adult Catholic education in my parish.
>Most Catholics who understand the tenets of their faith view the Pope as
>more than just an elected official. He is the leader of our faith, and
>a symbol of Christ on earth. We believe that he, together with the bishops
>of the Church, constitute the teaching authority of the Church.
>
>And in the case of this particular Pope, there are many who view him as a
>very holy man, one who has suffered much for his faith, and who provides
>a great deal of inspiration to us all. To tear up his picture and call him
>the real enemy is not only a preposterous gesture, it is offensive and
>saddening.
>

    Please, the gesture that was made on SNL, although perhaps made in
    an inappropriate forum, was neither saddening or preposterous.  
    O'Connor did not say, "Fight the real enemy!  Go to Rome, and gun
    him down".  She did not say, "Attack catholics.  Beat them, and 
    deprive them of their rights."  All she said was "fight".  That 
    could be as mild as non-violant protest.  Do you get offended by,
    and would you be inclined to stifle such protest?  If so, I would
    suggest that you are living in the wrong country.  

    Many people, myself included, do not think of the Pope as fundamen-
    tally evil.  However, I believe that he is definately an impediment
    to the betterment of the human condition.  To take the issue of con-
    traception specifically.  Overpopulation is now, and will be in the
    future, one of the world's most pressing problems.  It is the cause
    of a great deal of misery.  The Papacy and the Catholic Church, al-
    though not responsible for overpopulation directly, stand in the way
    of implementation of solutions to this problem.
    
...

>seething inside, because usually these discussions do not enlighten anyone,
>they just end up in a big free-for-all. But I guess my pot has boiled over.
>I am really getting disgusted with the current attitude in the entertainment
>industry that every pop singer with a million albums sold is suddenly an
>important moral voice. That's not to say that one's personal beliefs should
>be kept out of their artistic expressions; to the contrary. But contrast the
>militant in-your-face behavior of Sinead with the quietly moving lyricism of
>King's X, and you'll see what I mean. I am also tired of the attitude whereby
>the popular and stylish causes get all the attention and understanding, while
>it has become fashionable to heap derision and ridicule on organizations
>like the Catholic Church...

    I'm sorry, but for those of us who are not christians, the Pope is no 
    more an important moral voice than is Sinead O'Connor.  I find the idea
    of the Catholic Church as a moral authority, an organization that has
    been oppressing people for upwards of 2 millenia, to be at least as
    repugnant as you find the idea of a pop star as a moral authority.  Not
    to defend O'Connor's action, but at least she hasn't been oppressing
    people for almost 2000 years.


        	        	       	       	       	       	       	       
                                                               - Max

  | William R. Herndon               \ The MITRE Corporation, Dept. G023 |
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