Wyoming Priest Denies Communion to Lesbian Activist Couple “Married” in Canada

[sanctus]

I have to disagree with you sanctus... I don't think they necessarily knew the reaction they'd recieve. Many Catholics I know go through the motions without questioning what's behind what they're doing. They don't stop to think about what they're reciting, what they're promising, what's expected of them. If you've gone to mass all your life, gotten up, walked to the front, taken the wafer, and nothing has changed for you, then why would you think you still couldn't? I guarantee you these women don't feel immensely different than they did as children, they don't feel that they have gravely changed somehow. To them, mass is what it always has been, and they are who they always have been, so why expect such a reaction, if you haven't thoroughly thought it through?

In most cases I'd agree with you, but not in this case. No matter what, these ladies must know that the Church does not accept homosexual "weddings" as valid.

Though in most other things you're surely correct, most people have no idea why they are doing most of the things we do at Mass.

 

[tamarin]

S2, you're right. Various activists have been stinkers when it comes to common sense. Just make sure when you meet them in public that you berate them. Make them uncomfortable. Get your pound of flesh.

 

[mapleleafgirl]

It might be a good idea to have girls in boy scouts but that is a matter for the boy scouts to decide not the courts. On a similar account if woman want to go to a woman’s only gym I am not going to put up a court case to stop them. Similarly if people don’t like co-ed dormitories, that is there business.

i think that is crap thinking. why should boys groups have to have us there if we dont allow them to join our groups???

 

[mapleleafgirl]

Yes...they do. That is why they are questioning and challenging...and I agree with them. They should. Are the interpretations of the bible correct? Is god really going to not except them for being in love with eachother? Just because that is what some believe, that doesn't mean it is so. All kinds of people believe all kinds of wierd **** for whatever reason.

thats bs..if they dont like the doctrines of the catholic church, let them go somewhere else to worship. no one is forcing them to be catholic.

 

[tamarin]

MLgirl, you're feisty and I love it. Keep it up!

 

[s243a]

i think that is crap thinking. why should boys groups have to have us there if we dont allow them to join our groups???

That's what I said. I don't think they should have to have girls in boy scouts. But the boy scouts may decide it is a good idea.

 

[karrie]

It might be a good idea to have girls in boy scouts but that is a matter for the boy scouts to decide not the courts.

In Canada, it was decided without any court meddling, that scouts should be co-ed. And the girls are slowly but surely 'voting' to go co-ed, rather than stick with the segregated GirlGuides program. The families appparently just prefer having more diversity. My kids are loving it, and we're loving that it's a family activity now, not a gender activity.

 

[hermanntrude]

I went to cubs as a little one. Hated it. But i loved walking to it with my friend david dykes and knocking on people's doors and running away :0)

 

[selfactivated]

WWJD seems to me the dog is wagged by the tail. Im not being heard and the institutions not going to change. Peace.

 

[snfu73]

WWJD seems to me the dog is wagged by the tail. Im not being heard and the institutions not going to change. Peace.

Then why should the institution be accepted in society? If the institution is going to discriminate in our society, and vow to never change their ways...spending more time defending their ways, instead of going to the texts and seeing if maybe others have a point, and maybe their interpretations are wrong...then why shouldn't there be a tremendous backlash towards them? They are causing harm within society. They are hurting people. They are creating a negative atmosphere for homosexuals. Why should this be accepted as just being "the way it is"? Why should there not be a fight?

 

[snfu73]

Okay wow... too many points to even be able to start addressing it all snfu.

race and sexuality aren't precisely the same, because being homosexual is not seen by the church as being a sin. Much like being of race, you can't just stop being that way.

It's the activities engaged in by homosexuals which the church perceives as sinful, not simply their orientation. One can't walk up to a black person and say 'Hey, stop doing that.', but you can walk up to a gay person and say 'Hey stop having sex.' That's all I was saying.. in the context of this situation, they're simply not the same.

I don't think the church's view is right either, and I bring it up with priests. I talk about it. I push. But, the church has a right to hold its views. All religions have the right to hold their views. If this was happening in public, say someone refused to serve these women in a bar, then yes... it's infringing on their rights. But, it's not public. This is happening within a religious service, regarding their holiest sacrament.

Well... in that context, you are right...gays have it FAR worse than blacks. So, here is the problem. A person has grown up in the catholic church. They believe. They follow. They believe what they were told about the catholic church being the only true church. But then, as they discover their sexual identity, they realize that they are gay. They still have faith. But, they are gay. So, the church tells them, that is fine, you just cannot act on those feelings. So, as this person sits their being a good catholic on Sunday, they look around and see happy couples in love, but knows that he/she can never have that because to pursue that would make her a sinner, and an outcast of the church. The person is torn between their religion and their sexuality. Does god REALLY want this? Is this what god aims for? Should this person be denied love, passion, caring...the kind that they can get only from a life partner? Why would god want this? It makes no sense. We all seek love...we all want love.

And, I go back to what I was saying before. There are people who are going through all the rituals at catholic churches across the world who are murderers, adulterers, swindlers, stealers, and generally nasty people, and I have NEVER heard of any of these folks being denied access to any part of the proceedings in church. Am I wrong? If this is the case, does the catholic church feel that these folks are less the sinners than open gays?

 

[m_levesque]

He cannot give communion if he knows the recipient is in a state of mortal sin. He can also restrict members in this state from other Church activities as well. The priest as well has being forbidden to administer it, it is also for the good of the person. One who receives communion while knowing he's in a state of mortal sin creates a graver situation for himself.

Always was, always will be.

AndyF

And the activist gay couple expressed shock over this. Amazing.

Now the same needs to be done to all the politicians that promote abortion rights.

Surely it is a sin for a priest to give the Eucharist to people he knows are no longer in God's grace.

 

[sanctus]

Surely it is a sin for a priest to give the Eucharist to people he knows are no longer in God's grace.

It is, yes.

 

[AmberEyes]

Forgive me if this has already been said, I haven't gone through the topic and I dont' plan on it.

What was the point in posting this topic? To piss off the gay activists? To, essentially, hold up a giant sign and say "HEY LOOK GUYS I DONT SUPPORT HOMOS!!!!!!!"

We've gone over this topic over and over, and the same arguments show up again and again. Wasn't once enough for you people?

 

[Sparrow]

In the 60's I was a student in Montreal and faithfully went to Church. Here is my point, every Sunday morning at Mass I would see Mafia families on their knees praying up a storm and everyone of the going to Communion. New people including the Church knew exactly who they were and what they were doing. I don't care how many times they went to Confession and said they were sorry for their sins, and came right out and continued what they always did. Where is the moral in this fact? In other words all this gay couple had to do was confess their sexual acitivities as a sin then get Communion and go back to their activities, they would be no worse than the Mafia. Seems to me there is a little bit of a double standard. The Mafia does at lot worse things than these two.

 

[tamarin]

Reminds me of those old ditties:
"If lovin' you is wrong I don't wanna be right..."

"A kiss ain't a kiss
If it's sin...
It's something much better..."

Yahooooooooooooooo!

 

[tracy]

Then why should the institution be accepted in society? If the institution is going to discriminate in our society, and vow to never change their ways...spending more time defending their ways, instead of going to the texts and seeing if maybe others have a point, and maybe their interpretations are wrong...then why shouldn't there be a tremendous backlash towards them? They are causing harm within society. They are hurting people. They are creating a negative atmosphere for homosexuals. Why should this be accepted as just being "the way it is"? Why should there not be a fight?

Trying to get the catholic church to accept homosexuality as normal is like trying to get pro-life groups to accept abortion or an animal rights group to accept hunting. You can argue your point in society all you like, and I believe society will change, but the institution itself won't. It can't. The whole point of the catholic church is to promote their religion. If they accept homosexuality then they'd be saying God was wrong. They can't do that because if they believed that their faith would be meaningless.

 

[tracy]

And, I go back to what I was saying before. There are people who are going through all the rituals at catholic churches across the world who are murderers, adulterers, swindlers, stealers, and generally nasty people, and I have NEVER heard of any of these folks being denied access to any part of the proceedings in church. Am I wrong? If this is the case, does the catholic church feel that these folks are less the sinners than open gays?

In all fairness, you probably aren't all that active in the catholic church so it makes sense that you wouldn't have heard of other people being denied communion even though it happens. Sanctus denies certain members of his church. My aunt was denied communion. The reason you don't know about them is probably because they didn't choose to make it such a public affair by going to the media.

 

[snfu73]

Trying to get the catholic church to accept homosexuality as normal is like trying to get pro-life groups to accept abortion or an animal rights group to accept hunting. You can argue your point in society all you like, and I believe society will change, but the institution itself won't. It can't. The whole point of the catholic church is to promote their religion. If they accept homosexuality then they'd be saying God was wrong. They can't do that because if they believed that their faith would be meaningless.

But this is what I have been trying to argue. It isn't questioning god...it is questionging mans interpretations of the texts which are attributed to god. The fact that when these issues are brought up, representative, both official and non say that "this is the way it is and that is that" without even considering that their interpretations of the texts may be wrong, and it is causing damage within the church and in society.

 

[snfu73]

In all fairness, you probably aren't all that active in the catholic church so it makes sense that you wouldn't have heard of other people being denied communion even though it happens. Sanctus denies certain members of his church. My aunt was denied communion. The reason you don't know about them is probably because they didn't choose to make it such a public affair by going to the media.

Alright...I appreciate that. That's good. I did not know that, so that is good to now know. Why was your aunt refused communion?