If you live in a state or congressional district with heated midterm races to be decided in one week, you are very much aware that the nasty attack ads are flying all over the television screen. They are coming from the Republicans by the ton as they try to save their positions of power. They are coming from the Democrats with righteous indignation over what has happened to America in the past six years.
But not for the first time I wonder who really are those simple-minded citizens who sit there and watch the ads and swallow up the half-truths and smears on candidates from both sides of the aisle? Why are these voters so poorly informed about the issues and our national debate that they would even consider allowing a self-serving political ad to shape their thinking? Just how feeble-minded are Americans? Perhaps I should ask instead just how feeble-minded do both political parties take the voters to be?
If you live in a state (such as Wisconsin) where there is an attempt to place discrimination against gay people into the State Constitution, you are probably aware the Catholic Church is pushing their usual one note theme that all same-sex sex is wrong unless done in the confessional with an alter boy. The Catholic Church in southern Wisconsin is so dismayed by all the talk among educated people and the media concerning tolerance and understanding of gay couples, that they are ordering their priests, (both gay and straight) to play a 14 minute speech by Madison Bishop Morlino during services this weekend. As usual for Catholic religious leaders, Morlino is not dynamic and ranks right up there for excitement with watching your computer ‘de-frag’. Watching the Bishop on-line tonight I was shocked and embarrassed for him when he trotted out the ‘natural law’ malarkey that enlightened and reasoned people discarded at the end of the 1800’s.
It got even sadder when he took on the role of medicine man and tried to frighten listeners over stem call research. It was the earlier Catholic Bishops, much like Morlino, that scorned Galileo for his idea that the earth rotated around the sun. It took until 1992 for Pope John Paul II to officially concede that the earth was not stationary! What obtuse relics are in charge of the Catholic Church?
But not for the first time do I wonder who really are these Catholics who still listen to the likes of Morlino and his fellow priests? Why are some Catholics so poorly informed about science, history, and religion that they would even consider allowing this single voice to dictate how they vote? What type of feeble and weak-minded parishioners will sit in the pews this weekend and swallow Marlino’s line of crap and not gag?
Or is it like the politicians and the attack ads? Does the Catholic Church just take their followers to be fools? Instead will the Catholic voter reject this illegal type of coercion and use of dogma for crass political motives from their Church? Is it any wonder the Catholic Church has lost credibility? And why have we not challenged the Catholic Church over their tax exempt status?
Morlino may think he can cower his weak kneed priests but the blog world says Va’ fa’ un culo!
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
Thats right attack the church when all else fails. Wisconsin is clearly going to say YES to this amendment so in desperation you find it necessary to attack the Church. Nice Job . And just like Mikie Fox you found it necssary to lie, the church is not against stem cell research, stop being a typical progressive, try to be honest on your blob, try telling the truth. I find it odd that someone like you is so eager to attack gay priest, I guess just like black who attack successful conservative blacks unless they stay in the box you and other progressives paint you just hate the act that people can succeed without entitlements and special laws. And as long as you hate the church maybe if gays did not use it to feed their sexual taste for young boys and were honest about who they were Catholics would not have to be ashamed to say there was this infestation of gay men who have disgraced the church.
…the Catholic Church is pushing their usual one note theme that all same-sex sex is wrong unless done in the confessional with an alter boy
This was very good. 🙂
Va’ fa’ un culo!”
Indeed!
Great post.
I would much rather pick on the Catholic Church than pick on a guy with an illness like the first person who left a reply here. Using a child like name for a man is really beneath even you Pkarm.
Pkarm is correct that the amendment will pass and discrimination will be in the State Constitution. That will be in my predictions on this site Sunday night. And Pkarm is proud of that. He also calls himself a conservative and a Catholic. That should tell my readers much.
If he were a true conservative in the Barry Goldwater mold he would understand that the foundation documents are not to be toyed with lightly. But Pkarm and his current batch of conservative brethren care more about politics than what the real definition of the word conservative means. The likes of Bush and John Gard are his role models as he acts like them and mimics them.
Speaking for myself I have a mind and come to conclusions without being told how to think. It is clear others find thinking hard work and prefer to be told what to think and what to do.
Finally, Pkarm is playing the right wing radio tactic of mixing up what a pedophile is, and what being gay is all about. Nice try….but No! Again my friend, you are 100% wrong and misguided.
I find your post more intemperately written than is your usual practice. One simple example: You say Morlino is engaging in an “illegal type of coercion.” Any coercion is strictly ‘moral,’ that is, dependent upon a follower’s belief in what a religious leader says. Nothing illegal there. I don’t agree with what Morlino’s doing, but the worst result in secular law is his calling into question his diocese’s tax exemption.
A dear friend sent me an email with this website linked. He said the content was “blunt” Doesn’t blunt mean to speak without buffering/hedging? LOL. The first recorded instance of hedging was when Eve said “or even touch it”. Protection hedging…it is really what the Catholic Church is playing with according to your post. God’s word is simple and straightforward. BUT we humans love to create a bubble around it. We mean to create barriers; keeping people further from crossing God’s line. All we accomplish is greater disputes between ourselves and “lost in translation” problems with God. It is easy to be mad at a church’s hedge. And the hedge makes it easier to be mad at who is concealed behind it. Isn’t it interesting Someone knew what a bunch of mess-ups we’d be while trying in our own minds to do the “right thing” and loved us all anyhow?
So you have attacked the Catholic Church because they are speaking out against gay marriage. Are you going to be consistant here or is your bias going to come out.
In a recent AP-AOL News poll. Most blacks oppose gay marriage: Two-thirds of all blacks, and about the same amount of black likely voters, oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally.
So where is your outrage against the black community now?
Pkarm.
There are two things even you have to admit about my blog and my thinking. First I do not hide from expressing exactly what I find to be true. Second I am consistent on my thoughts.
The Catholic Church as an institution is bigoted and outdated as evidenced by those who speak for it today. The Bishop in my post is just one exaample.
The tactic taken by the Church runs counter to election laws and you will hear more about this after the election.
I have stated before that Africian Americans having endured racism yesterday and yet today, therefore should full well understand the call for justice and equality. I would denounce a black church if they were as amoral as I feel the Catholic Church is on this issue.
The truth hurts you, and I am aware of that. But you too can become a recovering Catholic.
I am not ashamed of my church. I am ashamed of some of the people involved with it, but not the Church. There is a big difference between the two. The Catholic Church was the church founded by Jesus Christ, everything else is a spinoff. The teachings of the church have held strong for 2000+ years, are the basis this country was founded on and today still work for the billions of catholics worldwide. While hateful people like you try to bring the church down, it only strengthens the members of the church.
The church is 100% correct on the Marriage amendment, your inconsistant stand on gay marriage is clear, if its the Catholic Chucrh they are fair game and hateful if the black people you some how twist injustice and and inequality into it.
The gay movement wants America to believe that their struggle is equal to what blacks suffered through in the 50’s and 60’s, that is an insult and they should be ashamed to try to make that comparison.
Pkram,
You really are touched.
Injustice and inequality are the very reasons this whole issue is being discussed. (Though I give you credit for being able to spell both those words correctly in your response.) If there is a wrong, decent men and women in any society have a duty to work for justice. That is a foundational truth for my life. You would be well served to embrace it in yours as well. You will have noticed those themes run throughout all the posts here on this topic. That is where reading comprehension comes into play.
I think it rich that you pretend to be in touch with the plight of black Americans. You fool no one. But the issue of black rights, and how they were secured, are the same as they are today for gay people. I know this is a bit above your head, but there is a direct link to the type of words and phrases used to stop blacks and whites from marrying decades ago, and the lingo from folks like you to stop gay people from marrying today . So when you get all high and mighty and make yourself to be a friend of black people we all know where you would have been on the marriage issue 40 or 50 years ago. YOU are not a progessive thinker, and when you pretend to be one, it looks just really freaky.
The bottom line for everyone to understand is that you are anti-gay, and have no desire to see any fairness or redress to the wrongs that are present in law today for this large group of Americans. You will see the day when this wrong is righted. Slowly it is taking place. New Jersey last week made another step.
And you are far too dense to understand that this amendment (second part)also impacts families like yours. Your father passed away, and let us assume that in years to come your mom finds a new friend, and while not wanting to get married, does want to share other aspects of life. The amendment as written will impact those acts by your aged mother and friend. Hospital visits, club fees, etc.
You really need to stop slurping the alter wine and better understand the issues at hand.
i love this blog!