Sheep Circles and Sex Clubs: What’s an good Catholic to do?
By now most of you have seen the mysterious “Sheep Circles” as reported by the Daily Mail last Friday. Notice that some of the sheep appear to be wandering away from the fold…Art imitating life, or, life imitating art? Turns out, that the mystery of the sheep might not be so mysterious after all. It seems, as the article relates, that the explanation is to be found in the manner in which the sheep were fed…
Which brings up the touchy subject of Catholic education at the University of Portland and the first ever “Sex Club” on this Catholic campus… Warning: Don’t be spooked by the odd coincidence that both stories appeared in the press on the same day…, nor, should you allow yourself to be too mystified by the loss of Catholic faith in America. Their just not being fed right is all…
Heads Up!
There is some new blog news to report… Josephine County (Oregon) Right To Life now has a blog, and I encourage all to visit and comment when you are able. Please e-mail your friends and all those committed to speaking up for the ‘silent minority’ in this country. There is a great number of pictures from last week’s march for life, and you can find the website by clicking here.
And for all of you who have (and still) loved John Paul II, I offer Servants of the Servant to you. An beautiful idea of gathering prayer and study groups together in honor of The Great… Pray for us.
Have the best day possible!!!
It’s unfortunate that you’ve been misled by the article over at Ignatius Insight about the Gay-Straight Partnership at UP. That blog entry totally misrepresents the meaning of the group and its relationship to presenting the truth about human sexuality (cf. CCC 2357-2359): “The GSP’s mission, according to the club’s constitution, is “to build a community that is open and welcoming to all students” and “to help all students grow in friendship, knowledge, faith and service.”"
Calling the GSP a “sex club” is an uncharitable slander, as you will learn if you read the original, unredacted article at the website of The Beacon (UP’s student-run newspaper) at:
http://media.www.the-beacon.net/media/storage/paper1193/news/2008/01/24/News/Sexuality.Club.Approved-3167224.shtml
Hi Ken, thanks for commenting.
A few points on the innocent sex club in schools:
1. A realistic view of Catholicism on this subject is this: “repent the kingdom of God is at hand”. Be baptized for the forgiveness of sin… The homosexual act transgresses the law of nature, is non-life giving, and finally, is sinful according to God and the Church–who has from Him the responsibility to guard such truth for the common good and salvation of souls. Our Catholic point of reference in any culture.
2. Currently, both private and public American institutions in this country are being lobbied and pressured politically and socially to work to act in normalizing this sin, which, not only harms the individual’s themselves (spiritually) but acts to weaken our families (children) and the well-being of our country as an whole. The Catholic Church is no exception—as the recent sex scandals and payouts confirm; yes, most cases were perpetrated by active homosexuals…
3. “building community” at a Catholic campus in this context and manner is an great code word which acts to neutralize opposition to the propagation of such sin through guilt of false cult (homophobia); proponents will and act to silence those persons unafraid to call homosexuality a sin (for the love of the sinful one). The reality is, those who call sin sin and good good for love of the person shows a true love that actually cares and has the persons best interests in mind—in this life and the next. The affirmation of the homosexual lifestyle (accomodation of sin) is not love nor “building community”, but instead, is affirmation and consolidation of a growing web of deceit—both for the individual and for the Catholic community. Diversity of Catholic belief here leads to, as with all sin when it comes to fruition, death.
4. “open and welcoming” is another such interesting code word. An phrase I think John the Baptist would have trouble with. Really, most people familiar with how these on-campus “support” groups work realize their objective and tactics in society and on our campuses—which is why I suppose some changes had to be made before the club received approval. In time, when all the fuss is over, the club will eventually reach its goal as an change agent at U.P.
Thus, I disagree that calling the Gay Straight Partnership a “sex Club” is uncharitable or slanderous. The problem with Charity in this case, is that it’s rooted in truth…
I don’t believe Ken I’ve been misled, I’ve seen and partook of these types of organizations in another life, and find them now–as an Catholic convert–dangerous to the faith life of both the unsuspecting and sinful alike.
I truly hope that this new partnership will act as an catalyst for the successful evangelization and conversion of homosexual students, but as it is, I have my doubts.
Peace to you, yours, and to all…
James Mary,
I truly appreciate your response, which shows great thoughtfulness.
Full disclosure: I have lived at the University of Portland for seven years as a residence hall director, and now work in the Alumni Relations office. In these roles, I have worked to “build community” on this campus, and can say unequivocally that this is not a code word for smashing the Church’s teaching on the truth about human sexuality. This is a school where the faith is vibrant and the presence of the Church is welcomed in every classroom and residence hall.
Another moment of disclosure: I studied for the priesthood at two separate times in my life, though now I am happily married. I volunteer as a catechist with the confirmation program at UP, and serve as a lector in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher on campus. So I can say with no sense of boasting that I am well-integrated into the faith life of this campus, and feel that I also have a fairly solid understanding of the student life on the UP campus as well.
I’ve actually worked directly with the staff that are serving as advisors to the GSP, one of whom prepared me for my own wedding in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, and can assure you that no matter what your experience at other schools tells you, the GSP on the UP campus is not a setting where the Church’s teaching will not be made clear and students challenged to embrace the truth: “male and female he created them.”
I agree with you: “open and welcoming” is indeed a code word: it refers to recognizing the inherent human dignity present in each and every person created in the image and likeness of God. As quoted in my first response, the charter of the club reflects a desire to build up the community through respect for the individual and integration of otherwise marginalized individuals into the life of the campus.
In my years as a residence hall director, I worked with students who experienced difficulty making friendships because they were “different”; whether their difference was real or merely perceived, my role was to encourage them to seek out support, connecting them with resources on campus to ensure their success as students and as future leaders. I believe that the Gay Straight Partnership presents a safe place for those who are struggling with their own particular challenges in following the gospel call to chastity. I hope, like you do, that it will call all members to an ongoing conversion toward the truth: God is Love, and short of Him, there is no true happiness.
As I said at the beginning, I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Hi Ken, thanks for the comments, hope all is well for you…
Onward towards the bridge.
You said:
I have worked to “build community” on this campus, and can say unequivocally that this is not a code word for smashing the Church’s teaching on the truth about human sexuality. This is a school where the faith is vibrant and the presence of the Church is welcomed in every classroom and residence hall.
I’m glad to hear that ken, however, the problems I fear UP will face in the future have historical roots and relevance in the present concerning these type of “support”groups on Catholic campuses. Most, if not all, after having found approval from admin officials go on to become proponents of homosexuality on campus and within the community; normally, this happens with the students themselves (apart from advisors). As for example, through private websites of students that state therein non-affiliation with the campus itself, but inevitably, are so associated despite regulations to the contrary. See http://students.seattleu.edu/clubs/gsa/faqs.htm
Already we find at UP this type of tendency, (within the very beacon article you site), admin officials in order to approve the club had to ask and require that:
1. Advisors be changed.
2. Removal from the constitution of the club networking with other schools. (for now)
3. (Unspecified) changes to the constitution.
Which begs to question: If the intent of the club president(s) was conversion, why was it necessary from its very formation that the constitution of the club need be changed?
Along with these, the article further relays that there have been previous attempts to organize such club’s on campus, and by virtue of the proposed names of the previously rejected club’s (Up’N'Out and Friends United to Educate Lives (FUEL) it’s obvious they were not proposed with the intent of conversion.
All this denotes the underlying reality and objective behind these types of support groups: There is a concerted verifiable effort to promote the homosexual agenda through social engineering that eventually will erode the “Catholic character of community” at UP through incrementalism.
Here is a partial list of Catholic university’s I found online that have similar groups on campus, and I suspect that most are ordered towards “acceptance of the homosexual community” as opposed to “conversion within the Catholic community”.
Georgetown
Boston College
Creighton
Loyola of Chicago
NY Medical College
Villanova Law School
LaSalle University
Mercyhurst College
Xavier University (OH)
John Carroll University
Fordham University
Canisius College
Gonzaga University
Iona College
Wheeling Jesuit University
Marquette University
Notre Dame
Alverno College
Assumption College
Barry University
Cardinal Stritch University
College of the Holy Cross
DePaul University
Edgewood College
Fairfield University
Loyola College of Maryland
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University New Orleans
Marywood University
Merrimack College
Saint Joseph College (Connecticut)
Saint Martin’s College
Saint Michael’s College
Salve Regina University
Santa Clara University
Seattle University
St. Edward’s University
Stonehill College
Avila University
St. Louis University
Albertus Magnus College
University of Dayton
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of St. Thomas
You said:
…the GSP on the UP campus is not a setting where the Church’s teaching will not be made clear and students challenged to embrace the truth: “male and female he created them.”
Probably so at first, and I’m glad to hear that, and hope it remains so. Now, can you send me any information on how the university plans to present church teaching on homosexuality (actual presentations to students at meetings), and specifically, how will students be challenged and encouraged to leave the homosexual lifestyle in favor of truth and traditional family values as taught by the Church?
You said:
I agree with you: “open and welcoming” is indeed a code word: it refers to recognizing the inherent human dignity present in each and every person created in the image and likeness of God.]
Ken, I do recognize the inherent human dignity present in each person created in the image and likeness of God, which is why were having this conversation. I also understand that the homosexual act in and of itself transgresses that sacred human dignity, and thus, becomes an sure obstacle for that soul’s journey toward recognizing (by grace) its creation in the image and likeness of God. Sin separates us from God as we both well know. The context, again, is will the UP club now and in the future be an agent of conversion for students and the community towards the beauty of God, or, will the club become just another agent of change on our college campuses promoting the manifold sins associated with the homosexual lobby in this country?
You said:
As quoted in my first response, the charter of the club reflects a desire to build up the community through respect for the individual and integration of otherwise marginalized individuals into the life of the campus.
By the term marginalized, I take it to mean that the club will be a place where those who feel discriminated against or threatened will find safety, respect for their homosexuality and integration within the “Catholic community”. Yet, is there not already established civil laws and campus regulations that address these very same worries and injustices of discrimination and violence? Knowing this to be true, why is the club necessary? And would not the formation of an COURAGE club or chapter serve the school and local community more appropriately?
You said:
In my years as a residence hall director, I worked with students who experienced difficulty making friendships because they were “different”; whether their difference was real or merely perceived, my role was to encourage them to seek out support, connecting them with resources on campus to ensure their success as students and as future leaders. I believe that the Gay Straight Partnership presents a safe place for those who are struggling with their own particular challenges in following the gospel call to chastity. I hope, like you do, that it will call all members to an ongoing conversion toward the truth: God is Love, and short of Him, there is no true happiness.
I’ve already spoke to the safety issue.
In conclusion, history generally shows that with the formation of such “support” groups on Catholic campuses there occurs the following:
1. The small club, once established, grows into two, three, or more “gay rights” associations.
2. These groups become very pro active in their cause, petitioning for student protest events, speakers etc., and even seek to enlist other’s.
3. With the promotion of their values, as opposed to Catholic morals and teaching, Catholic enrollment can drop drastically.
4. Through growing subversion of authentic faith and morals by such groups, their activities eventually end up offending other students, parents, and clergy because of their anti-Catholic agenda
5. Such groups can become an ocassion of sin for students and others.
Finally Ken, having been a member yourself fully integrated in the life of the campus, do you believe that we should expect differently, and why? A sincere question here too…
I would rather be wrong my friend.
JM
link provided on natural circles and how to make artificial ones.