For the last three months I have been fighting an uphill battle to get the WYD sexuality forum happening. Cardinal Pell has done his level best to silence us and stop the forum. I’ve avoided venting about it on my blog because I didn’t want the two connected; I didn’t want to give Pell and his lackies any ammunition to use against us should the link be made. But now I don’t care. Now I’ve had enough of this theocratic censorship.
What has stuck out during all this is that it’s so sad that the church powers-that-be need to resort to such extreme measures to get its message across rather than letting them rest on their own merits.
First, the cardinal instructed our host to cancel the event, forcing us to find a new venue. Next, I started a group on the “official” networking site, www.xt3.com, for gay Catholic youth. Apparently it offended someone out there in xt3-land because in 48 hours it was deleted for being a “protest” group and anti-church with no warning and no explanation. I’m not that surprised, considering reports that the site has stifled debate on homosexuality in its forums. In one particular thread I read, every second post had been deleted so the entire “discussion” was just a one-sided anti-gay diatribe by the same few people.
What is the church afraid of? That its members have their own ideas? Make their own decisions? Have a grown-up discussion that might just contravene church doctrine? It seems to be the case that only conservatives and doctrinal extremists need try to participate in World Youth Day or the church. How sad is that?
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Conservatives and doctrinal extremists need only apply
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Good for you for being involved. Sorry to hear about all the setbacks.
The censorship really annoys me, and adds to the anti-Catholic sentiment amongst some gays. It's so sad that just as hardline Catholics think gay=bad, some hardline gays think Catholic=bad. If only the two would talk.
Safran and Fr. Bob had an interesting discussion on Triple J on Sunday with the guy organising the demonstration in Taylor Square - can't remember his name. He was quite taken aback by Bob's approach and they both listened and talked openly to each other. More of that sort of communication and the world would be a better place.
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