(LifeSiteNews) – Recently, I had a discussion with a Catholic high school teacher that I know. I mentioned to him that I was getting business emails from colleagues whose email signature read: (she/her/hers). I told him that I was confused by it and I thought it was related to the current issue of transgenderism.
I asked him if he had any experience teaching transgender students, and he responded that he taught two transgender students this year and that there is a club for “LGBTQ” at his Catholic high school as well. He said that he had a long talk with the leader of this club who is transgender and he thought that if I spoke with him, I would be really impressed and would better understand transgenderism. He added that the school had gay faculty and chaplains as well.
I then inquired whether or not his Catholic high school taught Catholic teachings about transgenderism and homosexual acts to the students there. He then responded with: “you mean Jesus’ message of loving and not judging others?”
At this point, the debate was on. I was doing my best to defend the Catholic position against a Catholic school teacher that claims he is Catholic. It was clear he disagreed with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church regarding homosexual activity and transgenderism. I asked him, “Why don’t you just become Episcopalian?” He didn’t answer.
We all have free will and being Catholic is a choice. If one doesn’t agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church then they can just join another church that suits them.
One argument that heterodox Catholic school teachers of this type will make is that Jesus told us not to judge. This isn’t true. Jesus never said to not judge bad behavior. As a matter of fact, He warned repeatedly what would happen to those that persisted in sin or ignored the moral law:
…Whoever breaks[b] one of the least of these commandments [of the law], and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19–20).
Going against the moral law and teaching others to do the same – that’s pretty serious according to Jesus.
As our discussion continued, we went back-and-forth a bit. I provided him with the Vatican document on transgenderism called “Male and Female He Created Them.” He didn’t respond.
I also sent him a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church which was relevant to our discussion. He didn’t respond to that, either.
He asked me, “Do you think that having an actively homosexual relationship would send someone to Hell? And would you tell someone participating in homosexual activity that they are going to go to hell for that?”
“Very cleverly put,” I said. “Let’s put the shoe on the other foot. In light of 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 (Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor active homosexuals [“arsenokoites,” literally men bedding men], nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.), would you tell someone who is actively homosexual they will not go to hell if they persist in that behavior? And, do you believe a Catholic high school teacher who teaches that persisting in such behavior will not keep one from the Kingdom will not end in hell himself?”
He had no answer.
I added that the Catholic Church teaches that any unrepentant mortal sin will send someone to Hell forever. Then, I gave him a reference to the Catholic Catechism.
I continued, “Do you think it is love to tell a high school student that persisting in homosexual activity will not lead him to hell?” I asked. “Or do you think it might be dangerously patronizing to tell him that? It’s not loving to withhold the Biblical teaching on a person’s immoral behavior. As St. Paul wrote, ‘love rejoices in the truth.’” (1 Cor. 13:6)
It should be noted that the Church teaches that those with same-sex attraction “…must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.” (CCC 2358) Nonetheless, the Church should be above all teaching people how to live in a way that will make them worthy of the Kingdom. It should be “teaching the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)
I said, “If your LGBTQ Club fails to give Biblical and Church teaching on homosexual activity Perhaps your school should stop calling itself a Catholic school since its teachings are not Catholic. It seems to be false advertising, spiritual malpractice.”
He responded that he didn’t think his school’s approach to this topic is much different from that of most of the other Catholic high schools in the diocese. As if that would be a good excuse before God! If he is right, there are a good number of teachers and students who are headed for disaster.
The Church has a very good ministry for those with same-sex attraction. It’s called Courage and it has helped thousands to live chaste lives since its founding in 1982. Our high schools should be promoting Courage and its message to its students.
PETITION UPDATE (3/7/22) -
To his eternal shame, self-professed "Catholic" Joe Biden has done it again.
In the last 10 days, Biden directly acted to promote the evil of abortion. Twice.
And, to their shame, the bishops of the United States continue to tolerate this ongoing scandal as though it's business as usual.
But, let's not give up on our shepherds!
Please SIGN this petition and let's CONTACT our bishops again, and ask them to do the right thing (or, do something!), and excommunicate Joe Biden.
In the latest episode of this ongoing tragedy, Biden nominated abortion-friendly (and, Planned Parenthood supported) Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.
Then, as if to underline his Supreme Court pick, Biden made the following statement promoting abortion during his State of the Union address:
"The constitutional right affirmed by Roe v. Wade — standing precedent for half a century — is under attack as never before. If you want to go forward — not backwards — we must protect access to health care. Preserve a woman’s right to choose..."
Of course, we know that making a decision to exclude public figures from Holy Communion is not easy. But, sometimes, this is the only way to make them understand the error of their ways, and to preserve the Church from serious scandal.
And now that Biden has left no doubt as to his intentions and actions - attempting to anchor the United States to the evil of abortion for generations to come - it is high time for the bishops to act to stop this grave scandal from continuing.
Public excommunication would be a suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of scandalously promoting abortion.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this important petition. Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Biden announces Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace Stephen Breyer on Supreme Court' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-announces-ketanji-brown-jackson-to-replace-stephen-breyer-on-supreme-court/
'Pro-life groups warn about Biden’s Supreme Court nominee' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-life-groups-warn-about-bidens-supreme-court-nominee/
'These Republicans could help Biden install his far-left Supreme Court pick' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/these-republicans-could-help-biden-his-left-wing-supreme-court-pick/
'Biden reiterates support for Roe v. Wade, radical LGBT policies during State of the Union' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-again-vows-supports-for-roe-v-wade-radical-pro-lgbt-law/
'Biden says he won’t debate ‘theology’ when asked on Ash Wednesday why he supports abortion' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-says-he-wont-debate-theology-when-asked-on-ash-wednesday-why-he-supports-abortion/
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PETITION UPDATE (9/3/21) -
Following the US Supreme Court's decision to allow Texas' Heartbeat Law to go into effect, Joe Biden made the announcement that he would initiate a "whole-of-government" response against the new pro-life statute which could ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
This is yet another, outright confirmation of Biden's openly pro-abortion policies, policies which have the main objective of ensuring that women will continue to be able to kill their own children without impediment.
This anti-life, anti-Catholic stance needs to be urgently addressed and condemned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
For the good of the Church, for the good of pre-born babies, for the good of the faithful, and, indeed, for his own good, Joe Biden needs to be publicly rebuked by the bishops and excommunicated until such time as he repents from his pro-abortion policies.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks the bishops of the United States to act in unison to exclude Joe Biden from Holy Communion for his scandalous promotion of abortion - the murder of the innocent.
After signing, please take a moment to CONTACT the offices of the USCCB to politely, but firmly, encourage the Conference to take the necessary steps to exclude from Holy Communion public officials who continue to show blatant disregard for innocent human life and the Church's teaching.
The USCCB's Office phone number is: 202.541.3000
Thank you!
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"No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." - Matthew 6:24
In the lead-up to their meeting in mid-June, we call on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to exclude Joe Biden and other “Catholic” politicians (like, Nancy Pelosi) from Holy Communion over their public, obstinate, and scandalous promotion of abortion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks the USCCB to act to stop the abuse of the reception of the Holy Eucharist by politicians who promote the murder of innocent pre-born babies.
We know that making a decision to exclude public figures from Holy Communion is not easy. But, sometimes, this is the only way to make them understand the error of their ways, and to preserve the Church from serious scandal.
Indeed, Canon Law (Canon 915) declares that those who persist in manifest, grave sin should not be admitted to Holy Communion.
Beyond that, at this point, public excommunication appears as the only suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of promoting abortion.
In doing so, we do not hold ourselves up as judges over Joe Biden's eternal soul, but we encourage the bishops to make known one of the consequences of public and obstinate support of abortion by our 'Catholic' politicians.
The fact is, in terms of the manifest, grave sin of abortion, Joe Biden is as bad as he said he would be before the election.
Therefore, it is cold comfort that the USCCB is only preparing to discuss this issue only now.
But even now, if the USCCB publicly excommunicate Biden for his pro-abortion stance (as well as other pro-abortion politicians), the Conference could reclaim some of the moral authority which they lost by their largely silent assent to Biden's candidacy.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition, now.
Since Joe Biden was sworn-in on the 20th of January, he has wasted no time in signing orders and bills which facilitate the destruction of unborn human life.
- In one executive order, Biden rescinded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting the federal government from spending taxpayer monies on abortion and the promotion of abortion.
- Biden also signed (instead of vetoing) the COVID relief bill, which, for the first time in 44 years, contained funding for abortions in America, using taxpayer dollars.
- Biden said that he wouldn't defend Hyde, and he hasn't.
And, if he and the Democratic Party get their way, a lot more of the same regarding abortion is on the way.
Strong action must be taken lest anyone, especially young people, be confused by the scandal of a "Catholic" in Biden's position aggressively promoting abortion, enabling the killing of innocent human beings.
American rank-and-file Catholics don't want any more compromise and equivocation from the Bishops Conference on this "pre-eminent" life-and-death issue.
We want clear action, not twenty more years of dithering and "dialoguing."
50 million babies have been lost to abortion in the U.S. since Roe!
So, we will NOT accept any more lives lost as a result of dithering and "dialoguing." [**Please see "Notes" below about how it has been reported that some senior U.S. clerics are trying to prevent this discussion from even taking place.]
And, we will especially NOT accept one life lost to abortion by politicians who claim the Catholic Faith, but who promote grave evil. God forbid!
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by not imposing public canonical penalties on a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
The bishops are now at a crossroads and must choose either God or mammon.
We call on them to choose God and choose Life!
And we also continue to encourage those brave, true and good bishops who have done well to warn Amercian Catholics about the perils to the unborn and the Faith resulting from Biden's promotion of abortion!
SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks the bishops of the United States to act in unison to exclude Joe Biden from Holy Communion for his scandalous promotion of abortion - the murder of the innocent.
After signing, please take a moment to CONTACT the offices of the USCCB to politely, but firmly, encourage the Conference to take the necessary steps to exclude from Holy Communion public officials who continue to show blatant disregard for innocent human life and the Church's teaching.
The USCCB's Office phone number is: 202.541.3000
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Biden: I support abortion ‘under any circumstance’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/joe-biden-i-support-abortion-under-any-circumstance
Biden administration has opened the way for ‘abortion by mail on a massive scale’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-administration-unleashed-by
‘Catholic’ Biden marks Roe v. Wade anniversary with pledge to make abortion available for ‘everyone’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-biden-marks-roe-v-wade-anniversary-with-pledge-to-make-abortion-available-for-everyone
BREAKING: DC archbishop affirms he will give Holy Communion to pro-abortion Joe Biden - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-dc-archbishop-affirms-he-will-give-holy-communion-to-pro-abortion-joe-biden
Vatican puts brakes on US bishops confronting problem of pro-abortion Biden receiving Holy Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vatican-puts-brakes-on-us-bishops-confronting-problem-of-pro-abortion-biden-receiving-holy-communion
Abp. Aquila backs call for pro-abortion ‘Catholic’ Joe Biden to be denied Holy Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abp-aquila-backs-call-for-pro-abortion-catholic-joe-biden-to-be-denied-holy-communion
Cardinal Burke floats ‘excommunication’ for Biden over his ‘aggressive’ abortion promotion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-burke-floats-excommunication-for-biden-over-his-aggressive-promotion-of-abortion
Biden’s HHS is lying about Title X to push abortion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/bidens-hhs-is-lying-about-title-x-to-push-abortion
List of US bishops for and against denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians like Biden, Pelosi - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/list-of-us-bishops-for-and-against-denying-communion-to-pro-abortion-politicians-like-biden-pelosi
Notes about USCCB's June Meeting:
For nearly twenty years, the US bishops have been dithering about whether or not to excommunicate pro-abortion politicians by formally withholding Holy Communion from them.
Their indecision on this gravely scandalous matter is a scandal in itself, but one of the biggest obstacles has been internal opposition from senior U.S. bishops.
And, although the faces have changed in the last 20 years, their morally-and-intellectually-challenged arguments against excommunication have not changed.
Liberal bishops of the USCCB say that excommunicating Biden (for example) would divide the Church, divide the bishops, and would politicize the reception of Holy Communion.
Indeed, in the name of “unity,” it is reported that some senior U.S. clerics, including Cardinal Blase Cupich (Chicago), Cardinal Wilton Gregory (Washington, DC) and Cardinal O’Malley (Boston), have been working overtime to prevent any substantial discussion of so-called “Eucharist coherence” (that is, what qualifies as worthy reception of Holy Communion).
It is also reported that at least 57 other American bishops allegedly joined these Cardinals in a recent letter to the Head of the Bishops Conference, Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles, to try to pressure him to drop the planned discussion at the full meeting of bishops in June.
And now, even the Vatican is getting involved, with the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith suggesting that even more “dialogue” is needed.
These same clerics may mistakenly believe that any attempt to suppress the objective connection between a politician’s promotion of abortion and his unworthy reception of Holy Communion will fool anyone.
But, it will not.
Rank-and-file Catholics are not stupid and can smell compromise a mile away, and we’ve had enough.
With all due respect to the Cardinal, bishops, and the Vatican…those who fail to act diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by “dialoguing” with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition urging the bishops Conference to take action at their June meeting to exclude pro-abortion Joe Biden and other abortion-promoting “Catholic” politicians from Holy Communion.
**Photo Credit: Joshua Roberts / Getty Images
Teenagers are just getting started in life and their brains don’t develop fully until they’re 25. Teaching them Catholic doctrine before they head off to college or enter the “real world” would be a great gift. Many Catholic students in colleges leave their faith behind never to return. Many don’t even know what or why Catholic doctrine is because their Catholic high schools never taught them. How sad.
Of my 8 closest friends from my Catholic high school graduating class, I don’t think any others attend Mass regularly anymore. They may attend once or twice per year with their families but that’s about it. Many people crave authentic Catholicism and not the watered down version that’s being taught in some of our Catholic schools.
In my opinion Catholic schools should be pushing back against a culture that’s clearly in decline. Atheism is spreading rapidly. Church attendance is declining. Materialism is becoming the official religion. Radical individualism is making people worship themselves instead of God. For every one person that converts to Catholicism, six leave the Church.
What can be done about this? I would hope the bishops at least would step in and try to make sure Catholic schools teach Catholic teachings. The current situation isn’t doing any good for the students and their future both in this world and the next.
(This article is based in part on an online conversation between the author and his former high school religion teacher.)