Banned from volunteering at church

[eridani]

Imagine returning from your honeymoon only to be called into your pastor's office and told you're banned from volunteering in church ministries, simply because you got married.

Nicholas Coppola is a member of St. Antony's Roman Catholic Church in Oceanside, New York, where he used to lead religious education classes, serve as a lector, and visit homebound parishioners. Nicholas is gay and has been out to everyone at church for years -- a number of parishioners even attended his wedding.

But after Nicholas got married, someone sent an ugly anonymous note to the bishop and suddenly he was banned from volunteering at church.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops claims they're not anti-gay. Just this week their spokeswoman wrote that "No one is carded at a Catholic Church. Shunning is not the Catholic tradition." Now this bishop has an opportunity to prove it.

I just signed a petition telling Nicholas Coppola's bishop to let him resume volunteering at church. Will you join me?

http://act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/coppola?referring_akid=4.105625.YyvXxQ&source=taf

[rug]

1. Done.

Keep in mind it's unlikely they will restore him to any official position such as lector or catechist. Heterosexuals cohabiting in a first or second marriage without the benefit of a sacramental marriage within the church are treated similarly. It's rooted in the notion that sex outside marriage - any sex, straight, gay or solo - is considered wrong and that for anyone in that situation to hold an official function within the church is wrong and a source of scandal.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

2. The bishops are not anti-gay

And the Great Pumpkin rises from the pumpkin patch every Halloween.

If the bishops spent as much time and effort combatting the sin of avarice as they do the sin of lust, we would all be better off.

[skepticscott]

5. What exactly does this have to do

with the sin of lust (as opposed to the "sin" of gayness)? Is illicit lust the only reason two people of the same sex would choose to commit to each other?

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

6. It is clear that your vast ignorance of religion includes basic Catholic moral teachings

I'll start with the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, avarice, sloth (which does not mean simply laziness, but that's another topic), wrath, gluttony, envy and lust.

Strictly speaking, "lust" -- Latin luxuria -- is any intense desire, not just excessive sexual desire. Thus, lust can also involve an intense desire for money, power or fame. However, it is generally thought of in terms of sex.

In Catholic moral teaching, the only allowable sexual activity is between a married heterosexual couple. The "sin of lust" covers everything else to do with sex. In this view, homosexual acts are sins of lust.

Does this answer your question, or would you like further explanation? (And there is lots more: For example, Augustine of Hippo, among others, taught that even intercourse between a married couple is sinful if the explicit intention of the intercourse is not procreation.)

[skepticscott]

10. Yes, I'm well aware of the Catholic Church's

sexual squeamishness and pompous high-grounding regarding everything but breeding and buggering little boys. But as usual, you delight in spouting doctrine, while completely missing the point. Why was this person barred from volunteering only AFTER they got married? It was common knowledge that they were gay, and in a relationship, so the so-called "lust" (Catholics do love their terms of condemnation, don't they?) obviously did not start on their honeymoon.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

12. Gosh, you asked a question about Church doctrine

and then you piss and moan when I answer the question you asked.

And your blathering about "after the honeymoon" shows that you still do not know about the meaning of "lust" in Catholic moral teaching. But then, you really aren't interested in Catholic moral teachings, are you? It seems clear that your sole interest is in spewing your hatred of religion in general and Catholicism in particular.

[skepticscott]

15. No, I asked what the hell this action by the church

had to DO with church doctrine, as opposed to just pandering to hatred of gays from the membership, a question you failed to answer.
If this was just about "lust", why this person (out of all of the "lusters" in that church) and why at that particular time (since they'd clearly been "lusting" for quite a while.

And no...the "moral teachings" of such a corrupt, criminal, discriminatory and hypocritical organization aren't worth a tinker's damn to me. I'll look elsewhere for mine, thanks.

[No Vested Interest]

11. You are so correct, dear FA

I've long believed that greed was far worse than sins of the flesh.

[In_The_Wind]

3. I told 'em that was wrong.

[skepticscott]

4. No worries

I'm sure our wonderfully liberal and affirming new pope will be addressing situations like this any day now, and dictating that the RCC not treat homosexuals any differently than any other human being.

Yeah, right...equality in the Catholic Church.

[Tien1985]

7. The change should come from his church.

If he's been out and open there are likely people in his church who will defend him and help create change there. Pressure from outside will only create resentment and fuel the stupidity about the LGBT community. If no one who he has served, loved and worshipped with can find it in their soul to stand up for him he should be looking for a church that will. My heart goes out to him, it must be a terrible feeling.

[backscatter712]

8. Shit like this is why I encourage people to leave that medieval house of bigotry. n/t

[trotsky]

9. There are countless other organizations, both secular and religious,

that would gladly accept Mr. Coppola and his talents. I hope he, and the people who support him, realize this, and quit supporting the institution that reinforces bigotry.

[trotsky]

14. I'm going to make this as simple as I can for you.

Me pointing out that your church supports and promotes bigotry isn't a personal attack.

You calling another DUer a bigot is.

Do you understand? Or do you want to keep building up your collection of hidden posts?

[Starboard Tack]

16. I guess when you join an exclusive club, it's good to read the rules first.

I love the "shunning is not part of the Catholic tradition". Since when, I wonder. I'm not a catholic, never was and never had a problem with the RC church, until I went to live in Rome, where I witnessed shunning on a routine basis by many priests. Not all, by any means, but many. I might add that I knew some priests whom I consider among the finest of human beings. Needless to say, they were more in line with the teachings of Jesus than those of the Vatican policy makers.