Below is a response to two articles on Catholic.org
"The 'Two Step' of the New Censors. A Threat to Catholics?" by Deacon Keith Fournier 10/17/2009
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=34649
and
The problem with Dr. Hudson's article is that he leveled a vield attack on our Shepards - the USCCB -- in the public forum. A lay person has no business criticizing a priest let alone a bishop, let alone the USCCB in a public forum. If this is censorship so be it. It is wrong, and Catholic.org should have asked Dr. Hudson to remove t he criticism before publishing the article and thus launching it on the information highway. If this is censorship, so be it. Much of the article was fine, although a little over reactive.
The parts in both Dr. Hudson's article and your own in his defense, is the defense of fundamentalists, which you refer to as evangelical Christians.
They are neither.
Fundamentalism, and I have studied this academically, and from the inside. Is a dangerous socio-political movement, whether that fundamentalism be Islamic or Christian. It is not religious at all, and at the root of the American "Christian" fundamentalist movement are wealthy individuals, with a particular "conservative" socio-political point of view. It is this point of view that is fundamental not Christ. Christ and the Bible are only useful to these groups as they support the socio-political point of view. And so the bend the word of God both the printed word if God and the Word of God made flesh to support their socio-political point of view.
They are dangerous in a couple of ways
1- they threaten the very foundation of America, this censorship that you speak of is part of their agenda. One must remember that with freedom comes not only the ability to express our point of view, but to let the other guy express his as well. Even if that "other guy is a pro gay, pro-choice, President of the United States. There was nothing in the President’s words that threatened our freedom as Catholics nor our freedom to speak out. By taking a position in line with the fundamentalists on this particular speech by the president you a guilty of the same thing you accuse the President of. The goal of the fundamentalists is censorship of his speech, even though he was duly elected. Were the fundamentalist movement to gain full power, they surely censor we Catholics, in a manner that we have not seen since Nero's time.
The Fundamentalists, the Evangelicals believe the Pope is the anti-Christ. This is a core belief to their political-socio point of view. I have personally heard this expressed from very influential members of this movement.
Secondly, they are dangerous to our souls. We must not forget that even the religion that they use for their fundamental purpose is heresy, and yet it is appealing to people of a certain political pususian, and thus they love to pick off or "convert" Catholics. Fear not those who can kill the body, but those who can destroy the soul.
As a Catholic, as a lay person who has been trained academically to the completion of post graduate work for a master's degree in political science, and as an American who believes in this country; I will stand up to them at every opportunity, and I will spread God's truth. They are a dangerous socio-political movement, who's ultimate goal is to destroy this country and our souls.
The fact that Catholic Doctrine is inline with the fundamentalist movement's views on abortion and gay marriage, does not obviate the truth about them and their ultimate goals.
They appear as wolves in sheep’s clothing, and we have no business defending them. What is more we have no business as Catholics expressing our common ground on two issues, without also telling the whole truth.
As Catholics, we are the bearers of the truth.
Having been one, I can tell you that fundamentalists have nothing that I want near me.
Respectfully,
Fred Celio
http://www.stmichaelgodsknight.com
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