By REY FLORES
The bully pulpit of the radical homosexual left has absolutely jumped the proverbial shark. Spokesperson Dan Savage reduced his argument to the level of a schoolyard taunt by challenging the well-educated and normally well-respected Dr. Ben Carson to perform a sex act on him as a way to disprove that homosexuality is not a choice, as Carson contends.
Carson was interviewed earlier in March on CNN and when asked about homosexuality, Carson stated that he thinks that “a lot of people who go into prison, go into prison straight, and when they come out they’re gay.”
Carson’s slightly strange answer gave Savage the opportunity to lambaste Carson in a very public and very ugly manner in his own syndicated column: “If being gay is a choice, prove it. Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself. Show America how that’s done, Ben, show us how a man can choose to be gay” by performing a sex act on him.
Normally I wouldn’t mention such matters to our readers, but people must know just where Savage is coming from. Not only was Savage’s statement crude, but it made absolutely no sense aside from its being a disgusting proposition.
Plus, if those like Savage truly believe that homosexuals can actually enter into and uphold the sacred institution of marriage, why would Savage invite a complete stranger to take part in a perverse sexual act with him instead of his own “husband,” whom he supposedly married in the mixed-up state of Washington in 2012?
This is where our story snowballs and crashes right through the doors of our own Catholic Church.
Not threatened by such low public discourse, a New Jersey Catholic schoolteacher vented her frustration about Savage’s comments on her own Facebook page.
This is exactly what she posted in response to Dan Savage’s verbal assault on Dr. Ben Carson:
“See this is the agenda . . . one minute they argue that [t]hey are born this way and it is not a choice to get 14th amendment rights equal protection . . . bologna . . . which was carved for permanent characteristics . . . unchangeable characteristics such as race and disability. . . . But once they in the 14th amendment they will argue everyone should be able to choose being they gay or lesbian lifestyle…in other words they want to reengineer western civ(ilization) into a slow extinction.
“We need healthy families with a mother and a father for the sake of the children and humanity!!!! http://youngcons.com/crass-gay-activist-tweets-ben-carson-following-cnn-interview/.”
Now I’m not sure about you, but that statement is quite inoffensive, unless of course you are among the many “gay-friendly” bureaucrats who have infiltrated our Church.
Following the posting of that statement, teacher Patricia Jannuzzi was placed on administrative leave in a letter signed by Msgr. Seamus Brennan and Principal Jean Kline of Immaculata High School. School officials also asked her to take down her Facebook page.
And the Diocese of Metuchen’s Bishop Bootkoski released this statement:
“The teacher’s comments were disturbing and do not reflect the Church’s teachings of acceptance. We must ensure that our educators steer away from harsh and judgmental statements that can alienate and divide us.”
American Life League Vice President Jim Sedlak points out that Bishop Bootkoski failed to accurately communicate two major items:
“He stated that he found the ‘teacher’s comments were disturbing and do not reflect the Church’s teachings of acceptance….Pope Francis reminds us that we are to accept all of our brethren.’ While these statements do reflect the Church’s teaching of acceptance as contained in paragraph 2358 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the bishop chose to omit the clear mandate of CCC paragraph 2359:
“‘Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection’.”
Sedlak added: “It is disingenuous of the bishop to publicly cite the Church’s call for acceptance of the sinful individual without, at the same time, reminding the sinner of the Church’s expectation in his or her life. Such an omission will, and has, caused confusion on the true Catholic teaching regarding the homosexual lifestyle.”
“American Life League calls on Bishop Bootkoski to proclaim the full truth of Church teaching so that Catholics, and all others, will be rightly exposed to the full beauty of the Gospel.”
Taking the matter even further in defense of Jannuzzi, Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute, placed a couple of radio ads broadcast last week during the Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity shows asking New York and New Jersey area Catholics to contact Bootkoski directly and ask him to reinstate Jannuzzi’s employment at Immaculata High School:
“Call Bishop Bootkoski now! Ask him whose side he’s on: Catholics who defend our faith or Hollywood liberals who mock it?”
The liberal Hollywood comment was a reference to has-been movie star Susan Sarandon who with all the free time on her hands is a perennial big mouth for leftist causes. It turns out that Sarandon is the aunt of a homosexual former student at Immaculata High School in Somerville, N.J., where Jannuzzi teaches theology.
Either way, at this point it looks like Jannuzzi will not be returning to her job, so if you find it in your heart to help her family out, visit their YouCaring.com web page to make a financial contribution to her cause.
By now, most of you know the rest of the story, at least for now. It is so disheartening to watch a bunch of weak clergy bow down to political correctness at the expense of our own faithful Catholic brethren.
In light of the recent St. Patrick’s Day Parade gay fiasco in New York and now this Bootkoski surrender in New Jersey, I am grateful for those shepherds with the heart of a lion, like Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone in San Francisco.
What is really happening here is that the secular wolves are huffing and puffing at the doors of the Church. They can blow down straw men in the hierarchy, but they will never be able to tear down the solid Catholic Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ, which is built with the impenetrable stones of truth and divine justice.
Lastly, I don’t want to give Dan Savage too much credit for his contribution to this entire mess, but he certainly can be called one of radical secularism’s most effective tools. As hard as I find it to do, I will add him to my prayer intention list and I ask that all of you do the same.
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic writer and speaker. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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