We've been trying to avoid mentioning this so far, but it's basically become impossible to ignore. We're talking about the Catholic Church's new rules about gay priests - which include a three-year celibacy trial period for gay hopefuls before they enter seminary, an outright rule against new priests who still see themselves as same-sex attracted, and a weird grandfather clause for those priests who are already in the clergy but see themselves as homosexual.There's plenty to complain about - hypocrisy, cruelty, homophobia, scientific ignorance - but what we want to know is: should we really care?
It's one thing to protest about the Church preaching hate. They've got a big audience. But as for their interior rules about gays becoming priests? That's their problem, not ours. They're the ones who are going to run out of manpower. We need to figure out why any of us still want to become part of the leadership of that organization. Catholicism isn't like the Republican party - you can't pick and choose what ideology you want to use for yourself. If you're pro-choice, you can't call yourself Catholic. Same goes for gay people - if you believe God made you that way, boom, not Catholic.
To extend a metaphor perhaps a little too far - did black soldiers volunteer for officer positions on the Confederacy side in the Civil War, but say "But I believe in everything else it stands for"? Did Jews join the Nazi party and say "Oh, I just don't agree with them on that point"? Did Melanie Griffith sit quietly while Sigourney Weaver stole her ideas, when she could have been a leader somewhere else?
We didn't think so.
Let the river run, my friends. Let the river run...
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