Friday, July 30, 2004

They can no longer pretend to be Catholic

This is the essence of what several people are saying by refusing to sign an "affirmation of faith" as required by Bishop Robert F. Vasa of the Diocese of Baker. They have been called to outwardly express the Catholic faith, part of which requires one to believe in all that the Church proposes for our belief, and some refuse to do that.
I could no longer pretend that I could ascend to some of those articles of faith any more than others can," [lay liturgical minister and a cantor, Wilma Hens] said Thursday.

"I happen to believe that many of the teachings on human sexuality are just plain faulty," said Hens, one of at least six lay ministers to quit because of the affirmation. "I don't want to be held to those teachings. I cannot give my full assent. I don't want to pretend to do so in order to be a lay minister."
Unable or too obstinate to believe what the Church teaches? Who knows? It's high time that a bishop has begun to do something like this - to purge the ranks of parish elitists and dissenters who are in positions which afford them ample opportunity to spread their poisonous beliefs to others.
But Tom Dolezal of Bend said it's not a matter of supporting church teachings, it's the blind adherence to dogma.

"If he (the bishop) is going to exclude any one who has any doubt about a church teaching, he's going to exclude 100 percent of the membership of the church, including himself. He has to be a human being, the same as me, and I have doubts about some of the church teachings," Dolezal said.

Dolezal, a communion minister and lector, has not resigned from his positions. He said he plans to confront the bishop and see if the bishop forces him out of his job.
Here again there may be a faulty understanding of terminology - while one may have "difficulties" with some of the Church's teachings, one is noe permitted to have "doubts" regarding those teachings. And when one has "difficulties", one is required to study, learn, and ultimately accept those teachings.

Article here.

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