Fr Ray Blake recently had a threatening communication from the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement in Brighton over his recent post on The Illiberality of a Local MP who proposed that Churches should not be allowed to conduct any marriages unless they agree to conduct gay marriages, and his post Cameron pushes children out of marriage where he looks at the nature of marriage with reference to the Prime Minister's recent announcement that he intends to legalise gay marriage.
If you read the posts, you will see that they are sensibly expressed with no surprises and nothing intemperate. Look at the comments too - a normal set of comments expressing support and adding one or two things.
This perfectly balanced treatment of important issues is characterised as inflammatory, inciting hatred, hostile, prejudiced, defamatory, and likely to put people's lives at risk. Hence the LGCM thinks his blog should be shut down and is writing to his Bishop. Ironically, they also accuse him of bullying.
The problem is that many people do not read blogs but have a vague idea that they are rather dangerous. I once had a conversation with a child about new technology and she said that they weren’t online at home because “My Mum’s a bit frightened of the internet.” I recently mentioned the meeting of the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma for Catholic bloggers at a church-related meeting and rather felt that it would have made a better impression if I said that I was organising a parish cage-fighting day.
This makes it easy for the passive aggressive brigade (“You’ve hurt my feelings and made me cry so you should be strung up with piano wire”) to create the impression that a blogger is an evil genius who secretly fosters fear and destruction in the homes of middle England.
Fr Ray is a decent, hard-working priest who ministers indefatigably and with great charity to the people of Brighton – and that includes the many gay people whom he encounters in his normal pastoral work. His blog is a solace to many and a mine of information and sensible comment. I sincerely hope that he is not put off his internet apostolate by this intimidation.
He has had over 100 supportive comments so far. Another few won't do any harm. Go to: Hatred?
8 comments:
I had read the post on Fr Ray's blog. If the email he has received is actually from the LGCM itself rather than from a disparate group of individuals or just one person, then quite frankly I am not surprised. I used to be a member of it years ago (long before I became a Catholic) and it was an objectionable organisation even then, certainly not Christian in any meaningful sense.
It has become even more pernicious since.
If this is an official communication from them, I trust that someone will start raising serious questions about their charitable status.
I am very grateful for your support and that of so many others, especially priests who have commented on my own blog.
You are so on the money with your observation regarding the passive aggressive brigade.
I have an obsessive interlocutor who thinks that I shouldn't ever say anything about homosexuality or abortion as it's "not nice, can hurt people and un-Christian". She is engaged in a specious attempt to demonstrate that I am an extremist, fundamentalist Catholic and that most normal Christians, like her, welcome same sex marriage and same sex surrogacy.
I have been told that my blog is "dangerous" because it is "well written and could influence vulnerable women not to abort or to use NFP. As a (former) vicar's wife apparently I have influence. If only.
I don't like to buy into the Christian persecution narrative, but the current trend is frightening.
Here, here, well said.
I have followed Fr Ray's comments. They represent straight forward mainstream Catholic teaching.
The cruel and ill judged comments of these critics should not be personalised, but directed, if they wish to criticise, against the Church and its two thousand years of teaching, something they will no doubt be happy to do, and something we Catholics had better get used to from now on, since persecution is not just of history but is alive and well today.
It is important to distinguish between the inclination to homosexual practise - which is not in any way sinful, and the practise which is.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church,(2357) clearly condemns it.
But before getting too upset about this, people must remember that any sexual act outside the bounds of marriage between a man and a woman is sinfull, whether heterosexual or homosexual.
The answer is chastity, a cross to bear perhaps depending on circumstances, but for many heterosexuals as well as homosexuals alike.
What is not an option now for Catholic clergy and laity alike is to continue with the approach of effectively hiding the Church's teaching on such matters in the interest of misguided and excessive "pastoral" care.
I wanted to post a comment on Father Ray Blake's blog, expressing my support for him but my computer is having one of its periodic beserkers - word verification seems to upset the poor machine - so I hope you'll allow it up here instead, Father Tim.
Nigel Nash and Richard Ashby, I mean, what a pair of berks. Behold their prigishness. Marvel at their provincial bumptiousness. And oh! one of the keyboard warriors, Ashby, I think, chucking the word fascist around like so much confetti.
How I sniggered, Father.
Entre nous, I bet Ashby hasn't read a word of Lev Davidovich Bronstein's. Father Ray Blake, on the other hand. has faced down fascists for real, though he doesn't boast about it. I know who I'd prefer to have next to me on the barricades.
Anti-fascist is as anti-fascist does and if either Nash or Ashby happen to be reading this, please let them feel free to contact me via my blog and I will be happy to send them details of the latest anti-cuts and anti-EDL actions. NB: firing off multiple green ink missives to a Catholic priest about their blogging does not, repeat NOT constitute anti-fascist activism.
Incidentally, I have tweeted both @lgcm and @changingatt asking them whether they've endorsed Nash and Ashby's recent, um, eccentric actions. I wait upon their responses.
Let me express my solidarity with Father Ray Blake who is a staunch and valued friend of the Labour Movement and anti-fascists everywhere. His reply to Richard Ashby in his blog's comments box was elegant and concise. We are so very proud of him.
Sisterly greetings to you too, Father Tim and thankyou for allowing me to post this comment.
"Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently" - Rosa Luxemburg.
I am becoming so weary of saying this over and over and over again but I guess I must: we are in a war of WORDS. Do not forget this. And because we are in a war of words, we must never concede a single inch to the enemy. Not a single inch. Therefore, let us stop now using the word "gay" to describe this unspeakable perversion. When you use that word you have already conceded an important battle, and you strengthen your enemies.
I beg of all you good people to cease giving these creeps aid and comfort. There is nothing gay about one man placing his generative organ into another man's execratory one.
@Father Finigan
Father Ray Blake published his blog post 'Hatred?' on Friday 23rd September 2011, and you published this supportive post late on Saturday 24th September 2011.
The Bexley News Shopper headline for Wednesday 28th September 2011 is 'HORRIFIED' BY HATRED Gay man wants to move after receiving hate mail and having graffiti sprayed on his front door http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/bexley/9273340.Gay_man_haunted_by_hate_mail_and__sinner__graffiti/#commentsList
For many years the LGBT 'Brighton Combination' practiced their dualistic art programmes here in South East London, the psychology of which I consistantly opposed at the Albany in Deptford where I was born. It was during one of my in-depth psychological interactions with them that a graphic sketch emerged that perfectly depicted the nature of the beast, against which Father Blake is now defending himself. I will share this revealing graphic illustration of the Brighton Combination psyche with you and the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma on Saturday at Blackfen.
Peter Tatchell should be asked to explain his support for physical man/boy relationships which I believe undermines everything he claims to do in the name human, and civil rights.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us!
PAPA VERO ORA PRO NOBIS!
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