AmericanPapist Comments
Concerning your comment about more thought being put into choosing Sebastian as the composer of the WYD theme song and the suggestion that there should have been more research into his background: Guy is extremely famous in Australia. It would be hard to find a single Australian who did not recognise him or did not know who he is and what he stands for. The WYD08 organisers would have been well aware of Guy's character as well as his talent.
Guy has never said he supports Gay marriage nor has he said he disagrees with it. He has said that as he is an entertainer rather than a politician or head of church, he does not feel he is in a position to take a stance or to judge. Isn't that fair enough?
If you were to do some more research yourself you would discover that Guy is a kind hearted, charitable young man and a committed Christian. The only embarrassment here is the attempts of ultra conservative Catholics to slander Guy and portray him as not morally good enough as part of their campaign to discredit the current Catholic hierarchy and criticise World Youth Day.
Have I got this right?
The choice of this artist/composer is being condemned because of his statements with regard to homosexual marriage that he is "not against anything?"
To quote him, he says "If you're a gay couple why not? I don't really have a stance because I don't know what it's like to be told you're not allowed to marry somebody. That doesn't seem fair to me."
Of course, that's not the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church, but the guy (pun intended?) is singer/songwriter, not a candidate for the episcopacy!!
Well, if we are going to allow rightwing Catholic to control the meaning of terms, then I am proud to say that I am pro-homosexual.
As I understanding it, we have a 25 year old kid make the comment that he has gay friends and that he disapproves of the use of the slur "faggot" (the right which now puts down objections to this term as "politcal correctness". If i had used this word is school in my day, sister would have hit me with a ruler and NOT because she was some ultraliberal). He also notes that this slur has been directed towards him.
Then, some reporter draws him on teh issue of gay marriage. He seems to suggest indifference. (A position that anyone who does not vote - a majority of American 25 year olds -- also is taking, regardless of how much they mouth off that they are against gay marriage).
The Catholic right wing activists are an embarassment to the Church and to civil society. God help us.
Katherine, egads! We finally agree on something. Although my cathecesis comes from the Dark Ages (Pre-Vatican II), we were admonished repeatedly by the good Sisters not to denigrate anyone personally because to do so was contrary to Christian charity. That being said, we could "hate the sin, but not the sinner." Tom
And another thing . . .
Do we need to examine the lives of composers before playing their music during Mass? Franz Schubert reportedly died of syphilis; his Ave Maria is probably one of the most-played hymns during Catholic weddings, funerals, etc.
And what about the reputed lifestyle of the person who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
You know - Guy has been just one wonderful guy for years and years, helping people, free gigs for charity, heaps of Gospel youth rallies, and you lot focus on one tiny interview that is just not quite to your liking.
You know - if you lot don't think Guy is good enough for the Catholic Church then the whole of Australia (knowing the good Guy that he is) is going to think, "...well who the hell is good enough then?" and walk away. Congratulations on being the biggest turnoff to today's youth.
Rightwing Catholics? I thought there was no "right wing" or "left wing" in Catholicism. Just orthodoxy - dissent - heresy.
Didn't Guy Sebastian also say that he had been to gay clubs "heaps of times"? Doesn't sound like indifference to me. It's far from activism, but farther still from Biblical teaching.
And the song isn't even that good. It's just a bunch of "Hallelujah"s over your typical "uplifting" music. Bleh.
Mind, as a young adult, I would never go to World Youth Day. Just not my thing. So I can just sit here behind my computer simmering a bit, and hope that the press doesn't decide to bring up this guy's pro-gay "marriage" stand.
Emm..."PraiseGod" did you even read the post? The song's not bad though, thanks for posting.
As someone who has met Bishop Fisher a few times. Even before he was a bishop. I think he is an awesome bishop and we are so luck to have such a young great man(/lawyer/bioethicist) in the Church. I can see how some people at fist have an issue with Guy Sebastian but after a few listens the song grows on you and you realise that any other artist wouldn't have gotten a 10th of the publicity sebastian received. A joe shmoe Catholic wouldn't have received any publicity in any main stream newspaper.
There is NO chance that anyone running WYD would come out now and denounce their star who just wrote sung and publicly performed their WYD song. So get over it an accept it. Get on with organising your "american papist group" to actually turn up to wyd and make some converts!
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