Comments for Young Adult Catholics

Comment on When Walking Alongside is Walking Out by Lacey Louwagie

Lacey Louwagie — Sat, 26 May 2012 01:55:17 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Tarafranf. I stopped by your blog — I hope you will write more. :)

Comment on When Walking Alongside is Walking Out by Lacey Louwagie

Lacey Louwagie — Sat, 26 May 2012 01:54:14 +0000

In answer to your question about what sort of Church I want: I want one that behaves more the way that Jesus behaved. I want one where all people feel welcome, and where people don’t feel they have to stifle certain aspects of themselves to be accepted, where people can be whole and embraced in all their beauty and their brokenness. I want a church were the leaders are not in denial about the connection between priests pushing against gay marriage and calling same-sex love “intrinsically disordered” and telling young GLBTQ people that they don’t EVER have the right to take part in one of God’s greatest gifts — committed, romantic love — and the high suicide rate amongst GLBTQ teens. The religious rhetoric — and with something as disconnected from anything Jesus ever said as this, I feel justified in calling in rhetoric — is literally killing teens. Because if you can’t feel safe in your church community, if you are told that God made you who you are, and that who you are is worthy of love, except NOT worthy of the lifelong, loving partnership open to your heterosexual counterparts, what is left for you? At a time when most young people are dreaming about all the possibilities their life might take, gay teens often only see one future: one of loneliness and condemnation. I want a church that doesn’t contribute to that vision of their future.

You and I probably have different definitions of what it means to “turn your back on Christ,” which is fine. To me, turning my back on Christ is turning it on my fellow human beings, turning away from their pain, looking the other way when they face unjust discrimination and as such implicitly taking part in that discrimination. Christ is certainly in the Eucharist, just as He is in each and every one of God’s children.

The value I place in the Eucharist and Christ’s presence in it is one of the reasons I left early; I would rather not receive the Eucharist while my heart was in a state of negativity, anger, and resentment toward the Church and the person dispensing the Eucharist that day. That’s not a call I would make for anyone else, but Jesus knows my heart and that’s all that really matters.

Comment on When Walking Alongside is Walking Out by tarafranf

tarafranf — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:30:59 +0000

Thelarryd sounds quite judgmental. The Church is the people of God, not just the hierarchical Ieaders–at least according to Church teaching. I appreciated your article, Lacey. First of all, it sounds like you consulted your conscience, which the Church also says ought never be neglected, and though difficult, you followed what felt right to you in term of honor and respect. You are fortunate to have a husband who will walk with you, rather
than judge you, or dictate his wishes to you. Thanks for your thoughts,

Comment on When Walking Alongside is Walking Out by thelarryd

thelarryd — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:29:19 +0000

On balance, I thought the homily was quite excellent. I get the impression you’d rather a) hear nothing on what the Church teaches on homosexuality (which you called ‘rhetoric’); or b) listen to someone only confirm what you already believe. As Chesterton once said, I don’t want a Church to only say what’s right when I’m right; I want a Church to say what’s right when I’m wrong. Which sort of Church do you want?

Also, what’s unfortunate is that you decided to not receive the Eucharist, thus turning your back on Christ. How did that show Him any compassion or respect?

Comment on When Walking Alongside is Walking Out by Justin Sengstock

Justin Sengstock — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:25:17 +0000

Jesus flouted purity and Sabbath regulations, raged his way through the Temple, and very pointedly contradicted the religious leaders of his time. Wouldn’t it have been more honest if he’d walked out of Judaism altogether, in that case? Yet Jesus spoke of himself not as abolishing the law or the prophets, but fulfilling them.

Comment on How We Must Respond to the Inquisition of the Twenty-First Century by Lacey Louwagie

Lacey Louwagie — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:20:37 +0000

I’m reading this blog post a month late because I got behind on everything at the end of April/beginning of May, but now that I’m catching up again I feel like I’m getting this message at exactly the right time. The first comment left on my recent post was the (so familiar that it’s become trite) rebuke that if I don’t agree with the magisterium, it would be more “honest” if I just “left the Catholic Church.” Your blog post, although written a month earlier, offers the perfect counterpoint as to the reason there are to stay. Thank you.

Comment on When Walking Alongside is Walking Out by T. Ambrose Nazianzus

T. Ambrose Nazianzus — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:30:50 +0000

Wouldn’t it be more honest to walk out of Catholicism altogether, in that case?

Comment on Write for the blog by Uganda Youth Ministry Association

Uganda Youth Ministry Association — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:26:29 +0000

I loved this work. Hopefully I can post some of articles here.

Comment on Decalogue by Justin Sengstock

Justin Sengstock — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:59:17 +0000

Thanks, Jen!

Comment on Decalogue by Jennifer Guterman

Jennifer Guterman — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:58:24 +0000

Justin, I appreciate your interpretation of the Ten Commandments–I am going to print it out and use it during Lent! Thanks for this thoughtful reflection.