Jul 24th, 2008
Mixed Message
Don’t get me wrong, I adore Melissa Etheridge, and I am glad that she is “allowed” to perform on the property of a Catholic College — even though she dares to live a life out loud with her partner and their children.
Still, the latest local effort for the Catholic Church to distance itself from “promotion” of homosexuality makes her upcoming appearance pretty ironic. Especially since I recently resigned from the College over this issue, and among the many places Etheridge has generously lent her voice to promote equality (or “promote homosexual behavior” depending on one’s perspective) is on the cover of my book:
I keep trying to make sense of where the line is being drawn when it comes to people from the LGBT community being visible within the Catholic Church and within its affiliated entities, including the College of St. Catherine. Just when I think I have it figured out, something happens that leaves me no less befuddled than before.
On a related note, the next “known homosexual” to appear at St. Kate’s will be k.d. lang.
At the risk of sounding experienced (heh), it’s all about the money. There’s no grand Catholic principle the St. Kate’s administration will not conveniently ignore when money is involved.
…
Okay, I had rambled on, but my blood pressure is going up, even five years after my own confrontation with the intense hypocrisy of that place, so I’ve deleted my ramble. Rock on, Abigail.
You simply aren’t thinking like a theologian. This is all perfectly clear if you simply can reason like an advocate of the institutions of the Church.
First, the Church has condemned homosexual behavior and, after a few centuries of killing homosexuals, affirmed God’s love for all people.
Secondly, the Church doesn’t condemn people, it condemns behavior.
Third, as a fairly low-level peon in the great system that is the Church, your support of the homosexual lifestyle was intolerable in that it might cause confusion among the faithful.*
Fourth, as a famous person with buckets of money, Melissa can’t confuse people by performing at the college you left because she is famous and rich.
See? It’s all perfectly clear.
* This intolerably patronizing excuse is usually offered when attempting to justify the asinine or the outright vile. It should be considered a warning sign that reason and compassion have left the building.
I totally get the “money matters most” argument — but Abigail was HIRED to raise $$ for the school! their job posting for her position (on the HR website) says you have to raise $1.5 million in a year…she syas she raised one million in a couple months so her job was all about money AND she was finding it for the school. Is Melissa Ethridge’s performance going to bring a million $ to the school? I doubt it!
Sigh….
Abigail - don’t you get it? Its clear as mud!
I can’t believe I missed this, I walk by there everyday. I have nothing to add really. I don’t get it. And I get more and more confused everyday.
I suppose the most generous interpretation is an aphorism that comes from my amazing artist pal Mary Hark: She always says, “Things coexist.”
Seems so.