Corruption never ceases
President Grant’s administration had corruption. President Hoover’s administration had unbelievably high unemployment. President Eisenhower’s administration had McCarthyism. President Nixon’s administration had his lies to the people, but never in the history of this United States has there been all of these in one administration until now. The “Bobble-Head Party” – as I now refer to the Republican Party due to their virtually unanimous up-and-down “head-wagging” to anything their superiors hand down for them to acquiesce – has gone even further! Not only are they trying to change the Constitution, but they are using Homeland Security for their own political gains.
Anyone who thinks that the Bobble-Head party is for the average citizen still believes in the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy. Just remember, the things these people are doing during their terms in office can affect us all. If you don’t vote in the next election you don’t have anybody to blame for the “state of the union” except yourself.
Anthony Zanaglio
Smithfield
On marriage, celibacy
After reading Will Nicholson’s guest commentary of July 18, I felt compelled to respond. While he showed an unquestionable skill at choosing passages of Scripture that would bolster his argument, he also demonstrated the danger of doing so. The same Paul he cites as insisting “any attempt to prohibit marriage is to be counted among the teachings identified a ‘doctrines of evil,'” is the same Paul who wished that all could remain celibate as he was for, “An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided.”
Secondly, his attempt to expound on Catholic theology was suspect, at best. Here he again demonstrates his skill of citing only that which would serve the purpose of his article. While the early church fathers such as Aquinas and Origen have much to say to today’s church, to dwell on one aspect of their teaching does little justice either to them, or to the theology that has evolved since their time. Mr. Nicholson states that “in the view of Catholicism’s there is apparently something sinful about marriage, and even romantic desires are viewed as unclean or sinful and need to be suppressed.”
The Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the church in the modern world however, states, “The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound-up with the healthy state of the community of marriage and the family.”
Married love, additionally, is uniquely expressed and perfected by sexual acts. They are “noble and honorable; the truly human performance of these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and gratitude.”
Thirdly, Nicholson claims, “forced celibacy is not service to Christ, but needless suffering.” Men entering the priesthood know up front that celibacy is currently a condition of this particular call. The choice is theirs to make, and the overwhelming majority of priests remain faithful to their vow.
Lastly, Mr. Nicholson states the unbiblical and unreasonable demand that clergy live in contravention of God-given desire for a mate and companionship makes them something less than human. Less than human? Mother Teresa lived a celibate life and I challenge Mr. Nicholson to present a better example of “humanity” in recent history.
Richard J. Mlinarcik Jr.
Brownsville