It should come as no surprise that this book was assigned for my "Sexual Christian Ethics" course my junior year at the CINO college. The professor (the same one who spoke ill of the Holy Father) raved about the book. To be quite honest, I didn't read the entire thing because it would make me feel nauseous. I would read come exam time... and only read what would be on the test because the few pages I did read made me upset.
Let me just tell you the gist of the class -- which was taught according to what was in Just Love by Sr. Margaret Farley and A Lily Among the Thorn: Imagining a New Christian Sexuality by Miguel de la Torre. Homosexuality is fine because God wants us all to love. The Church is terrible patriarchy that wants to oppress women and minorities (including homosexuals) -- and this would start rants about the Church and the Holy Father that I would offer up. My prof would say that she was not in agreement with the Church and that she was in agreement with the books instead of the Church.
I found my old notes so now I'm going to add straight quotes. "Patriarchy (alluding to the Church from my understanding in class) creates sexism, homophobia, and hypocrisy." "Why are things reduced to what you do in bed?" "Notion of virginity is culturally constructed and not from God." "At various times of your life you fluctuate between hetero- and homosexuality." "You experiment with yourself, men with men, and women with women." "Virgin Mary didn't remain a virgin." "Hell may not exist." "(talking about nuns) Smarter than priests and they admitted it." Had enough yet? That is just part of it. There are things I don't feel comfortable writing that were covered in the book that go against Church teachings.
Do I agree that this book will confuse those who know little to nothing about the Catholic Church? Yes. Will what is written lead many astray, especially if taught (like we were) in classes? Definitely. The words "yeah, it was all part of the liberation theology taught at that school" just came to mind. I am personally happy the statement has been issued though I think that it won't do much at the schools where this book is assigned. Though I hope she doesn't, I feel like my former prof will rant about how the Vatican is on a "witch hunt" because they're scared of nuns the next time she uses this book.
For the record, this is from my point of view and what we covered when I was at the CINO college. I definitely don't recommend this book. I prefer Theology of the Body which, not surprisingly, my profs didn't agree with when I brought it up in class.
Anyway, just wanted to add my two cents and let y'all know that, coming from someone who actually read part of the book, I agree with everything the Vatican has said. Avoid at all costs if possible.
I am a bit behind on a few book reviews of Tiber River Review so I'm going to get offline and try to finish at least one of them before the day ends. :)
I hope you all have a great weekend. :D
As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D
1 comment:
This is a drift away from true Catholic Bible reading in Sr. Farley and company ( gay actions are clearly condemned in Romans chapter one) but the last two Popes have done a similar drift away from true Catholic Bible reading on the death penalty ( Gen.9:5-6 addressed to both Jews and Gentiles). To be smart in modern Catholicism is to drift away from some part of the Bible.
Aquinas loved the whole book and Christ told satan that "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that cometh forth from the mouth of God. Catholic liberals and oddly on the death penalty... Popes are trying to live by the parts of the Bible they like.
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