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Thursday, June 22, 2017

SHOULD CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND NUNS BE GRAND MARSHALLS IN A GAY PRIDE PARADE? PRIESTS AND NUNS ARE IN AUGUSTA, GA, EPISCOPAL ONES THAT IS

Grand marshals for this year’s parade will be Sisters from the Convent of St. Helena. Once located in south Augusta, the convent is now located in North Augusta, but has served as a place of prayer, reflection and retreat. In the early days of the Metropolitan Community Church, the sisters provided a worship space for members of the congregation.


Are these Episcopal priests and nuns pictured above (yes some of these women are priestesses) onto what Pope Francis wants through the culture of encounter not condemnation? It creates goodwill toward their religious community, but does it open the door to conversion of mind and body to the truth of Jesus Christ and His Church? I ask; you answer.

Augusta Pride celebration is meant to inspire unity


The eighth annual Augusta Pride celebration set for this weekend features two days of events including a dance party, parade and festival downtown.
“Pride is a very electric, high-energy event. There’s a strong sense of community when you walk around the Common,” said Eric Dryer, public relations coordinator for Augusta Pride.

Festivities kick off on Friday, June 23, with the Beats on Broad celebration at the Augusta Common. It’s billed as Augusta’s largest dance party, and Bebe Rexha will headline the event with DJ Kaos from Savannah playing a set before the 8 p.m. concert.

Beats on Broad does have a cover charge. It’s $10 for adults with children under 10 years old admitted free with a paying adult. Gates will open at 6 p.m.
Beats on Broad is the only event that has an admission charge with the rest of the festivities free and open to the public.

The Pride parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 24, with a route down Broad Street from 11th to Eighth streets.

Dryer said he expects about 20 floats in this year’s parade. Each year the parade gets bigger and will likely last about 25 to 30 minutes.

Grand marshals for this year’s parade will be Sisters from the Convent of St. Helena. Once located in south Augusta, the convent is now located in North Augusta, but has served as a place of prayer, reflection and retreat. In the early days of the Metropolitan Community Church, the sisters provided a worship space for members of the congregation.

In addition to the sisters, Georgia Sen. Harold Jones II will serve as a grand marshal for the parade.
The festival will begin at 11 a.m. at the Augusta Common.

There will be a variety of food vendors and other retailers. Also, there will be free HIV screenings.
Dryer said that many people will be wearing orange at this year’s event.

“Orange is a symbol of healing,” he said.

Last year, just a few days before the Augusta pride event was the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.
“It was a shock to us all,” he said.

He said he hopes others will join in wearing orange and attending this year’s activities.
“We encourage people to come downtown and leave a positive message of unity,” he said.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Something tells me.....personal opinion of course, that Pope Francis would have NO problem with this behaviour. And I am sure that some faithless bishops, priests and nuns, after having been made aware of this will do the same thing, knowing there will be no repercussions for their actions. But God will not be mocked. In the end everyone will stand before God alone to be judged. And what did Christ say about shepherds who deceive the flock and cause them to stumble? That millstone is going to be very big for some people.

Gene said...

This is a no-brainer...of course not. Only a fool and an apostate supports or mimics the behavior of Episcopalians. One can pray for homosexuals and other perverts, consigning them to the mercy and judgement of God, without engaging in activities that both imply affirmation of their life style and confuse the faithful. Should Rabbis participate in American Nazi Party and Aryan Brotherhood marches? Duh...

Anonymous said...

Boo Yah

Anonymous said...

Well, Augusta (Richmond County) is not what it used to be politically---Democrats have run the show there for decades. The last time Richmond County voted Republican for president, the Berlin Wall was still standing (the 1988 election of the first President Bush). And as Republicans leave Richmond County for adjoining, heavily Republican Columbia County---well, that leaves behind an even more Democratic audience that likes this kind of stuff.

I wonder if the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia (which includes Augusta), the Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase, has to say about this matter...or should I really wonder given the state of that Church?!?!?

Former St. Joseph's (Augusta) CCD Teacher said...

It is sad to see that GA state representative Harold Jones will also be the grand marshall of the Augusta Gay (sic) parade. I was his religious education teacher at St. Joseph's in the early 1980's. He was a practicing Catholic back then. Please pray for his conversion or reversion.

On a side note to Anonymous at 0947, it's probably best to follow Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's rule of referring to non-Catholic Christians such as the Episcopal church as ecclesial communities rather than Church with a capital "C". Other than the typo, Anonymous's post was spot on.

Mark Thomas said...

His Holiness Pope Francis participated in Rome's March For Life. He has offered Apostolic Blessings to pro-life, pro-family marchers. He has exhorted Catholics to resist Culture of Death forces who attack the family.

Pope Francis has condemned the Homosexual Lobby.

Pope Francis has supported Catholics who work to pass laws that ban homosexual unions as well as the adoption of children by homosexuals.

Pope Endorses Referendum Denying Marriage And Adoption Rights To Same-Sex Couples

https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/pope-endorses-referendum-denying-marriage-and-adoption-right?utm_term=.sn6Va7a1k#.ox45rprV4

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Carol H. said...

No, Father, this does not open the door to conversion of mind and body. Gay activists will only embrace those whom they think will support their agenda. If you act kindly towards them, they will embrace you- then when you speak the truth, they will drop you like a box of rocks and assault you with words. Remember what they did to Dolce and Gabanna?

Anonymous said...

No. That parade has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with a lifestyle that goes against Catholic teaching. That some members of the Episcopal Church wish to attend or promote the event has nothing to do with Catholics. It has nothing to do with the relationship between the two churches. It has to do with a lifestyle that goes against Catholic teaching. Why would anyone try and confuse the issue?

Anonymous said...

To Former St. Joseph's teacher at 10:47 today:

Harold Jones is a state senator, not a state representative (Georgia, like most states, has a State House and Senate). He represents about 85 percent of Richmond's population, all but basically the geographic ends of the county.

On the "ecclesial communities" matter...well, that is a lot of syllables. Like today, when I was turning onto North Avenue from West Peachtree Street to eat at the iconic Varsity in midtown Atlanta, I passed at the corner All Saint's Episcopal Church...or All Saints Episcopal Ecclesial Community? A lot of words!!!

But we do need a lot of conversion up here in Atlanta---unfortunately we voted 81 percent for Clinton last year---81 percent! (No, I was not part of that 81 percent!) And the pressure to be PC up here in Atlanta on moral issues is far greater than what you see in Augusta or certainly even Macon and Albany. A month or so ago, Martin Luther King's home church hosted a funeral for a county commissioner who had been "married" to a judge of the same gender. Yep, that is what we deal with up here. But I guess I should not be surprised---most areas that vote Democratic tend to be very liberal and secular, like Boston, Manhattan, Chicago, Los Angeles---no wonder Trump likes to go to other places, like Iowa last night for his rally.

Willy B. Goode said...

Trump has to leave the thinking world behind to find his base, yes,

Trump does not like to go to other places. He needs to go. He is as secular and value-less as you think Boston, Manhattan, Chicago, Los Angeles are. When politically necessary, he boards a plane to Iowa and Iowa-like locations to keep his base riled up.

I hope you saw the picture of Rhode Island's Teacher of the Year, Nikos Giannopoulos, a very openly gay man standing in the Oval Office with the President and First Lady. Mr. Giannopoulos was wearing Gay Pride paraphernalia and keeping himself chill with a lacy black fan - all too, too much. The President welcomed this superb teacher and was happy to have him in all his gay-ness in the Oval Office.

That you haven't caught on to Trump's duplicity is disheartening, to say the least. He is more two-faced than Janus....

Gene said...

Trump is an opportunist and a player, and he is very difficult to pigeon hole. As a businessman and corporate exec, he has to be open to everyone, and it seems he always has been...not because of any inherent altruism, rather for business reasons. I do not know where all the accusations of racism come from...I have never seen any evidence of it. Trump is not a true conservative, and he was not my first choice (Cruz was). But, Trump loves the country, is pro-2A, is a capitalist, wants the country to grow economically and industrially and, at least, pays lip service to God and the Christian faith. I'll take that over anything the Democrats have to offer.

Gene said...

PS Trump is also a globalist, but he plays it down (wisely), and he is an America First globalist. All financial sharks are globalists. That is why all the contacts with foreign countries...purely economics before he got elected. You cannot just erase all that and pretend it never happened. He has tried to disentangle himself from all that, but it is very difficult. I do not hold it against him and do not care that all the sissy, bed-wetting libs are having hissy fits about it and stomping their little feet and running in small circles...in fact, I rather enjoy it. If you have not read it, I strongly recommend "The Creature From Jekyll Island." Ostensibly about the Federal Reserve, it will give you great insight into the Fords, the Rockefellers, the Morgans, the Gates, the Buffets, and the Trumps. Hold your nose and understand that these are the people that need to be running the country...not a collection of old hippies, socialist dreamers, has been political activists, and academic detritus. Hey, ya'll, it is the real world. You may not like 'em, but the sharks, the hard-asses, the dealers are the ones we need in high office. Save your puny guilt trips and your high sounding moral outrage for the Confessioinal.

George said...


We can treat those in a homosexual lifestyle as we would others, which is with humble
Christian charity and toward that end the best thing we can do is to pray for them. Under no circumstances should we willingly participate in any activities or functions which celebrate and advocate for that lifestyle.
When homosexuals are in partnerships, Civil unions, or same-sex marriages, they cannot avoid bringing public scandal with them which compounds their sin, since by their observed relationship, their sinful actions can be reasonably inferred.
We should pray for those that have that inclination that they may come to lead a chaste life in accordance with what God desires of them.

Anonymous said...

Trump does not love this country. He loves what this country makes it possible for him to obtain, and there is a world of difference.

I'd rather have a true patriot, not a disgustingly self-centered pseudo-patriot as Trump is, in office.

A true patriot is not an "America First" thinker. A true patriot knows that his/her country is part of a global community and wants his/her country to be a team player om that community.

You don't like the idea of a "global community?" Too bad.

You can also dislike the fact that the earth is round, that the pope doesn't wear ermine, and that states with high gun ownership rates have higher rates of murder committed with guns.

You dislikes don't change facts.

Gene said...

Well, I think you are wrong. I believe Trump loves the country in the same way you do...it allows you to self-indulge in Leftist/globalist little rants, anti-2A nonsense, and live a comfortable life while biting the hand that feeds you.

Anonymous 2 said...

Trump will self-destruct because sooner or later (I believe sooner) his base will realize that he has betrayed them through his incompetence and pathological lying, something the rest of us already knew would happen before the election. Not that Hilary was much better--she wasn't; she was somewhat better, however, all things considered, and her primary virtue was that she wasn't Trump.

I expect more from our political leaders than either of them offered because I do not share Gene’s “realism,” which seems more like the cynicism of despair to me.

Gene said...

"The Cynicism of Despair" sounds like a dime novel..."I walked up the ornamental brick front walk, past the manicured lawn and sculpted flower beds and rapped on the door of the Georgian mansion. The door swung open...she was a gorgeous redhead in an emerald green sun dress that was too tight last year, and she had two thirty-eights pointed right at me. She also had a gun. I asked her what the note meant, the one that talked about cynicism and despair. She said, "Come on in...you'll have to ask Anonymous 2." I knew then that the dog had gotten there before me...looks like another night of bourbon and bar stools.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous2

I don't share your sentiments or characterizations. Hillary was not even "somewhat " better. With too many of our politicians today, there are more than enough lies to go around. The problem, besides the prevarication, is that the media will highlight and call out Mr Trump on this where too often they gave Mr Obama and Ms Clinton a pass.

On the issue of religious belief operating in the Public square, there was on the part of Mr Obama and his polices, a certain hostility toward Christians, at least those who did not fit into his progressive scheme of things. Hence the targeting of Faith-based Pro-Life groups and others that did not share Mr Obama's progressive philosophy by the IRS and possibly other agencies of government. I think that with Hillary as President we would have seen a continuation of this approach toward those of faith. Possibly it is just political opportunism on his part, but Mr Trump's approach so far toward Christian groups is a welcome change from his predecessor.

One of the greatest impacts a President can have is in the appointment of Federal judges and in the filling a Supreme Court vacancy. This is has been a hit and miss proposition at times, except it seems except when it comes to liberal jurists,but Mr Trump (so far anyway) has given every indication that he is far better here than what Hillary would have given us.

Mr Trump so far has delivered on what he said he would do, as much as he can do,within the scope of his limited power on those things he can do without needing the train wreck that is Congress.

Anonymous said...

"Mr Trump so far has delivered on what he said he would do, as much as he can do,within the scope of his limited power on those things he can do without needing the train wreck that is Congress.:

This is the most absurd statement of the day.

Drain the Swamp? Nope. Put H. Clinton in jail? Nope. Build a wall? Nope. Increase coal mining jobs? Nope. Rescind DAPA? Nope. Deport Syrian refugees? Nope. Move US Embassy to Tel Aviv? Nope. No cuts to Social Security? Yes, Trump's budget includes cuts. No cuts to Medicare and/or Medicaid? Yes, Trump's budget cuts both.

Etc Etc Etc. The man is a pathological liar. That you haven't come to this realization yet is truly mind boggling.

Anonymous 2 said...

Gene has evidently missed his vocation; and Anonymous at 10:19 p.m. yesterday has evidently missed, well, pretty much everything Anonymous at 2:44 p.m. points out.

George said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
George said...


Unless he is unable to finish his term for some reason, President Trump has at the minimum, more than three years to go. I'm not here to excuse his equivocations, but I hope and pray that whatever his faults, he does what is best for the country knowing that whatever he does, he will be judged by God.
He has an awesome responsibility and there are a lot of challenges to be addressed both domestic and foreign.
Keep in mind that when running for public office, a candidate may make promises which he intends to keep but once assuming office, the person finds that some things are either not possible to do, at least as intended, or they may take longer to implement. I don't know enough to say that Mr Trump deliberately made promises he knew he couldn't keep. He may have, I just don't know enough to accuse him of that.

As far as Anonymous comment at 2:44 PM concerning draining the Swamp, building a Wall, deporting Syrian refugees, moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem etc., did you really expect him to do all that after just six months in office?
He does have the Congress and the Federal judiciary to deal with after all. Whatever you think of Mr Trump, the President we have is the one we have got. So if nothing else, you can still pray for him.



Gene said...

There are so many Anonymous
For the blog they will soon be eponymous.
We have an Anonymous 2,
And, another Anonymous, too.
It seems that this is duplicitous,
For the blog we should be solicitous,
So many are now incognito,
We may all go down to perdido (not the beach).

Anonymous said...

"He will be judged by God" is dangerous, pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die thinking.

Yes, he will die and be judged. IN THE MEANTIME the decisions he makes and the policies Republicans in Congress he support can and do have a direct impact on the lives of people in this country and around the world.

Cut Medicaid and people don't get treated. By 2026 the proposal is to take $880 billion out of the program. The proposal to make it a capped payment system which would NOT be adjusted for increases in health care costs.

As a result, people who are seriously chronically ill don't get the treatments they need.

They die.

Under the proposed legislation, state could charge older (more expensive) people FIVE TIMES what they charge younger people for the same policy. States could ELIMINATE coverage for maternity, mental health, and prescription drugs. States could charge more or DENY COVERAGE to people with pre-existing conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or arthritis.

And the delicious irony is that these deleterious effects will impact, to a much larger degree, residents of the states which had higher, even much higher, voting totals for Trump.

George said...


Anonymous @ 8:26 Am

I don't know what kind of Health Care legislation will eventually come out of Congress. It may end up being not what I would want. It is beyond my individual control. As you stated, it is proposed legislation at this point.
What we have now is not working very well and Insurance companies have been pulling out of state exchanges left and right.

When compared to 2015, 22 states and the District of Columbia have fewer insurers offering coverage on the exchanges in 2016.

In Alaska and Wyoming, for example, just one insurance company is selling insurance to consumers in those states for 2016. Prior to the ACA being implemented, Alaska had 4 and Wyoming 5. I don't know what the current situation is, but as of last year the state of Pennsylvania had only eight insurers, that was down from 13. Residents of Philadelphia had only two to choose from. in North Carolina it was 12 and is now 3.Here in Georgia we had 11 pre-ACA and are now down to 8. Nationally, the number of carriers offering exchange coverage in one or more states declined to 137 in 2016 from 154 in 2014 and is expected to decline further in 2017.

There are also many who had to drop coverage because they could no longer afford the premiums and because of the high deductibles.

Rather than rant and rave, I suggest that you pray that we get something that works better than what we have now, which will provide the necessary level of Medical care to all who find themselves in need of it.

Anonymous 2 said...

George:

Some comments on your responses to me and Anonymous:

(1) “I don't know enough to say that Mr Trump deliberately made promises he knew he couldn't keep. He may have, I just don't know enough to accuse him of that.”

Many people call President Trump a “pathological liar.” They do so because he has uttered so many falsehoods since becoming a candidate, including what are likely hundreds of falsehoods even since being inaugurated as President. There are lists of these things. Some of these falsehoods concern promises he made; some concern other matters such as falsely claiming credit for events or situations.

Is Trump a liar? Like you, I do not know his state of mind. However, a liar is someone who tells lies, and Merriam-Webster defines a “lie” as also including falsehoods that are not deliberately uttered with intent to deceive but the effect of which is to deceive:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie

One cannot simply excuse a falsehood even if it is not intentionally deceptive (I am not suggesting you are trying to). But what if someone has been intentionally deceptive in the past so often that he no longer knows the difference? I just raise this question.

So, whether or not Trump’s falsehoods are intentionally deceptive, they are a huge cause for concern.

Are Trump’s lies/falsehoods “pathological?” Merriam-Webster defines “pathological” as also meaning “extreme, excessive, or markedly abnormal”:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathological

Can one seriously doubt that this fits the case, given the numbers of lies/falsehoods involved?

(2) “So if nothing else, you can still pray for him.”

I agree, and I do.

(3) “Rather than rant and rave, I suggest that you pray that we get something that works better than what we have now, which will provide the necessary level of Medical care to all who find themselves in need of it.”

Again I agree. The ACA clearly needs to be fixed. What worries me is that neither Trump nor Congress seem to be as concerned with fixing it in a way that promotes the common good as they are with enacting something that will promote their own good, in particular by giving themselves political cover to enhance their prospects of persuading voters to re-elect them.

As I said earlier in this thread, regarding all of the above I expect better of our leaders and will not succumb to the “cynicism of despair.” And as Gene has so eloquently explained, you will therefore not find me spending the night on a bar stool with a bottle of bourbon. =)


Anonymous 2 said...

P.S. Correction – It may not be hundreds of lies/falsehoods since becoming President. It may be only (only? Good grief) a hundred or so, although I suppose it may indeed be hundreds if one includes repetition of the same lie on the same day. Anyway, as it so happens, the New York Times has just published a list and analysis of what the authors of the piece consider to be all of Trump’s lies/falsehoods since taking office:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html

Gene said...

Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court has upheld Trump's travel ban. I'm loving it...oh, and the Dems lost Ga. and SC in special elections. But, that's not all...Trump may get at least two more Supreme Court appointments in addition to the numerous conservative Federal Judges he has already appointed. And, oops, no Ramadan celebration at the White house this year...and last, but not least, the White House is full of successful, wealthy, nice-looking, patriotic white people. Cry me a river Anon 2 and all your liberal buddies.

K.A. Conway said...

When Steve Bannon is described as "nice-looking" then the one doing the describing needs an optometrist appointment ASAP.

When

Anonymous 2 said...

Gene:

“Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court has upheld Trump's travel ban. I'm loving it...”

Well, yes—and also a big no. Once again, this illustrates this problem of false and misleading statements. Trump claims victory. However, the exception for those who “can credibly claim a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” likely swallows up at least half of the “victory” and perhaps even most of it. And the Court is not scheduled to hear the full case until the fall, when of course it all may be moot. Perhaps the President should have read the ruling (you know he didn’t). Perhaps you should. Here it is:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/16-1436_l6hc.pdf

You should not believe most of what our Liar-in-Chief and his lap dog spin doctors say.




Anonymous 2 said...

P.S. And as for the rest of your Comment, well, it is difficult to know where to begin, although the reference to “successful, wealthy, nice-looking, patriotic white people” speaks volumes.

Gene said...

We'll see what happens in the Fall. My money is on a conservative court. As for the occupants of the WH comment...I just love it because it makes libs and the Black Lives Splatter crowd so livid. This is fun.