the new way

  And so, I've heard a great deal of backlash concerning a commencement speech given by Harrison Butker. First off, I had no idea who he is. Turns out he is a place kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. A pretty good one from what I read. He is a devout Catholic, by all accounts, and the Benedictine University asked him to deliver the commencement address. Seemed like a good idea I suppose, he is somewhat a celebrity, a sports hero. You know how we idolize our sports figures these days, second only to rock stars. He didn't go to school there, but he is a Catholic. What could go wrong?

 Well, as it turned out he is too Catholic. In his speech he called for a return to the basic tenets of that religion. He was critical of the Pope, the clergy in general and what those religious leaders were teaching. Moreover, he stated his belief that women should be wives and mothers and that "vocation" as he called it could be the most rewarding and satisfying career they might have. Then he said men should start acting like men once again! Holy Cow! He did receive an 18 second standing ovation when he was finished. No one walked out in protest during any of that. But then the media got hold of that speech and it needed to be canceled as quickly as possible.

 I've read where there is a petition signed by 90,000 people to have him removed from the football team! Can't be having anyone with such radical ideas being on my favorite team, what will people think? This guy isn't going with the program at all. He even thought the mass should be conducted in Latin. He wants the church to stick with the original message. Catholicism should change with the times, it has been too restrictive in the past, the church needs to get with the program and endorse the new agenda. They have made strides in that direction, the Pope has given his blessing to gay marriages. In a recent statement the Pope has said, we don't need to talk about all this stuff all the time, this homosexuality and abortion stuff, just remain quiet and respectful of others. Harrison Butker had a different view.

 Silence is consent. That's what has been said many times and it holds a great deal of truth. Silence can also be had through fear and intimidation. You may not necessarily agree but you won't say so. It appears to me that is the position this Pope is taking. He is blessing all of that but not agreeing with it, just remaining as silent as possible. I believe Harrison Butker was right in saying the Pope lacks courage. 

 I'm not a Catholic. I was an Episcopalian at one time in my life. That was simply because that was the church I was taken to as a child. It wasn't a conscious choice by any means. I still find a great many of those teachings to be true and relevant in my life. I am no longer a member of any congregation of any denomination. When speaking about the clergy in his speech Harrison Butker said that familiarity breeds contempt. He was talking about the clergy becoming too friendly, too chummy and too "just like you" with their parishioners.

  I understood exactly what he was saying. It is the same thing as being a parent and not a friend to your children. If you are the priest or the pastor you should be reserved, a bit distanced from your parishioners, you are their spiritual advisors, not their drinking buddies. I heard those saying how he plagiarized some lyrics from a Taylor Swift song. I went and checked that out. Yes, Taylor Swift wrote that "familiarity breeds contempt" in one of her breakup songs. I read those lyrics and what she was mad about was not being treated like a celebrity anymore, her boyfriend didn't seem to be fawning over her in the way she felt he should. That's why she broke up with him. 

 I did read the entire speech he gave. I wonder if he has read some of my blogs as we shared similar ideas and thoughts on the subject. Perhaps his faith, his belief is a bit stronger than my own, perhaps he is a bit more committed to the teachings of the Catholic church as he learned it, but I surely didn't read anything that I felt was controversial or outrageous. He didn't call for anyone to be ostracized, marginalized or berated in any way. He was just saying, don't be afraid to speak your truth. His main message was live a godly life and you will find happiness and redemption. He was talking about what he believed God to be, what God wanted for all of us. And isn't that what you would want a speaker to do? Just tell the truth as they see it. 

 He was asked to address that student body. He was their guest. And now even the very university that asked him to speak have spoken out against him. What is their fear? Loss of enrollment, a loss of revenue? Are they afraid they will not attract students if they adhere to traditional Catholic values and traditions? They did say they supported Vatican II. That took place sixty years ago when Pope John XXIII convened an ecumenical council to "update" the church. The most recognized update was saying the mass in the local language instead of in Latin. My take is that Harrison Butker opposes Vatican II on general principal. Interesting considering that happened before he was even born. But hardly anything that in my opinion should get him ostracized from society in general. His big problem? He is just too catholic I guess, believes too strongly in what the Bible says to him. He isn't listening to the current narrative. A narrative I have on more than one occasion expressed as, "keep on sinning and I'll keep on  forgiving" as the new message from God. It's all good as long as you keep coming to the church, giving your tithes and support. That's the new way to salvation. Heck even if you don't, you've got our blessing. Now that is the Christiam way.