Tag: Christian

No Tip, No Class

On By southwerkIn Editorial3 Comments

big shots eatingNo Tip, No Class

“No class” had been defined as being loud and ignorant. This is a violation of the bounds of behavior expected of ladies and gentlemen. This particular act definitely qualifies as  “no class” act.

James Pilant

Another homophobic jerk leaves waiter hateful note in place of tip – Salon.com

A few weeks after two homophobic jerks in Kansas refused to tip their server because he was gay, another homophobic jerk in New Jersey has done the same thing, leaving her waiter a hateful little note in place of gratuity.

On a bill of almost $100, the woman wrote, “I’m sorry but I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and the way you live your life.”

Former Marine and waiter Dayna Morales sent an image of the note to Have a Gay Day, where she wrote she was “thoroughly offended made pissed off and hurt that this is what her kids will grow up learning.”

“Sorry lady but I don’t agree with your lifestyle and the way you’re raising your kids but you didn’t see me throwing that in your face and giving you shitty service,” she added.

via Another homophobic jerk leaves waiter hateful note in place of tip – Salon.com.

From around the web.

From the web site, Advocate.com.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/religion/2013/10/25/christian-couple-refuse-tip-gay-waiter-leave-hateful-note-instead

After providing excellent service to a couple who dined in his section, a 20-year-old gay waiter at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Overland Park, Kan., found a hateful message left for him in lieu of a tip, reports The New Civil Rights Movement.

The note read: “Thank you for your service, it was excellent. That being said, we cannot in good conscience tip you, for your homosexual lifestyle is an affront to God. Queers do not share in the wealth of God, and you will not share in ours. We hope you will see the tip your fag choices made you lose out on, and plan accordingly. It is never too late for God’s love, but none shall be spared for fags. May God have mercy on you.”

But the couple’s cruel intentions appear to have backfired, as their hateful message has caused several locals to rally around the young waiter. A string of supporters have shown up at the restaurant since hearing the news and specifically request to be seated in the mistreated waiter’s section.

 

Pope Francis Criticizes “Ideological” Christianity

On By southwerkIn Editorial1 Comment
emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Fr...
emblem of the Papacy: Triple tiara and keys Français : emblème pontifical Italiano: emblema del Papato Português: Emblema papal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

Pope Francis Criticizes “Ideological” Christianity

 

Originally the title was going to have a question mark after it but I reread the middle paragraph below and I just didn’t see any doubt as to the meaning of his remarks. I have had serious doubts about Catholicism after the scandals, the coverups and  what I felt was a lack of sincerity in pushing for Catholic Social Justice. But I am reluctantly, cautiously, and slowly being impressed by this man.

 

I’m willing to take a second look. A Catholic church that took it duties of helping the poor and the powerless – that would be something.

 

James Pilant

 

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/10/17/pope_francis_at_mass_calls_for_greater_openness_/in2-738150

of the Vatican Radio website

 

Pope Francis referred back to this passage from Thursday’s Gospel in his homily,

moving from Jesus’ warning. He warned: “When we are on the street and find

ourselves in front of a closed Church,” he said, “we feel that something is

strange.” Sometimes, he said, “they give us reasons” as to why they are closed:

They give “excuses, justifications, but the fact remains that the Church is

closed and the people who pass by cannot enter.” And, even worse, the Lord

cannot be close to the people. Today, the Pope said, Jesus speaks to us about

the “image of the [lock]”; it is “the image of those Christians who have the key

in their hand, but take it away, without opening the door.” Worse still, “they

keep the door closed” and “don’t allow anyone to enter.” In so doing, they

themselves do not enter. The “lack of Christian witness does this,” he said, and

“when this Christian is a priest, a bishop or a Pope it is worse.” But, the Pope

asks, how does it happen that a “Christian falls into this attitude” of keeping

the key to the Church in his pocket, with the door closed?

“The faith

passes, so to speak, through a distiller and becomes ideology. And ideology does

not beckon [people]. In ideologies there is not Jesus: in his tenderness, his

love, his meekness. And ideologies are rigid, always. Of every sign: rigid. And

when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he

is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought…

For this reason Jesus said to them: ‘You have taken away the key of knowledge.’

The knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and also moralistic

knowledge, because these close the door with many requirements.”

The Pope

continued, Jesus told us: “You burden the shoulders of people [with] many

things; only one is necessary.” This, therefore, is the “spiritual, mental”

thought process of one who wants to keep the key in his pocket and the door

closed: “The faith becomes ideology and ideology frightens, ideology chases away

the people, distances, distances the people and distances of the Church of the

people. But it is a serious illness, this of ideological Christians. It is an

illness, but it is not new, eh? Already the Apostle John, in his first Letter,

spoke of this. Christians who lose the faith and prefer the ideologies. His

attitude is: be rigid, moralistic, ethical, but without kindness. This can be

the question, no? But why is it that a Christian can become like this? Just one

thing: this Christian does not pray. And if there is no prayer, you always close

the door.”

 

…

 

From around the web.

 

From the web site,

 

http://cnsatwyd.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/pope-tells-latin-american-bishops-to-shun-ideology-empower-laity/

 

By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service

 

RIO DE JANEIRO (CNS) — Reducing the faith to a worldly ideology,

prizing administrative efficiency over missionary zeal, and exalting the

role of clergy to the detriment of the laity are some of the major

“temptations” undermining evangelization in Latin America, Pope Francis

told church leaders from the region.

 

“The decision for missionary discipleship will encounter temptation,”

the pope said July 28 at a meeting with the coordinating committee of

the Latin American bishops’ conference, CELAM. “It is important to know

where the evil spirit is afoot in order to aid our discernment.”

 

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Why Young Adults Are Walking Away From Church by Christian Piatt

On By southwerkIn Opinion

In a column in Huffington Post, Christian Piatt discusses the why behind the exodus of the young from church.

Here’s my favorite paragraph –

Alisa Harris’ memoir, “Raised Right: How I Untangled My Faith from Politics,” reflects on the apparent cultural, spiritual and economic desert time in which we find ourselves. We have witnessed the carnage of a financial system that was intended to perpetually buoy a nation, but whose “invisible hand” has instead crushed the dreams of millions. We’ve watched as the two-headed political serpent attacks itself until it is impotent. We’ve seen religious figures scandalize their institutions empty, as a generation walks away in search of something more relevant to their daily struggle.

Church attendance has fallen dramatically over the last twenty years. In 2005, Protestants represented half those practicing a religion in the United States for the first time.

What’s going on?

I see two trends. The mainline Protestant churches continue to bleed membership. The evangelical movement has hit a wall in recruitment and can neither maintain its growth and or maintain its current numbers. The second trend is new. I suspect that it has a great deal to do with the impact of the political action on a church organization. It is probably a delight to go out and organize precincts handing out conservative literature instead of sitting through a boring sermon, after all, politics is a lot easier than Christianity. But for many the Christian call remains a powerful inducement and a church that acts as a political action committee has little time for gospel issues.

I do not see these trends reversing although I suspect the mainline bleed has to end at some point.

James Pilant

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