On why "Freedom of Worship is not Enough"

Rogue in Rouge for First Things:

"In his Cairo speech in June of 2009, President Obama gave religious freedom a place of heightened importance in his administration’s agenda. His speech both emphasized the importance of religious freedom when considering overall human dignity and human rights, as well as acknowledged the fact that good diplomacy must take religion into consideration as a fundamental component of international engagement. Both were tremendous steps forward in how this nation engages a world facing encroaching religious fundamentalism and ever-receding religious freedom.

Why then, is his administration shrinking from a robust understanding of religious freedom in its rhetoric of late?"

Read the rest...

Close-minded? Or too open-minded?

Sometimes it seems as though Catholics are in a lose-lose gridlock with the media. Either they are portrayed as close-minded and archaic in their ways or as moral sell-outs.

Exhibit A: a recent Washington Times editorial denouncing the Catholic Information Center for hosting a book-signing for a high-profile critic of some things Catholic.

The fact that the editorial actually references The Da Vinci Code in its discussion of Opus Dei, the organization that runs the bookstore under fire, should be enough to intellectually discredit the entire piece. Setting that aside, the article first criticizes Opus Dei as being overly affectionate with tradition and closed off to the world, only to opine that they are inviting someone with views in conflict with their own to speak on a property they own and run.

The Washington Times editorial page, in all its schizophrenic glory, should stick to discussing Dan Brown if that's its standard for logical reasoning.

I know I am not alone in thinking that kudos are owed to the Catholic Information Center for having the courage and confidence in its own positions to invite a critic for some lively discussion over a glass of wine. Sign me up for that book group.

Sometimes Rogue in Rouge Travels

And sometimes she learns things. Like that the French have the most creative and enticing way to serve an egg known to-date: A Croque Madame. A Madame for All Seasons.

They may not know how to make a gas pedal,

but they sure have a clever sense of consonance and assonance.

Newsflash?

Teaching kids not to have premarital sex is more effective at preventing premarital sex than teaching kids how to have sex.

I mean, is this an appropriate moment for, "we told you so?"

Or is this a moment to rejoice in the raw beauty of logic?

Or both?

Church of England and the Catholic Church Tag-Teaming?

In an unusual twist in British religious affairs, the Church of England and the Catholic Church are working together to stop Parliament from stripping critical exemptions that allow religious institutions to hire according to their doctrinal beliefs.

And now, even the Pope is chiming in.

All of this underlines a certain universality that characterizes the impact of conscience clauses in matters of employment and religious institutions. If the Church of England and the Catholic Church are buddying up, and the Pope is calling in from Rome, something serious is afoot.

Rogue in Rouge would like to point out one journalistic error in the media coverage of this issue: namely, the written concern that the Church is in danger of having to "admit women to the priesthood." The factual error is simple: women cannot be admitted to the priesthood. They can dress up in robes and swing a thurible, but they will be doing nothing more than playing dress-up. Just as a valid marriage cannot be undone, nor can two members of the same-sex enter a sacramental marriage, because both instances defy the very nature and fundamental meaning of a marriage, a woman cannot be a priest, such a concept defies a definitive element of what makes a priest a priest. A priest is first and foremost, a man. And unfortunately for other religions that like to borrow the word "priest," because Catholicism (through Christ) authored the priesthood, it retains definitional authority. Everybody else should just follow mainline Protestants and come up with another name if they want to include women in the fold.

So, the British government can do what it may to members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy who refuse to partake in a game of blasphemous dress-up and defile the priestly order, but no one need worry about women becoming priests.