Saturday, October 14, 2006

Maguire, CTA...and Dolan!

Self-styled theologian Dan Maguire is so focused on his "pelvic issues" that one wonders how he finds time to...well, theologize.

"Beyond a doubt, the bishops could be among the most influential religious leaders in the nation if only they could get off what he calls the "pelvic issues" and address the wider view."

Let me try and interpret. The "wider view" which The Theologian addresses eschews things like abortion, contraception, same-sex "marriage," et cetera and instead focuses on issues like poverty, racism, sexism, and one presumes, homophobia.

(As if, as IF, the bishops haven't addressed these issues ad infinitum.)

Anyway, Maguire sent a letter to this effect to all the U.S. bishops, receiving a reply from Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee.

"You speak of your duty to dissent. Well, at least call it such," Dolan's letter to Maguire read. "To claim that such support for abortion and same-sex `marriage' is consonant with Catholic moral teaching is preposterous and disingenuous."

Call to Action got in a snit, responding:

"Your attack on Daniel Maguire, a professor in good standing at Marquette University, seems to assume that mature Catholics are unable to discuss and debate what some consider controversial issues. Your `teaching responsibilities' do not preclude our obligation to wonder, to question, to speculate, to evaluate, to criticize and yes, to search for the truth. We can do this and not leave the Church."

Dan Maguire is one of the "Voice of the Faithful" darlings. Just as The Reverend Debra Haffner used to be...or perhaps still is.