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Welcome to Southern Nebraska (if you’re male, white and straight)

Not that I was ever planning on going to Nebraska…but an article in today’s Boston Globe comparing the Catholic church in Boston to the Catholic church Lincoln, Nebraska was pretty scary. I always thought of the Boston church as being ultra-conservative. I mean, they were the biggest protestors in the gay marriage debates and stick their nose into all local politics. But things are apparently much worse in Nebraska!


While much of the country is hoping the new Pope is more open-minded than previous ones, southern Nebraskans think we need somebody more conservative and more traditional. People are quoted as saying that the church shouldn’t have to adapt to the times, but the times should adapt to the church. Similar to Massachusetts’ Governor Romney’s comments during the gay marriage debate, they believe that we should follow 2,000 years or recorded history…on everything.


One family moved from Washington state to Nebraska because their priest in Washington suggested that the congregation should welcome all people into the church – whether male or female, straight or gay, or black or white. So that family moved to Nebraska to join a more like-minded group of brain-washed people (I mean, a more like-minded congregation).


My favorite part of the article was this photograph* of Nebraska showing one of the churches. It looks more like an early Las Vegas strip motel (I love the flashy sign). HMMMM – apparently, this is what churches looked like 2,000 years ago.



Keep the faith, everybody!


 


*Picture obtained from the Boston Globe on-line, Staff Photo/Dina Rudick

8 Comments

  1. Comment by David on April 14, 2005 11:17 am

    Uggh……..
    Being Catholic is getting so tough.
    Well not the Jesus part but the hierarchy part just sucks. But I’m sure Jesus is just beaming his strongest signal from a place that looks like a converted supermarket.

    Married, Eisle 1
    Babies , Eisle 2
    Divorced, Discount section in the back…
    Homosekkkkuals? No ma’am we don’t carry none of those here, No sirre bob.

  2. Comment by chrispy on April 14, 2005 12:53 pm

    a fun little disco ditty:

    “Carlos and Carmen Vidal just had a child
    A lovely girl with a crooked smile
    Now they gotta split ’cause the Bronx ain’t fit
    For a kid to grow up in
    Let’s find a place they say, somewhere far away
    With no blacks, no Jews and no gays

    Chorus:
    There but for the grace of God go I”
    and so it goes…

  3. Comment by adamg on April 14, 2005 3:25 pm

    I wonder what kind of gift shop that church has?

  4. Comment by Alex on April 14, 2005 4:37 pm

    Thanks for the post, I don’t get religion, didn’t jesus tell everyone, that they should love each other.

  5. Comment by Will on April 14, 2005 5:06 pm

    Hi, Karl–greetings from Chicago. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went for “more conservative” this time. I heard a NPR report that the northern hemisphere isn’t where the future of the Catholic Church lies–it’s more in Africa and South America. I’d like t think that means they would pack up and just move out of the U.S. but that’s not going, obviously. But the southern hemisphere catholics are a good deal more conservative than the northern, liberal variety.

  6. Comment by amy e on April 15, 2005 1:14 pm

    thought this might interest you:

    The Independent Film Festival of Boston in showing a screening of Same Sex America.

    A documentary of recent history for those who live and work in Boston, SAME SEX AMERICA follows the fallout of the
    Massachusetts Supreme Court decision that allowed same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses. The reverberations of
    the events here at home have been felt nationwide, of course, but this film is a powerful reminder of the initial cultural
    battles that took place in and among us.

    The vantage point here is twofold. As we listen to traditional marriage advocates voice their concerns in protest, we follow
    several same-sex couples as they plan wedding ceremonies. Invitations are selected, dresses tried on, receptions
    organized. The couples range from young professionals and established middle-class members to senior couples
    brimming with long-delayed joy. Some are childless, while others are raising children from earlier marriages or adoption.
    All are thrilled about their chance to pioneer a social shift even in the face of considerable controversy.

    Stirring and intimate, SAME SEX AMERICA frames the social dispute by introducing us to its participants, putting flesh and
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    SAME SEX AMERICA
    Screening #1: 5:30pm – Friday April 22 Somerville
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  7. Comment by Karl on April 16, 2005 11:56 pm

    Thanks, Amy!

  8. Comment by Mishel on August 24, 2005 7:34 pm

    Your site is realy very interesting. http://www.bignews.com

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