Let’s face it. We all judge in one way or another. Well, most of us do. In our day-to-day lives we experience a variety of sensory stimuli from our natural surroundings, from our family pets, from people we deal with as we run errands, and from friends and family. During those experiences we sometimes make judgements. The clerk at the check out counter at a retail establishment may not smile and some of us may make the judgement that she is unfriendly. Our kids may start arguing and throw a few mean words at each other. We may make the judgement that they are jealous of one another or just plain sick of each other. The family pet may sleep an unusual amount of time one day and we make a judgement this behavior may be caused by potential illness. But those “judgements” do not translate to the depth of a person’s being. Those judgements may seemingly be unkind, sure. But they do not cut to the core of who a person IS.

A black person is black. The black person was born that way and nothing we do or say will change that. It is the genetic make up of that person, born from a black mother or father or one or the other. Who are we to judge this person based on the color of his/her skin? Now, if this person of black skin color behaves one way or another and it effects us, that is where the possibility of judgement comes in. Do not judge this person by the color of skin but by the actions of this person.

If a man is gay he is gay. It is his genetic make up. He did not chose to be gay. With such ignorant, judgemental people in the world, who would make a choice to be treated as less than equal? No one, I am sure. Now if this gay man behaves in one way or the other, that is when the possibility of judgement comes in. We must not judge a person by his/her sexual preference but by the actions of this person.

There are many analogies we can use to support when or when not to judge. And, not all judgements are bad. We may judge the clerk at the store because she smiles every time she waits on us. We make a judgement that she is kind, or happy, or respectful. But what if she was a lesbian? Who would then have a different view of that very person and change the view based on this bit of information?

Exodus 21:7
“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.”
If one is interested in selling their youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7, can they? What would a good price for her be? What if she’s wicked smaht?

Exodus 35:2
“On six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be sacred to you as the sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put to death.”
Many folks insist on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says they should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill them myself or is it okay to call the police?

Leviticus 11:7
“and the pig, which does indeed have hoofs and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud and is therefore unclean for you”.
Their flesh you shall not eat, and their dead bodies you shall not touch; they are unclean for you.”
Here’s one that’s really important cause we’ve got a lot of sports fans in Boston. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7 If they promise to wear gloves can the PATS still play football? Can the GIANTS? MIAMI?

Additionally, does the whole town really have to be together to stone a farmer, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads?

“Assured by a professional web developer that what happened to Saint Benedict Center’s web site on Friday “doesn’t just happen,” the logical conclusion is that we were the victims of a hacker or group of hackers. The site is back up, and much of the damage is repaired, but some elements of the site are still down, including our sub-sites (ihm.catholicism.org, ora.catholicism.org, and sai.catholicism.org), and some ads. These will, God willing, be restored shortly.

One week before the attack, I received a threat — a quite personal one — from an activist whose identity and affiliation I will not now publicly reveal, though both are known to me.

It could be that the attack on the site was coincidental, or it could be that we were the victims of anti-Catholic “hacktivism.”

I wonder whom Louie considers to be a “website professional”? I am sure he considers himself one as surfing the net and clicking a mouse seems to be the only thing he does throughout the day.

But there do appear to be rabid radicals among those of all religious pursuations and no religious pursuations…those who try to justify and “baptize” their own angry feelings of intolerance and hatred by laying them at God’s feet. Poor God!!

I don’t believe there’s anything in the New Testament where Jesus even mentions homosexuality. The only place where sex is even referred to is when the people brought to Jesus the woman taken in adultry, and wanted to trap Jesus into justifying their stoning her to death. (By the way…ever notice that no man was brought with the woman???…kind of hard to commit adultry alone isn’t it??)
Anyway, Jesus just said that the one among them who was without sin should cast the first stone. …and they all left without even tossing a pebble!

I am a Catholic and have been for many years. Our Church is not perfect; it is made up of human beings, and none of us is perfect. But I assure you that I do not recognize as “Catholic” any of these teachings or behaviors of this St. Benedict Center.

Jason & Earlon, I admire your tenacity in beng faithful to your Faith, your God, and to one another. Our Faith teaches us that the Greatest and First Commandment is to love one another. Hold on to this!

HAW HAW HAW!

I think Don might have been joking.