The Roman Catholic synod on family life opens in the Vatican today and even as this is announced, it is being described as “contentious” and “divided.”
Before it has even opened! Amazing.
But, the pope has asked participants (some 270 clerics from all over the worlds) to remember that this is not a time for personal opinions. Oh no, it is a time and opportunity to listen to and then speak for …. wait for it .… you got it …. God.
Disputatious is the last thing God would be. Right?
Why can’t we all just get along. Where was that said? Leviticus somewhere?
But, lest you think this is nutty, check this out.
Remember Warren Jeffs? He was and still is the leader of the FLDS, a fundamentalist sect of Mormonism believing in polygamy and marriage for underage girls to adult men. Or rather, to a select few adult men, himself most often. Jeffs is serving time for child molestation.
He has now instructed his followers that only certain men [yes …. selected by him and he has designated “seed bearers”] are to be allowed to have sex with any woman and that as they do do the woman’s husband is to sit and hold her hand. This is called “ritualistic procreation.”
This is utterly bizzaro stuff, of course, but it is not the nuttiest aspect of the story. Read this:
Although day-to-day leadership of the church is run mostly by Jeff’s brother, Lyle Jeffs, Warren Jeffs actively directs church matters from prison
From prison? That is a state institution, right? Bound to uphold the law, right? To incarcerate, isolate, possibly even punish, convicted criminals, right?
And this nut-job is still allowed to run his church, direct and instruct the continuation of sexual behaviors, from behind bars?
Nuttiness all around.
PS
I was wondering if someone would remind me of St. Paul’s “Prison Epistles” or Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison. Those documents, of course, must be judged on the merit of their content. Ah. Content. There ya’ go.
clamjamfrey 