Archbishop Charles Chaput
Posted on 03/02/2005 8:56:55 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
Lunch crowd challenges Chaput
Catholic leader fields politics, sex and abortion questions after speech
By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News
March 2, 2005
Verbal fisticuffs broke out Tuesday between Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput and a luncheon audience that challenged him to defend the church's role in public life.
"Why do (religions) feel they have to impose their views on us?" asked one woman during a spirited question-and-answer session following Chaput's speech to the City Club of Denver.
"If we don't - you'll impose your views on us," Chaput shot back to murmurs from the group of about 120 business and civic leaders.
It was one of many heated exchanges following the archbishop's speech on "Church, State and Politics."
At the start he quipped he was tired of the subject, which echoed his ongoing message last year about the need for Catholic politicians and voters to follow church teaching in their public lives.
"For religious believers not to advance their convictions about public morality in public debate is not an example of tolerance - it's a lack of courage," Chaput said in his prepared remarks.
During the question period, Chaput tackled abortion, capital punishment, sex and contraception.
While the sparring was mostly good-natured - with applause for Chaput at the close - some moments were tense.
At one point, some in the audience gasped when Chaput said, "I didn't ever say Senator Kerry shouldn't receive communion." The charge that he, and other bishops, made that comment was a key point in election-year debates.
"People say that I said that," the archbishop quickly added. He said he never pointed to specific politicians, but had an obligation to explain Catholic teaching so believers could properly evaluate issues.
In another face-off, a man identifying himself as a Catholic graduate of Regis University questioned why "a bunch of celibate men are telling us what to do about sex."
Archbishop Charles Chaput
"That's the unfair kind of remark that happens in these discussions," Chaput retorted.
"Let's have an honest debate and not make fun of the values of the other side. We've become quite uncivilized."
One questioner observed that the Catholic Church doesn't appear to care about protecting women hurt by unwanted pregnancies.
His voice rising, Chaput replied, "That dear baby who gets aborted is who I'm protecting. Somebody doesn't just get hurt with abortion - they get killed."
"Who will take care of the unwanted children?" another asked.
"I'll take any child that's unwanted and find them a home and take care of the mother," he said. "You have my personal pledge on that."
When the issue of separation of church and state arose, Chaput derided a bill before the legislature that would require hospitals to give emergency contraception information to sexual assault victims.
"The state doesn't seem to worry too much about separation of church and state when it wants to force its point of view on Catholic hospitals," he said.
To applause, another questioner observed that if the church wants to be part of public life, "When is the church going to agree to pay taxes?"
"I run 50 Catholic schools that keep you from paying more taxes - is that worth it to you?" Chaput shot back.
It was the state, he said, that recognizes that tax exemptions allow faith groups to mount masive social service programs, which benefit all society.
Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
Ping.
Why not?
I hear this on occasion and don't quite get it. Specifically how is the church imposing their views on anyone? They are there to offer spiritual leadership and guidance - anyone is free to come and go. It's not a prison. No priest ever imposed anything on me.
This is such a red-herring of a complaint. People who voice these kinds of observations tend to be mental midgets, in my experience.
You are correct. There are a large number of (stupid) people in this country who think that merely failing to applaud everything they do or say constitutes "imposing your beliefs" on them.
I agree - a lot of people have no idea what they are saying a lot of the time. It's all just this verbal shorthand they picked up someplace and never gave it much thought.
In conversation I love to ask what are called 'process questions.' That is, questions that seek to evoke the person's process for coming to a conclusion. This leads to hilarious results and I am (really usually) greeted with a 'deer in the headlights' look.
So for example, when a coworker once said "I don't mind religion, but I just don't want it rammed down my throat!" Instead of arguing, I leaned in and nicely asked "That's interesting - how do you know when something is being rammed down your throat? I mean, as opposed to someone just sharing their point of view? How do you know when this is happening?"
Wide-eyed horror. They have nothing remotely resembling an answer for this.
Another question I have for the 'terminally offended' - people who enjoy being 'outraged' - is 'That's really interesting - how do you know when you are being offended? How is it different from your just disagreeing? What makes you offended at some things and not at others?"
That one is a doozie! I encourage you all to try it!
Ask him, why not?: shepherd@archden.org
"There are a large number of (stupid) people in this country who think that merely failing to applaud everything they do or say constitutes "imposing your beliefs" on them."
In my book that's worse than stupidity.
One tough guy! What a bishop! God Bless him!
Translation: "How dare you tell me I'm wrong !?!"
Way too many people are stuck at a mental age of 13-1/2.
Because he's not Kerry's bishop, and has no authority unless Kerry were to present himself for communion in his diocese. Accordingly that degree of specificity would have been out of place. Moreover, it would have been counter-productive, needlessly implying that Chaput's preoccupied with the status of a certain single person, rather than the princple.
I hadn't heard of this man before. He's wonderful!! I wish Raymond Boland, the Kansas City bishop would take a stand like this! At the rate my church is going we're going to look like the liturgical dancing church in L.A.!!
Nobody is imposing anything, Ms.
Christ (through the Church) is offering eternal salvation to you. But only for those who want it. The Church's job is simply to mark out the way with signposts.
If that sounds like an imposed burden to you or some sort of a raw deal or you feel the signposts point in the wrong direction, then you're free to take whichever road appeals to you.
there certainly are alot of very immature people out there, judging by some of the questions Archbishop Chaput had to answer. SOunds like he handled the challenges well. I like this guy and hope he plays a bigger role in the US Church in the future.
You may be giving her too much credit. It may be something closer to "How dare you tell me there's such a thing as 'right' or 'wrong', implying that 'how comfortable I feel about something right now' isn't the ultimate arbiter of morality?"
Good point. In that case, I'd revise the functional-maturity age down to 11.
Evidently people can graduate from Regis University without knowing what the ad hominem fallacy is.
But I would like to ask this individual whether he thinks Jesus Christ, a celibate man, is qualified to tell him what to do about sex. If he says no, he is not a Christian, never mind a Catholic. If he says yes, I'd like to ask him then whether he believes Archbishop Chaput is the Vicar of Christ, his anointed representive, in the Denver Archdiocese. If he says, "No", he's not a Catholic. If he says, "Yes", then ... did his question even have a point?
We have a whole country of so-called adults who do not know how to reason coherently where sexual morality is concerned, because coherent reasoning would convict them of sin. Not knowing how to reason coherently where sexual morality is concerned soon results in the loss of the ability to reason coherently in any other area of morality ... and perhaps in any area at all.
"Those whom the gods destroy, they first make mad." ... indeed.
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