Who knew that a fairly standard, comparitively innocuous post about Anne Rice's latest foray into empty criticism of the Church would result in the busiest day in Insight Scoop history? The fur has been flying, along with insults, names, general mayhem, and specific stupidities. And then along came an e-mail with the following message of peace, joy, and freeze-dried Kumbaya hugs:
I am sorry, but I cannot support an organization that spits in the face of Christ by hosting the hatefest that is the Ignatius Press blog. Whatever you people claim to be, it is not anything remotely Christian. What goes on at that blog is of Satan. Let me know when you put Christ first and the approval of the commenters on a blog second.
Well, it's not often that this blog is mistaken for the National "Catholic" Reporter website. I assumed the e-mail was referring to the Anne Rice post, but it now occurs to me that it could well be referencing one of my posts praising progressive rock music from Scandinavia. After all, rock music is of The Devil, as every good Christian knows. Be that as it may, this blog will continue to be called "Insight Scoop", as the name, "The Blog of Bill Z. Bubb", while clever and catchy, is probably already owned and trademarked. By a Scandinavian progressive rock band.
Wild...you put up a post about Anne Rice and hilarity ensues!
Posted by: Mulder | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 07:41 PM
I'm terribly conflicted. On the one hand, I feel disappointed that I didn't participate in the busiest day of comment posting in Ignatius Scoop's history. On the other hand, looking at the discussion itself, I'm grateful that I avoided the stress of attempting to respond to some of the most truly ridiculous comments I've ever read on any message board, ever. I mean, geez. I wouldn't know where to begin. And I'm not talking about you, Carl! :D
Posted by: David K. Monroe | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 07:53 PM
"...the hatefest that is the Ignatius Press blog"
I have party hats. Who's brining snacks?
Posted by: Ed Peters | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 08:09 PM
Carl,
I vote the Anne Rice post to be on the " All time bests" of the blog....man, "who let the dogs out" woof!
Posted by: mel | Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 09:23 PM
I'm confused ... are you owned by Sloshy, or Taranchula?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ha1vaG1EA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5aEJbUj9OA
Posted by: Howard | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 04:52 AM
Carl, I admire you for having the patience and intelligence to be able to read through all of those comments and to be able to make sense of them. I read some of them and went, Huh? And you gave very good answers. My goodness, people certainly tend to go off the rails and completely misunderstand original points given. Thank you for defending the faith. And I hope that Anne Rice can find some peace. Letting go and letting Christ was terribly difficult for me but ultimately most joyful.
Posted by: Julie | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 05:10 AM
Where is this post on Scandinavian prog rock of which you speak?
Looking at the Anne Rice thread, I think it's amusing that the comments actually might have a chance of going longer than the book bar on the left side of the web page. maybe I should say something stupid just to get more comments to see if that will happen.
Posted by: Gregory Williams | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 06:13 AM
D'oh- I just noticed the link at the bottom of the comments that said "Previous" as in "Previous comments". Well, I won't be adding any more stupid comments today, at least not intentionally.
Posted by: Gregory Williams | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 06:17 AM
@ David K.
I think that discussion was virtually useless.
Many pseudo-catholics today want a PC Jesus, one that was put in an hippy 'pussyfing machine'.
They want a Catholic Church that is like many protestant Churches today: no authority & no rules.
Jesus, however was not PC and he was certainly not a 'weak hippy' and he did not confuse 'tolerance' with 'justice' as many people do today.
Indeed as John 1:10 says "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him."
This is still very true today!
Also we must remember John 15:19: "As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Indeed Anne Rice and all the 'nice' commentators PROVE that the Catholic Church is right, their hate is the one that Jesus describes in my opinion.
Posted by: Ismael | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 07:20 AM
Hi Carl,
I liked your post on Anne Rice. If for any reason you find the negative comments getting you down, you can take comfort that you are not alone. Fr. Longenecker got the same treatment on his blog recently:
Nice Anne Rice?
Nice Anne Rice 2?
Posted by: Paul H | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 08:17 AM
Some of those people are just plain nuts!
Posted by: Gail F | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 09:32 AM
If you feed they trolls they will grow.
Posted by: Beefalo | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 09:32 AM
Sheesh. The almost immediate and persistent outpouring of vitriol on Fr. Longenecker is breathtaking.
Posted by: David K. Monroe | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 09:40 AM
I am a non-denominational Protestant convert to the Catholic Church of three years this Easter. One of the primary reasons I was drawn to the Church (capital C), was the magnificent roar of opinions that now exists within the Protestant churches (little c). Everyone is convinced that they have locked in the one true dogma revealed by Holy Scripture. But they are really only opinions, not dogma. As with most opinions, they are as variable as humanity itself, leading to numerous and serious incompatible conflicts. Since dogma determines the structure of salvation, this weakness became very troubling to me. Anne Rice's situation is classic in this regard, as is her sanctimony and certainty in setting herself up in judgement against the unbroken apostolic chain, leading to Christ, which is the Catholic Church.
To me, Anne Rice is just another "Protestant" who is manufacturing her own personal religion to suit her sinful lifestyle and personal tastes, interpreting scripture in such a way to make all the pieces fit. We live in a democratic era, the fruit of the Protestant religion.
I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found the Church that has figured all this out, vivified by the Holy Spirit, through literally countless Saints, monks, nuns, theologians, laity of every kind developing our faith in an unbroken continuous stream for two thousand years. We are (as they say) midgets on the shoulders of giants, gazing through the clouds into heaven itself.
What does Christ think about homosexuality? Read the catechism. Same thing for anger, hate or any other number of sins. It's not open for debate. Ms. Rice did the proper thing and separated herself from the church. I don't pray specifically for her, but I do hope she is brought to her knees back into the One True Faith. Those I worry about are the subversives on the inside sapping underneath the wall with false doctrine and heresy masquerading as Catholic truth. I DO pray for the Bishops of our Church who have to deal with THIS problem.
The Church has been challenged before and it will be again. The battle is the Lord's. All we can do is speak and act truly, in mercy and charity towards our brothers and sisters in this life, reserving our hatred for our true enemy, Satan and his hordes. And above all, pray for our Bishops, our Priests .... and our Papa Benedict!
Brian
Posted by: Brian Offer | Wednesday, February 09, 2011 at 12:10 PM