Gallop to Gomorrah How Most Catholic
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Gallop to Gomorrah: How Most Catholic Universities and Colleges Allow the Homosexual Movement to Subvert Moral Values A Special Report May 13, 2016 by Bentley G. Hatchett II and John Ritchie TFP Student Action www.TFPStudentAction.Org "Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it; and indeed to neglect to confound evil men, when we can do it, is no less a sin than to encourage them." – Pope St. Felix III Special Report For several years, Tradition Family Property Student Action has documented the existence of pro-homosexual clubs and activities at Catholic universities and colleges in America. The present report brings previous TFP research up-to-date and serves to inform and alert fellow Catholics —especially students and parents— about the profound moral crisis shaking Catholic higher education. Synopsis of Findings Since 2012 the number of Catholic universities and colleges with pro-homosexual clubs and programs has risen from 111 to 130, representing a 9% growth. According to the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are 218 Catholic universities and colleges in America (excluding seminaries and religious institutes). Research shows that 59% of those 218 institutions have active pro-homosexual advocacy clubs and activities, which often promote the ideas of the Sexual Revolution and its ever- expanding Culture of Death. In short, instead of defending moral values, many Catholic centers of higher learning are allowing —and in some cases fostering and financing— the sinful gallop towards Gomorrah. This trend is a spiritual danger to souls. Tradition Family Property Student Action www.tfpstudentaction.org 2 Special Report 2016 = 130 pro-homosexual clubs (No data was collected from 2013-2015) 2012 = 111 pro-homosexual clubs 2011 = 107 pro-homosexual clubs 2010 = 101 pro-homosexual clubs 2009 = 96 pro-homosexual clubs Certain religious orders tend to favor pro-homosexual clubs, programs or activities at their institutions: For example, twenty-seven of the twenty-eight Jesuit-run institutions in the United States allow them. Among other religious orders, ten pro-homosexual clubs were found at academic institutions run by the Franciscan orders; nine by the Dominicans, eight by the Sisters of Mercy; six by the Congregation of the Holy Cross; four by the Sisters of St. Joseph; three by the Christian Brothers; three by the Marianists; and three by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. It should be noted that the data collected in this report was obtained simply from the information these universities have made available on their public web sites. A detailed list of the 130 universities and colleges that recognize pro-homosexual clubs, together with the names of those clubs, are provided in this document, beginning on page eleven. Tradition Family Property Student Action www.tfpstudentaction.org 3 Special Report Why Pro-Homosexual Clubs Are a Problem Lavender Graduations, queer film festivals, lewd gender-bending drag shows, campaigns against natural marriage, "coming out" celebrations, Day of Silence events, academic degrees in LGBT studies, pro-homosexual scholarships, and transgender bathrooms are some of the activities these clubs promote. However, the Church teaches and has always taught unequivocally that homosexual behavior is intrinsically disordered.1 As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.2 Within Catholic institutions where virtue should reign, the homosexual movement is allowed to organize, recruit, and train new generations of activists set on subverting 2,000 years of Church teaching. At the same time, voices faithful to sound moral values are frequently hampered or silenced altogether, effectively opening a path for moral anarchy. How Pro-Homosexual Clubs Subvert Morality: Three Examples Example #1: John Carroll University On October 10, 2015, John Carroll University (Jesuit) used student funds to host a sinful drag show and even paid so-called "drag queens" —men who act like women who perform the “gender bending”— to promote “a sense of awareness and pride held by the LGBTQ community.” The only vocal opposition to this incident came from a single brave student, Devan Jacobson, who prayed while kneeling in the rain for three hours outside the building where the drag show took place. “There’s about four years of patient silence which is welling up within me, in which I have witnessed events taking place at John Carroll University which blatantly contravene infallibly defined Catholic teaching," Jacobson said. "But, I have remained prayerfully silent both in the hope that the University would come to its senses and return to its founding ideals, and 1 Catholic Answers, "Early Teachings on Homosexuality," Catholic Answers. Accessed May 13, 2016. http://www.catholic.com/tracts/early-teachings-on-homosexuality. 2 Pope John Paul II, "Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Sixth Commandment," Catechism of the Catholic Church. Accessed Feb. 29, 2016. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm. Tradition Family Property Student Action www.tfpstudentaction.org 4 Special Report also as a consequence of having been intimidated into silence and on the margins of campus life by an academic environment which seems to nurture and extol every other fashionable current of thought, except Catholic orthodoxy..." Although Jacobson's protest was peaceful and prayerful, some Jesuit priests who staff the university came out against him. According to The Carroll News, Fr. Jayme Stayer, S.J. accused Jacobson of being homophobic, naïve and uncharitable.3 The "welcoming" and "non-judgmental" attitudes in vogue only seem to favor sinful lifestyles, but do not extend to students like Jacobson who, faithful to their Baptismal vows, fight the forces of darkness and remain faithful to the Church. Example #2: The University of Notre Dame Officials at the University of Notre Dame, which has two pro-homosexual clubs on campus, hindered the formation of a student club that sought approval to promote a pro-marriage and pro-family message. One such group was Students for Child Oriented Policy (SCOP). The group, which defended the idea that traditional marriage is best for children, was denied club status from the university on the grounds that it was too similar to already sanctioned clubs. But one of the groups that the university identified as being “too similar” had been inactive since 2005. According to University of Notre Dame law professor Gerard Bradley, the actual reason pro- family students were denied club recognition was Notre Dame's “sheer hostility against what SCOP stands for.”4 Example #3: The University of San Diego Another cause of scandal is the University of San Diego, where annual drag shows explicitly “celebrate gender expression.” Ignoring over 36,000 petitions of protest from Catholic students, alumni, and parents, the university hosted a recent drag show on April 14, 2016. USD is notorious for its on-campus pro-homosexual activists who support off-campus pro- homosexual advocacy groups via a “LGBTIQQ Resource Center.” One drag show at USD featured a performer dressed as Disney character Maleficent (the 3 Higl, Alexandra, and Jackie Mitchell. "JCU Dragged into Controversy." The Carroll News. Oct. 10, 2013. Accessed Feb. 29, 2016. http://www.jcunews.com/2013/10/10/jcu-dragged-into-controversy/. 4 Brian Fraga. "Pro-Marriage Club Denied Official Status at Notre Dame." National Catholic Register. May 19, 2014. Accessed Feb. 29, 2016. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pro-marriage-club-denied-official-status- at-notre-dame/. Tradition Family Property Student Action www.tfpstudentaction.org 5 Special Report only one to invoke “all the powers of hell”)5 singing about how “good is evil” and “all evil is good.” In response to this drag show, several students lead a rosary rally in protest. “The problem with what the school is doing is that it's essentially saying this lifestyle is not only acceptable, but that it’s also morally OK," said Gerry Urbanek, a USD student. "I think that’s creating a conflict and I think a lot of Catholics on campus are feeling defensive about that." However, the university brushed off these concerns and let the show go on because they “support dignity and equality.”6 These three examples illustrate a deeper issue: On too many Catholic campuses, faithful Catholic students are increasingly not welcome to express what is true, holy and good. Their voices are muzzled and silenced in the very halls that extol the "marketplace of ideas" and the new secular dogma of "tolerance." The Larger Culture War When pastors and campus chaplains no longer preach clearly against the slavery of lust, the radical homosexual movement's biggest roadblock, Catholic truth, is neutralized or eliminated. Evil gains ground. According to the Pew Research Center, support for homosexual "marriage" in America among Catholic millennials is significantly higher than the national average and slightly higher than the average for their age group with 75% in favor of homosexual "marriage."7 What are the factors behind the shift? Perhaps the most significant factor is a public relaxation or permissiveness on the part of high ranking and influential members of the clergy. A notable example is U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s positive reaction to NFL player Michael Sam’s "coming out" announcement8 or his tacit approval of the participation of 5 "Quotes for Maleficent (Character)," IMDb. Accessed Feb. 29, 2016. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027757/quotes. 6 Matthew Miller, "Drag Show to Celebrate Sinful Lifestyle at Catholic University of San Diego - 26,400 Protest," TFP Student Action, Mar.