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 Off the Record

the lack of suspense is killing us

By Diogenes (articles ) | August 10, 2006 10:02 AM

"The element of surprise may be missing," the Catholic Theological Society of America admits, from the announcement naming Sister Sandra Schneiders as the recipient of this year's John Courtney Murray award.

True, it's no surprise that the CTSA would honor a woman known for "feminist hermeneutics," who is "unflinching in her pursuit of truth and passionately committed to the reform of the Church and the pursuit of justice—especially justice for women-- in both Church and world. "

It may be just a little bit over the top to compare her with St. Catherine of Siena, but CTSA is very excited about someone who can bring solace to the troubled souls-- and there are many of them, no doubt, pensively stirring Manhattans at the cocktail parties during CTSA conventions-- who "have been tempted to dismiss the Bible as hopelessly patriarchal."

In case you were wondering, past recipients of the John Courtney Murray award include Charles Curran, Richard McBrien, Monika Hellwig, Gregory Baum, and Elizabeth Johnson. So when one more dissident takes the prize… Well, they're right. The element of suspense is missing.

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Show 13 Comments? (Hidden)Hide Comments
  • Posted by: Fatimabeliever - Aug. 13, 2006 2:34 PM ET USA

    Could it be that she among others will wish they were never born for corrupting humans with promoting their lies as truth?

  • Posted by: Italiana - Aug. 13, 2006 1:02 AM ET USA

    I liked Betty White. She was so viciously wicked behind her big dimples and fake innocent smile. But that was as Sue-Ann on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. There was no element of suspense there either, because one always knew what Sue-Ann was thinking, much like we always know what the Modernists are thinking. They smile and flash their dimples, but their vicious wickedness always lies just beneath the surface.

  • Posted by: Pseudodionysius - Aug. 12, 2006 12:05 AM ET USA

    The Golden Girls of Catholicism have picked their Betty White for 2006.

  • Posted by: - Aug. 11, 2006 4:23 PM ET USA

    Like the Oscars, these people give themselves awards to justify their idiocy. So and so MUST be correct, they have won 'important' awards... btw, Leo13 that is "gods" with a small "G." The One, True God has nothing to do with these people.

  • Posted by: - Aug. 11, 2006 10:41 AM ET USA

    The CTSA, like the Nobel prize folks and the Pulitzer price voters, love anti-Christian luminaries. (the devout or conservatives need not apply.)The more modern day Catholics seperate themeselves from Church tradition, the more they are embraced by the world, which is exactly what Jesus warned His desciples about. Sandra Schnieders (please don't call her Sister) is just one more whose agenda was pre-exposed by St. Pius X disclosure, "The less they are exposed, the more mischief they cause."

  • Posted by: - Aug. 11, 2006 10:30 AM ET USA

    "Hermeneutics" is named after the Greek god Hermes -- the messenger and interpreter of the Gods. Theologians of this ilk are the messengers and interpreters of the Left, who attempt to disguise their agendas and fuzzy thinking with lots of multisyllabic words of Greek origin.

  • Posted by: - Aug. 10, 2006 9:01 PM ET USA

    Hey coach.. hermeneutics = revisionism

  • Posted by: coach1 - Aug. 10, 2006 4:22 PM ET USA

    I'm going to Google "hermeneutics".

  • Posted by: - Aug. 10, 2006 3:50 PM ET USA

    Wow- Thank you CTSA - you continue to do me such a valuable service. It would take me many hours to discover who all the dissidents are but you gather them togeth for me in one convenient list. It is the same as if you notice someone has been a speaker at the Los Angeles Religious Ed Congress more than once, you know they can never be trusted. It is the perfect disendorsement.

  • Posted by: Ignacio177 - Aug. 10, 2006 1:46 PM ET USA

    I suspect that John Courtney Murray, although being a cutting edge progressive in his day, is turning over in his grave.

  • Posted by: Catholicity - Aug. 10, 2006 10:57 AM ET USA

    "Sister" Sandra Schneiders? Does she live and pray in common? Does she wear her habit? Does she keep the disciplines of poverty, chastity, and obedience? "Sisters" do that, or they aren't "sisters."

  • Posted by: - Aug. 10, 2006 10:34 AM ET USA

    Why do they call it the "Catholic" Theological Society of America?

  • Posted by: Gino - Aug. 10, 2006 10:28 AM ET USA

    A nun used to tell us;"You will be known by the company you keep". How right she was; the CTSA really keeps some disreputable company!

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