Catholic Culture Podcasts
Catholic Culture Podcasts

growing, growing, gone

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Jun 22, 2006

CR's David Hartline covered the Episcopal General Convention and interviewed (among others) Susan Russell, president of the gay-rights group Integrity, and New Hampshire's celebrated Bishop Gene Robinson. The following quotes, unfairly wrenched out of the larger context, deserve to be engraved over the entrance to the Mausoleum of Liberal Religion (tip to Amy):

Dave Hartline: Statistically the liberal or progressive wing of the Episcopal Church or the Catholic Church for that matter isn't growing. Why?

Rev. Susan Russell: It is growing. I am sure you have been told it is not but I can tell you it is. I am from Los Angeles and in West Hollywood and Pasadena our churches are doing very well.

She's got you there, Dave.

Dave Hartline: What are your views on abortion? The reason I ask is I have worked with people in the Catholic Church that I knew to be homosexual, and as liberal or progressive as some were, many seemed to be pro-life. They seemed to equate the unborn with their situation. I don't see that here. How do you feel?

Bishop Robinson: Well, I can certainly understand those you spoke of equating their situation with those in the womb. However, I believe in the Episcopal Church's teachings. I believe in viability. I don't counsel women to have an abortion past the first trimester. My advice has always been if you are going to get an abortion do it quick.

Nice move, Gene! The pastoral approach: "What you are about to do, do quickly." Rightly understood, it's a growth-filled experience.

Sound Off! CatholicCulture.org supporters weigh in.

All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!

  • Posted by: - Feb. 04, 2011 3:52 PM ET USA

    The trouble is one was a peaceful demonstration ie no one was bashed or hurt. The media has a weakness for sensationalism and a proclivity for stories which match their world views. So revolution is IN - saving babies is OUT!

  • Posted by: - Jan. 28, 2011 4:18 PM ET USA

    OR: If OTR fails to post for several days,...

  • Posted by: ltoscan2645 - Jan. 26, 2011 1:07 PM ET USA

    This is the fundametal difficulty of the pro-life cause. We are preaching to the choir. We have not made it to "prime-time" as it were. We keep geting ignored by the main stream media, and in my opinion this is what we really need to do in order to get the message of life out. What is the answer, I am struggling...pray that all apathetic Catholics/Christians wake up to this great moral struggle and support the message and cause..Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us.

  • Posted by: Gil125 - Jan. 25, 2011 3:30 PM ET USA

    To my great surprise, both the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News reported last week's March for Life West Coast, in San Francisco. Both of them ran large pictures of the crowd and wrote fair stories, mentioning that a smaller numbers of pro-aborters (they called thyem something else) also appeared. Both played the stories inside their local sections, but they were in the papers. Mirabile dictu.

  • Posted by: Paul - Ave Law '07 - Jan. 25, 2011 11:57 AM ET USA

    This Post story seemed to give more coverage than I recall in some past years. No reference at all is made to whatever miniscule number turned out for the pro-abortion side.