Wherein Fr. Z asks readers to offer the Fishwrap some constructive help
First, here is a link to something that I posted some time ago: HERE
Once again the National Schismatic Reporter (aka Fishwrap) is stumping in favor of the ordination of women to the priesthood. This is what the Fishwrap does: they dissent from the Church’s teaching on important, defined matters of faith (e.g., reservation of Holy Orders to males) and morals (e.g., sinfulness of homosexual acts). They want to change the Church in a fundamental way. They don’t want a mere change of tone. They want to remake the Church into something that it has never been and can never be and still be the Catholic Church founded by Christ.
This time, Fishwrap has a fulsome piece linking Dorothy Day and her work for the poor, plus her influence down to our day and, ergo, women’s ordination. Compelling, huh?
The fever-swamp which is their comment box over there is just getting revved up on this one. It is likely to get pretty nasty over there, quickly.
NSR/Fishwrap posts a lot of nonsense. They occasionally post something good (usually not written by any of their writers, but… hey!). When years ago the local bishop where their HQ is located told them not to use “Catholic” in their title, it was well deserved.
However, being an optimist, and recognizing that soon we will need all hands on deck, I hope either for 1) their conversion (preferred) or their 2) downfall (acceptable).
Therefore, we should 1) pray for them and 2) not let them off the hook.
If you have the stomach for it, and access to a cleansing bath or shower after, take a look at comments under the entries at Fishwrap (e.g., HERE). You will be horrified, I’m sure, by the dissent, the petty nastiness, the calumny, based mostly on cowardice. Most the nastiest post with anonymity. And all manner of personal attacks are fair game, including some of the most un-Christian lies and name calling I have ever seen.
I noticed on “rules” (hah) for their combox and interesting directive:
If you see something objectionable, please click the “Report abuse” button. Once a comment has been flagged, an NCR staff member will investigate.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if faithful Catholics took them at their word and started flagging “objectionable” comments?
Let’s take them at their word.
Faithful Catholics object to lies, defamation, and lack of charity, dissent from the Church’s teachings on faith and morals, etc. If we see objectionable things in their combox, we should use that option to report it for their investigation.
There is a way to “flag” comments. You go to the top right corner of a comment and click the arrow and a small menu drops down.
I am at times accused by Fishwrappers of sending people over there to disrupt things. I don’t recall even having done that. However, right now I am willing to ask readers here to go over there and offer the sort of constructive help they claim they are open to receiving.
Perhaps if enough people flag enough “objectionable” comments, they will finally monitor their comments with an eye to fairness, charity, decorum and fidelity to the Catholic faith.
I can see some of you rolling your eyes and chuckling.
If they say that they will “investigate”, let’s help them out and give them those areas of concern that merit investigation. Perhaps if they knew how bad things were over there, they would take steps to make corrections.
Let’s help them out.
Meanwhile, I ask those to comment on this blog to think before posting and not to imitate the Fishwrap.
The moderation queue is ON.
