Comments on: Cardinal and Bishop Support Christopher West https://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/ Breathe Freely Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:09:23 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Fr Angelo https://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/comment-page-1/#comment-29678 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:09:23 +0000 http://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/#comment-29678 RHouser,

I cannot speak for Mayra definitively. However, I think her point is that West makes excessive accommodations to the over-exposure of his audiences to matters of sexuality.

There is no question in my mind that a certain amount of frank discussion in necessary in certain contexts. What seems in my mind to be underestimated is the importance of the natural and wholesome shame that seeks to veil what is holy. This is certainly being lost, and to the extent it is, purity is being lost as well.

This is a constructive criticism not a condemnation. It is definitely not a misrepresentation.

]]> By: RHouser https://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/comment-page-1/#comment-29644 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:24:25 +0000 http://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/#comment-29644 The line “the school of Christopher West never endeavors to form persons how things should be” is absurd. I’ve been to West’s talks. There completely focused on raising people up to a new level of living their faith. And so, the misrepresentations of one of the church’s best defenders continues.

]]> By: mayra https://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/comment-page-1/#comment-29641 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:15:42 +0000 http://airmaria.com/2009/09/18/cardinal-and-bishop-support-christopher-west/#comment-29641 I have a copy of Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body in book form. The book is a compilation of his general audiences given each Wednesday. As the Pope delivers this message each Wednesday, he sees the pilgrims in front of him, average folk. I am an average person and find that the Pope, like any good speaker, showed he knew his audience when addressing the Church in the Wednesday General Audience and geared his teaching to whom he was addressing, that is, the average person. Basic Speech 101, know your audience. I do not find the work difficult at all. I do not accept the premise that Christopher West’s work is necessary to translate the Pope’s work because the Pope did not know his audience but Christopher West does.

Regarding the issues and controversies with Christopher West’s work: generally, some have a problem with his work due to vulgar vocabulary, expressions and attitutes. Others say that such expressions are ok because he has to address college students and common folk in this manner for them to relate to the teaching and in order to develop persons with a Christianized view of sex. However, that approach is not what I’m used to seeing coming from the Popes and therefore from the Catholic Church. When educating people and Christianizing a culture, the Church comes to elevate the culture to Christ’s teaching rather than to join everyone in the mire. When Pope John Paul II went to Africa the women did not present themselves in their customary attire, that is, naked from the waist up. By having them dress with modesty, the Church taught them modesty. Immodesty characterizes Christopher West’s approach, presumably because he is addressing immodest people and they cannot understand or relate to modesty as well. The Church, however, practices another approach:
://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_
“… the school is an institution where young people gradually learn to open themselves up to life as it is, and to create in themselves a definite attitude to life as it should be.” The school of Christopher West never endeavors to form persons in how things should be, he lets them remain in how things are. As a “school” of formation for people, West misses the mark altogether.

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