www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall New Book Slams EWTN

Daniel, thanks for your input on EWTN. I can appreciate your views on so many blindly suppporting military ventures and economic policies that are not in keeping with Catholic social teaching, I guess we just have to accept there is no one political party that is going to represent all of Catholic teaching and it would be nice if the only real Catholic network on the air did not spend so much time promoting the Bush political agenda but I have to say all in all they are doing a good job and nothing is perfect. When you compare them to most of the other junk on TV I think they are pretty good. You might not be missing so much not owning a TV. More Eastern Catholic programming would be good but at least they try to have some.
You say you have been to Luther many years ago, I have lived here for almost 20 years now and haven`t seen much change.

I must obtain and read a copy of Ferrara's book on EWTN - though I certainly don't regard EWTN as a hotbed of modernism!

Incognitus

You just described my perfect candidate! :p

"Social Gospel" usually is used to refer to liberal Protestant social action, generally 19th and early 20th century. By no means all bad, it did degenerate into a tendency, common among liberals, to substitute social reform for the Gospel itself...

-Daniel

Dear Zenovia.

You say: Maybe EWTN's, and every other pious religious leader's support for the Republican party was due to the damage that our 'Democratically' appointed 'liberal' judges inflicted on our society.

Abortion is only one case in point. Another would be the tendency of some judges towards homosexual marriages, imposing light sentences on criminal behavior, and the license of pornography which we have exported throughout the world.

A perfect example of what I'm saying lest you forget, was the venomous nastiness inflicted on Judge Alito by the liberal Democrats when he was appointed to the Supreme Court by Pres. Bush. I don't think any Republican would act in that fashion.

I say: I know some pious religious leaders who are Democrats. Many of the judges you decry were appointed by Republicans; such as those who refused to interfere in the Terri Schiavo case. Without getting into a tedious political squabble, let me just say that conservative judges practice judicial activism when it suits their agenda. As far as Republicans not acting as venemously as Democrats---give me a break! Scooter Libby outing CIA operative for political vendetta? Tom DeLay? Jailbird Duke Cunningham makes Democrat lawbreakers seem like pale imitations. I better stop. I can go on and on about deficit spending, our trade deficit, our unrestrained military spending now including more money for Iran operations, cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, security of our seaports, etc. etc. Let's not create idols of political leaders and parties but let's apply our inheritance as Catholic/Orthodox Christians to our secular lives.
Vito

Hello,

I don't give a rat's butt to what anybody says about EWTN supporting Republicans...it's just not so true.

I've seen several Democrat Congressmen and other Democrats interiewed on EWTN in the past...

Republicans...Democrats...who gives a hoot about it.

The bottom line is...is EWTN pro-Life...pro-morals OR NOT? EWTN has NOTHING to do with either one of the AMERICAN Political Parties...it has to do with the CHURCH's teachings.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

SPD opines: "EWTN has NOTHING to do with either one of the AMERICAN Political Parties...it has to do with the CHURCH's teachings."

Yeah, right.

Incognitus

Dear Friends,

Why can't I be an EC respondent on EWTN?

I'm Eastern Catholic with a tinge of being Latinized - EWTN should like me!

And I would always refer tough questions to the Administrator, Incognitus, djs - while reserving the right to call in Alice to bring some Christian charity to bear on it all when the need arises.

Alex

Dear Alex,

I think that you would make an absolutely excellent co-moderator of the Eastern churches for EWTN's website. I totally bow in respect to you for the wonderful articles I have read on the Ukrainian website you write (wrote?) for.

Re: EWTN; You and Anthony Dragani could share the duties...when one is too busy, the other one could take over and then inquirers would not get perturbed at the length of time they often have to wait to get an answer.

I am quite serious about this. Why don't you propose it to him, so that he can put forth the request to the decision makers.

With love in Christ,
Alice

Hello,

Of course...I posted a thread somewhere...about EWTN Q & A Forum...heh...and somehow it's also discussed here...heh.

But anyway...

I also think that Fr. Thomas Loya would be excellent co-moderator! He's got the passion, zeal and few extra minutes to get involved.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Dear Vito,

Not to be personal, but it seems you have been watching too much CNN and reading too much of the New York Times. Turn to FOX NEWS once in a while to get a more balanced view.

Zenovia

I never watch CNN, I think Fox does about the best job of all of them as far as balance goes.

Dear Zenovia,

I get my news from a variety of sources--including electronic and print media. I make an effort to understand various sides of issues and then form an opinion. Not to be personal--I hope you do too.

Vito

I read the New York Times (yes, you can get it in Chattanooga) as I like a literate newspaper, and not the sixth grade level pablum I find here. however, I do not fall prostrate to the editorial page whenever the orchestra plays (from the Book of Daniel, where the idol set up by Nebed whatever his face is). think it's important to have an interest in all viewpoints, something I have prided myself in doing since I was twelve. however, most people take the convenient way out. they read (or watch) what ever is there. they either agree with it, or else, hold forth their disagreement as a knee jerk reaction.
let's not accuse people of reading too much of this and too little of that. what's important is that people have an open mind,read, watch, and listen, and then think independently, and then stand by their ideas.
Much Love,
Jonn

Dear Alice,

I was joking . . .

And I am still active with "Ukrainian Orthodoxy" but tend to write responses to individual questions that are e-mailed in.

Some months ago, I was attacked by an Orthodox priest (a relative of mine by marriage, would you believe, and a former Greek-Catholic priest who became Orthodox - sorry, "more Orthodox than the Orthodox" ).

He basically told me that I must either become Orthodox or else leave that site.

Failing that, the name of the site would then have to be changed to take out the word "Orthodoxy."

The attack was so vicious and personal that it shocked me into dormancy, even though I continue to write responses to articles I've written there - and even though my articles have provoked, as I've been told, a number of Protestants into considering Orthodoxy (several Lutheran pastors, for example, who are now Orthodox/Eastern Catholic).

Whenever I feel inspired to write something for that site now, I get scared and put it off until the idea is forgotten. I guess it's psychological or whatever. I've tried to resign from there completely, but they keep directing the questions to me and so I continue in my diminished role.

Even though I have NEVER lied about my being Ukrainian Catholic and have had my "Catholic akathists" including my akathist to Pope John Paul II on that site, I understand I have been attacked on some other sites for "pretending to be Orthodox" on that site. Even when I wrote about the Immaculate Conception at the invitation of an administrator of another forum, I was attacked as having "tendentious views" due to my Catholic pespectives etc.

I guess it's all par for the course. And it is interesting that the negativity comes from converts.

This is just to put some perspective on why I view some converts the way I do . . .

I've no problems with "cradles" - I find they're nice and calm - which probably comes from the gentle spiritual rocking they've experienced all their lives . . .

Alex