Why is it so acceptable to attack Catholics and Christians, yet all other faiths (and all races and ethnic groups) are off limits? Why is it acceptable to abuse and stereotype us, yet it is evil when we simply refuse to cave into peer pressure on the issues that are dear to us, and instead stand firm with the unpopular stance?
The opinion cartoon, published in the Collegian, on February 11 is a classic example. By insinuating that Catholic bishops are guilty of “hypocritical moralizing”, it informed the Catholic students of this campus that, so long as we agree with the bishops, in other words remaining faithful to our beliefs, we have and deserve no credibility.
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Now, I’m sure some will exclaim, “Oh, no, it was about the bishops, they’re the bad people.” That’s not how things work. Catholics aren’t helpless children ruled by bogeymen. We’re one Church. To attack our bishops (and the rest of the clergy, up to the Holy Father, for the matter) is to spit upon all of us.
If we look past the worn-out stereotypes and clichés used to rob Catholics of a voice and credibility so we can’t defend our beliefs, we will see that all people, of every faith, moralize in one manner or another. Additionally, if anyone bothered to understand our faith without bias, they would see that Catholicism has no hypocrisies in its beliefs.
Accusing us of “hypocritical moralizing”, therefore, is merely hurtful, hypocritical and ignorant. And it has to stop.
Cole Buckon is a junior environmental engineering major.