'If gays don't like it, they can choose another pasta': Barilla pasta faces global boycott after chairman says brand would never feature a homosexual

[SaintAugustine]

Jesse,I agree with much of what you said as it applies to reaching out to those who feel unworthy or unwelcome for fear of being judged,even if they are suffering this judgement in silence.

In defense of our Church,there are outreach programs and healing retreats to facilitate the return of such individuals.If not for a healing retreat I attended ten years ago,I might very well still be one of those feeling unworthy. I believe this is our Holy Father’s

message,to meet people where they are with liove and compassion.Hopefully this will bring them back home.
Regarding legislation prohibiting SSmartiage,this is our responsibility as Catholic/Christians to stand up for and defend our faith.These are God’s rule’s not ours.To say there is general dislike or unloving feelings towards gays in the Christian community,is presumptuous of you.Not condoning the behavior isn’t the same as not loving the person.

Right. The problem I personally have is with people like Jessie5000 who make the assumption that people who oppose gay “marriage” and advertising that normalizes active homosexual relationships are not being “loving” toward homosexual persons. Loving and reaching out to people with Same Sex Attraction does not require agreeing with them on every issue or supporting efforts to sanction their relationships.

Do they feel hurt by Church teaching on active homosexuality? I suppose so.

Do people who use contraception feel hurt by Church teaching? Sure.

Do women choosing to abort their child feel hurt by Church teaching? No doubt.

Are people who use pornography and masturbate bothered by Church teaching? Yep.

Shall we go on? I mean where does the “meeting people where they are” end, exactly? Are we expected to say “don’t worry about all that teaching on what is sin, what isn’t a sin. It really doesn’t matter because Jesus loves you just as you are, so you don’t have to change a thing…”

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

Right. The problem I personally have is with people like Jessie5000 who make the assumption that people who oppose gay “marriage” and advertising that normalizes active homosexual relationships are not being “loving” toward homosexual persons. Loving and reaching out to people with Same Sex Attraction does not require agreeing with them on every issue or supporting efforts to sanction their relationships.

I think you’re misinterpreting the position. The issue isn’t so much the opinion of Barilla or what the Church teaches; it is how those opinions are expressed. They are often expressed in a hostile if not down right insulting manor. If the Barilla executive had simply stated that he would not feature a same-sex couple in the company’s advertising then it barely would have made a blip on the media radar and this boycott would not be happening. Instead, he chose to be hostile about it and tell the world that if they don’t like it they can buy someone else’s product. Neither Barilla or the Church have to agree with us, but that doesn’t mean either should be jerks about it.

 

[99th_Monkey]

Just added it to my amazon.com subscribe and save. I’ll be buying this regularly now.

You buy pasta at amazon? Why?

 

[SMGS127]

Right. The problem I personally have is with people like Jessie5000 who make the assumption that people who oppose gay “marriage” and advertising that normalizes active homosexual relationships are not being “loving” toward homosexual persons. Loving and reaching out to people with Same Sex Attraction does not require agreeing with them on every issue or supporting efforts to sanction their relationships.

Do they feel hurt by Church teaching on active homosexuality? I suppose so.

Do people who use contraception feel hurt by Church teaching? Sure.

Do women choosing to abort their child feel hurt by Church teaching? No doubt.

Are people who use pornography and masturbate bothered by Church teaching? Yep.

Shall we go on? I mean where does the “meeting people where they are” end, exactly? Are we expected to say “don’t worry about all that teaching on what is sin, what isn’t a sin. It really doesn’t matter because Jesus loves you just as you are, so you don’t have to change a thing…”

I can’t speak for Jessie, but I do know for a fact that when Catholics use overly harsh language like “disgusting” or “perverted” unnecessarily, it does a huge disservice to our evangelical movement into the gay community. And I have definitely seen those adjectives and adjectives similar to them used on this forum many a time. We can call out homosexuality for the sin it is without making gay people feel like we feel sickened by them as human beings. Why do you think gay people always think the religious are intolerant or talking out of personal bigotry/disgust instead of out of religious conviction? It certainly isn’t because the religious are going up to them and politely saying “I believe you are living in sin, but I love you all the same.”

 

[EmperorNapoleon]

I can’t speak for Jesse, but I do know for a fact that when Catholics use overly harsh language like “disgusting” or “perverted” unnecessarily, it does a huge disservice to our evangelical movement into the gay community. And I have definitely seen those adjectives and adjectives similar to them used on this forum many a time. We can call out homosexuality for the sin it is without making gay people feel like we feel sickened by them as human beings. Why do you think gay people always think the religious are intolerant or talking about of personal bigotry/disgust instead of out of religious conviction? It certainly isn’t because the religious are going up to them and politely saying “I believe you are living in sin, but I love you all the same.”

 

[Jeanne_S]

Great! Do you see me insulting you for doing so? /

Don’t believe I ever implied you insulted me

 

[SMGS127]

Don’t believe I ever implied you insulted me

My point was that I think it’s equally okay for any group to boycott a company when their CEO takes time out of his day to make them feel unwelcome. In that, I mean that I don’t like the concepts of boycotts in general, but if one group is going to do them, I don’t think they have the luxury to criticize boycotts of like-minded businesses by opposing minds.

 

[Jeanne_S]

My point was that I think it’s equally okay for any group to boycott a company when their CEO takes time out of his day to make them feel unwelcome. In that, I mean that I don’t like the concepts of boycotts in general, but if one group is going to do them, I don’t think they have the luxury to criticize boycotts of like-minded businesses by opposing minds.

Agree.This was my point as well.

 

[SaintAugustine]

I can’t speak for Jessie, but I do know for a fact that when Catholics use overly harsh language like “disgusting” or “perverted” unnecessarily, it does a huge disservice to our evangelical movement into the gay community. And I have definitely seen those adjectives and adjectives similar to them used on this forum many a time. We can call out homosexuality for the sin it is without making gay people feel like we feel sickened by them as human beings. Why do you think gay people always think the religious are intolerant or talking out of personal bigotry/disgust instead of out of religious conviction? It certainly isn’t because the religious are going up to them and politely saying “I believe you are living in sin, but I love you all the same.”

I agree with that approach, and I would like to see it from other side, as well. The national discourse has become very nasty, and both sides of every argument point at the other accusing them of being the nasty ones.

And, again, people who don’t use inflammatory language get lumped in together as being “unloving” because they call a sin a sin. That is just as uncharitable IMNSHO.

 

[SaintAugustine]

I think you’re misinterpreting the position. The issue isn’t so much the opinion of Barilla or what the Church teaches; it is how those opinions are expressed. They are often expressed in a hostile if not down right insulting manor. If the Barilla executive had simply stated that he would not feature a same-sex couple in the company’s advertising then it barely would have made a blip on the media radar and this boycott would not be happening. Instead, he chose to be hostile about it and tell the world that if they don’t like it they can buy someone else’s product. Neither Barilla or the Church have to agree with us, but that doesn’t mean either should be jerks about it.

Yep. And those who spew hateful things toward us also don’t need to be jerks about it. The nasty things said about our Popes, who always speak in gentle terms is the best example. I may not always be perfect in my discourse, but our Popes are called very nasty things while they consistently speak truth in loving terms.

 

[ishii]

I can’t speak for Jessie, but I do know for a fact that when Catholics use overly harsh language like “disgusting” or “perverted” unnecessarily, it does a huge disservice to our evangelical movement into the gay community. And I have definitely seen those adjectives and adjectives similar to them used on this forum many a time. We can call out homosexuality for the sin it is without making gay people feel like we feel sickened by them as human beings. Why do you think gay people always think the religious are intolerant or talking out of personal bigotry/disgust instead of out of religious conviction? It certainly isn’t because the religious are going up to them and politely saying “I believe you are living in sin, but I love you all the same.”

I think its the opposite. Today, due to the power of the gay lobby, to even question gay marriage is to be called a judgemental homophobe. Our pop culture regularly drums into us that gay is great and just another lifestyle choice. I heard that a kids Disney show is going to have a same sex couple. The social engineering of our youth via Hollywood/pop culture continues.

Furthermore, its possible that the harsh language and attitudes of some toward gays is due to frustration at the power of the gay/secular left lobby.

Ishii

 

[Beautiful]

Barilla pasta is soooo delicous:thumbsup:
…hungry just thinking about it with some steamy marinara and cheese.

 

[ishii]

Yep. And those who spew hateful things toward us also don’t need to be jerks about it. The nasty things said about our Popes, who always speak in gentle terms is the best example. I may not always be perfect in my discourse, but our Popes are called very nasty things while they consistently speak truth in loving terms.

The most nasty, vitriolic, and vile language I’ve ever heard came from attacks on the Catholic Church. And I’ve heard it a few times. I wouldn’t wish that on any Catholic.

Ishii

 

[SaintAugustine]

The most nasty, vitriolic, and vile language I’ve ever heard came from attacks on the Catholic Church. And I’ve heard it a few times. I wouldn’t wish that on any Catholic.

Ishii

Yep. And, I think to claim that it is in response to the tone from the Church is completely off-base. I challenge people to find inflammatory language from the Pope or the USCCB regarding homosexuals.

 

[SMGS127]

I think its the opposite. Today, due to the power of the gay lobby, to even question gay marriage is to be called a judgemental homophobe. Our pop culture regularly drums into us that gay is great and just another lifestyle choice. I heard that a kids Disney show is going to have a same sex couple. The social engineering of our youth via Hollywood/pop culture continues.

Furthermore, its possible that the harsh language and attitudes of some toward gays is due to frustration at the power of the gay/secular left lobby.

Ishii

That’s why I’m frequently able to walk into a gay community that knows my position on gay “marriage” with very few cold stares and no foul language directed my way.

In reality, the “gay lobby,” as you call it, represents an extraordinarily small amount of gay people, and it should not be extrapolated to the community as a whole.

The most nasty, vitriolic, and vile language I’ve ever heard came from attacks on the Catholic Church. And I’ve heard it a few times. I wouldn’t wish that on any Catholic.

Ishii

Yep. And those who spew hateful things toward us also don’t need to be jerks about it. The nasty things said about our Popes, who always speak in gentle terms is the best example. I may not always be perfect in my discourse, but our Popes are called very nasty things while they consistently speak truth in loving terms.

I’ve heard 10x nastier things from Protestants about the Catholic Church than I’ve ever heard in the gay community. Heck, I’ve heard much worse things from straight radical feminists. I don’t know why LGBT communities get such a rap for being anti-religious. That doesn’t represent my (quite large) personal experience with them at all, both from my own conversion and in context with other highly religious friends. I do agree that Catholics are attacked constantly and quite horrendously. I just disagree that it’s from mainstream LGBT people.

 

[SaintAugustine]

I’ve heard 10x nastier things from Protestants about the Catholic Church than I’ve ever heard in the gay community. Heck, I’ve heard much worse things from straight radical feminists.** I don’t know why LGBT communities get such a rap for being anti-religious. **That doesn’t represent my (quite large) personal experience with them at all, both from my own conversion and in context with other highly religious friends.

It represents my (quite large) personal experience from conversations with homosexuals, including relatives. I’m glad you have had a different experience, but it doesn’t discount my experience. And, the fact that some Protestants and radical feminists (even some Catholics, btw) have said nasty things about the Church also doesn’t justify the nastiness from the gay activists.

 

[SaintAugustine]

In reality, the “gay lobby,” as you call it,** represents an extraordinarily small amount of gay people, and it should not be extrapolated to the community as a whole.**

BTW…this was the exact point I was making about the uncharitable assumptions Jessie5000 was making about people showing hatred instead of love.

 

[SMGS127]

It represents my (quite large) personal experience from conversations with homosexuals, including relatives. I’m glad you have had a different experience, but it doesn’t discount my experience. And, the fact that some Protestants and radical feminists (even some Catholics, btw) have said nasty things about the Church also doesn’t justify the nastiness from the gay activists.

I wasn’t saying it justified it at all; you took the wrong point from my post. My point was that I hear much worse things from Protestants much more often, yet Protestants are treated as essentially family. On the other hand, I’ve met almost no gay people who, unless directly pushed, see a need to be rude to anyone else, regardless of their beliefs on gay “marriage,” and yet gay people are viewed as “others” who somehow denigrate religion. This dichotomy is ridiculous.

Now, if you go into a gay event, and start yelling at them that they’re going to hell (which isn’t even a Catholic position), you’ll probably provoke a whole lot of reactions. But that’s not the same.

BTW…this was the exact point I was making about the uncharitable assumptions Jessie5000 was making about people showing hatred instead of love.

I agree, but I usually apply it more to the “Catholics” people cite who support X, Y, or Z not being representative of the Church.

 

[Yerusalyim]

I had me some barilla spaghetti tonight…leftovers from last night (hey, when you are temporarily a single parent you do things like leftovers).

 

[SaintAugustine]

I wasn’t saying it justified it at all; you took the wrong point from my post. My point was that I hear much worse things from Protestants much more often, yet Protestants are treated as essentially family. On the other hand, I’ve met almost no gay people who, unless directly pushed, see a need to be rude to anyone else, regardless of their beliefs on gay “marriage,” and yet gay people are viewed as “others” who somehow denigrate religion. This dichotomy is ridiculous.

Now, if you go into a gay event, and start yelling at them that they’re going to hell (which isn’t even a Catholic position), you’ll probably provoke a whole lot of reactions. But that’s not the same.

What dichotomy? I’m opposed to and complain about any group who vilifies the Catholic Church. So are most Catholics.