Is One-Half of The "God Squad" Catholic?

[30miller]

A syndicated newspaper column that shows up on “Religion” pages around the country is made up of a rabbi - Marc Gellman (no, not the Gellman from the Regis & Kelly show) and Monsignor Tom Hartman. It follows a Q & A format. Here’s their latest (printed in the May 26 Morning Call newspaper):

Q:    I just started reading your column and am looking for some advice on how to pick a church that will suit our family. My husband was brought up Southern Baptist and I was raised Catholic. We're looking for a church that's Christian, liberal and progressive, with a strong children's program for our 9- and 10-year-old girls.    We've gone to a couple of area churches that have been "too big", "too liberal" or "too stiff". I'm tired of church-shopping with the kids on Sunday mornings and would welcome any advice on how to narrow down our choices. We're feeling a little overwhelmed with so many churches and denominations out there.
A:    We'd encourage you to church-shop without your kids for a while. Make appointments to meet the pastor and the youth minister at each church, and have questions ready so you can compare answers from different churches. Talk confidentially and informally to the secretarial staff at each church; they know everything. Talk to people who are both deeply involved and marginally involved at each church. Ask them what they feel are the best and worst things about the church and the staff. Attend an adult education class taught by the pastor. Try to observe a youth group activity and talk to some of the kids.    Finally, listen to each sermon and ask yourself a few questions about it. Did the pastor quote Scripture often and easily, or seem to be making up a personal version of Christianity as he/she went along? Did the pastor spend most of his/her time speaking negatively about others or about what's wrong in the world, and only a little time offering hope and a positive take on the world and on faith? Did the pastor smile or frown? Did he/she raise up your soul to feel that God is present and living?     Then flip a coin!

That’s word for word. Is anyone else’s reaction the same as mine?

 

[YinYangMom]

I googled the two names and found these other articles about them:

Priest and Rabbi: The Media’s God Squad from St. Anthony Messenger

The God Squad from Greater Talent Network, Inc.

So, yes, the Monsignor ‘half’ of the God Squad is Catholic.

As for the response, I gather your dismay is with the ‘then flip a coin’ part. The monsignor was advising correctly up until that point it seemed.

I would have expected him to tell the people to choose the parish which uses scripture and offers hope.

Better yet, is if he would have advised her to be a better catholic to limit the search for churches to the One True Church.

Maybe the toss the coin was sarcasm since the gist of the question is rather insulting in and of itself, if you think about it. Still, I doubt the reader would catch the sarcasm.

Based on the articles, this is a very broad based medium so one can’t really expect either the rabbi or the monsignor to ‘apologize’ as they would for a purely jewish or catholic audience. Their joining forces is intended to reach those outside the net in order to draw them into safe waters. Given that, I understand why the reponse was written as it was.

 

[30miller]

As for the response, I gather your dismay is with the ‘then flip a coin’ part.

No, actually my dismay is with the whole response. I’d like others to dissect it more if they like, so I’ll hold off on that - I’ll just say that both the rabbi and the priest say, when interviewed, that they are “…in sales, not management…” regarding their respective positions in the jewish and catholic churches.
In that regard, if I was in “management” (i.e. his Bishop) at Ford (i.e. the One True Church) and my “salesman” was giving advice like was given by the God Squad to a person looking for “a” car - I think I would be having more than just a talk with my “salesman”!
(The Management/Sales approach is the God Squad’s - so please don’t take issue with that with me.)

 

[PKinsale]

I agree, 30miller. This column has had problems before. The least they could do is tell the letter-writer they need to clarify what they believe as a family. They are pointing people toward churches not based on any sort of specific creed.