Hmm, the last part bothers me. Just because there is one female server does not mean that there is one less male server.
Of course that is true. Boys frequently will avoid volunteering for tasks that they see as less than manly. When boys see girls at the altar, it strikes them it is either a female activity or it is a gender nuetral activity, and in either case many boys will not have the slighest interest. I know this after having spoken with young men about this and that is their witness to this situation. Couple that with the clear knowledge that girls mature at younger ages than do boys and girls tend to be far more aggresive about getting tasks done than boys during those younger years.
Well, on the first point, let’s look at an analogy. We have an all male priesthood, yet still experience a priest shortage. It’s seems illogical to say that a male that sees just males doing an activity will want to do that activity, or that if males see girls doing an activity they will not want to do it. Heck, look at sports. Boy and girls play soccer and basketball, and there’s no shortage of basketball and soccer male players. Furthermore, why not just seperate the male and female altar servers if you feel this way? Then they can both do it, without having to serve with each other.
Thank you for recognizing that.
And if they want to use only installed lectors and acolytes (only males can become truly installed) that is a legitimate option as well. All lay people (men or women) who take the role of lector or serve at Mass do so without any right to do so. The code does permit them so we make use of the code’s provisions as needed…
Yes, that’s great. Yet only one diocese in the US is without female altar servers. Apparently all but one of the US Bishops see the needs of their diocese differently.
I don’t think anyone is claiming that is will lead to increased convent vocations. Its possible, but not really the basis for allowing female altar servers. Out of the thousands of male altar servers in each diocese, only a handful go on to be priests. So let’s not pretend that this is some kind of conveyor belt towards ordination.
Aren’t you leaving God out of the equation? Priesthood MAY be a call within a previous call, but to say the call only comes from serving on the altar, or that females prevent God from calling, is not even a logical deduction. I remember Jesus calling 12 who were ordinary men, unattached to formal religion practiced in the temple.
And just because you have issues with the original author’s other writings does not mean the one in question does not have merit.
I never once said that calling only come from serving at the altar…never even implied that.
I think what you do not understand is that the loss of even ONE PRIEST across the entire nation is too high a price to pay for being politcally correct. Of course, I believe there are more than just one Priest lost, yet even if just one Priest was lost, that price is too high!
Boys and girls are typically on seperate teams for sports, and when they do play together the boys will normally go easier on the girls. That is just true. As for seperating the genders, that does no good because we want more boys imvolved and we need to create the atmosphere to encourage their involvement.
Gender segregation is natural, works in schools, sports (outside kindergarten and early elementary) are usually sex segregated. (also look at the lack of acceptance of most women’s pro sports). As it stands (and this predates altar girls) there is a preference for an effeminate male clergy. The Jesuits actually had rules to keep from developing the preponderance of men who related better to women (Monastics and Dominicans were largely forced to take on the pastoral care of sister houses contrary to their founders’ desires).
As a young man who’s been discerning a little longer than I’ve been serving, no diocesan program is ever going to be as successful as a parish one. It is impossible for the Vocations director to have the level of interaction that the parish priest does, or even the presence that the parish priest does.
LOL.
I’ll give you the thread. Maybe it will help clear things up:
Thank you. That did help. It would seem this is an appropriate place for this discusion.
Again with the allegations. Can you prove the bolded part? Can you point me to a study that says that “1 female alter server equals one less male alter server”? Otherwise, it’s all anecdotal and therefore an opinion, not a fact.
Common sense. Parishes do not need unlimited numbers of servers…do the math.
While its true that parishes don’t need, literally, unlimited numbers of servers, I’m yet to hear of a parish who has turned anyone away.Common sense. Parishes do not need unlimited numbers of servers…do the math.
I understand what you’re saying, I just don’t think its happening.
Plenty of Catholics disagree about many things, yet they still obey. I too obey even when I disagree…that is the difference between a faithful Catholic and one that thinks they can do whatever they want. There is nothing wrong with discussing this topic. After all, the stated preferred norm for altar servers is males, not females. It is also noteworthy to remind people that individual Pastors of any parish has the authoriity to ban females from serving if they so desired…that alone tells us where the Vatican leans.