Stephen Colbert Preaches Redemptive Suffering On The View

[Jesus_lol]

Seems like a lot of people who dont really know that much about Colbert are judging how catholic he is based on a sentence or two out of context and their preconvictions that a non-conservative celebrity could never measure up to their standards of morality.

[Socrates]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1293673739' post='2195069']
Um, do you [b]blindly[/b] accept whatever the Church teaches? Maybe a better phrasing would have been "I think with the Church" but I could see that being interpreted by a secular audience as "I'm a mindless zombie sheep that blindly accepts church teaching."[/quote]
Actually, I'm a mindless zombie jackass that blindly accepts church teaching.

An albino monk planted a chip in my brain and all my thoughts and actions are controlled via a joystick in a vast computer control-room in a huge sinister vault beneath the Vatican.


[quote]So I dunno, especially without the article in question, but you do appear to have a tendency to judge a person's Catholic . . .ness(?) without giving a thorough investment.[/quote]
Unfortunately, I don't have the article at hand, which I read over a year ago, and don't remember his exact words, but it had the typical "cafeteria Catholic" rhetoric about being Catholic, but "thinking for oneself." This is almost always used by folks who disagree with the Church on various moral issues (almost invariably related to sex). Why else the pressing need to distinguish oneself from those Catholics who apparently [i]don't[/i] "think for themselves"? (You know, those dim-witted folks who are always faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium.)

As Colbert routinely mocks Catholic orthodoxy as part of his lame-brained "conservative" comic persona, I don't think I'm stretching too much here.

Of course this pick-and-choose cafeteria mentality is hardly unique to Colbert, or even the political Left, but infects most American "Catholics" today. (There was an issue with Sean Hannity a few years ago.)

[quote]I disagree with many of your posts. You infer a lot of ideas that, in my opinion, are not the perfect reflection of Catholicism that you seem to think they are. I'm not gonna call you less Catholic or other subtle pejoratives because, from the little I know of you, you seem to be "doing the best with what you got."[/quote]
Yeah, I'm just a simple-minded lug doing the best with what limited intellectual resources I have, lacking the advanced facilities of all you rilly smurt people on teh interwebz.

Since Jesus Christ Almighty isn't a regular poster on this phorum, I don't think anybody's posts here are a perfect reflection of Catholicism.
However, while people who disagree with me regularly accuse or insinuate that posts are somehow unorthodox or contrary to Catholic teaching, I've yet to see anyone prove otherwise.

[quote] Sure you seem a little stubborn and supercilious at times but hey, we all got flaws. I believe the intention of your heart is to remain tenaciously faithful to Mother Church. I can appreciate that. I just wish you weren't so hasty to assume how Catholic someone is using a rather silly rubric to do so.

I don't have it all together either. That's fer sure. No offense or hard feelings intended [/quote]
None taken. Carry on.

[Ice_nine]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1293751666' post='2195292']
Actually, I'm a mindless zombie jackass that blindly accepts church teaching.

An albino monk planted a chip in my brain and all my thoughts and actions are controlled via a joystick in a vast computer control-room in a huge sinister vault beneath the Vatican.[/quote]

the hell?

[quote]
Unfortunately, I don't have the article at hand, which I read over a year ago, and don't remember his exact words, but it had the typical "cafeteria Catholic" rhetoric about being Catholic, but "thinking for oneself." This is almost always used by folks who disagree with the Church on various moral issues (almost invariably related to sex). Why else the pressing need to distinguish oneself from those Catholics who apparently [i]don't[/i] "think for themselves"? (You know, those dim-witted folks who are always faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium.)[/quote]

It was probably to distinguish himself from fundamentalists and hard right evangelicals that he satirizes. Not Catholics imo.

[quote]Yeah, I'm just a simple-minded lug doing the best with what limited intellectual resources I have, lacking the advanced facilities of all you rilly smurt people on teh interwebz.[/quote]

Yes that is EXACTLY what I was saying. My goodness I go out of my way to assure you that I don't look down upon you and that I don't think I'm a better Catholic than you or any of that croutons yet you insist upon pulling insults out of mid-air. Hell, I was even admiring some of your good qualities. Do you have a persecution-complex?

[quote]
Since Jesus Christ Almighty isn't a regular poster on this phorum, I don't think anybody's posts here are a perfect reflection of Catholicism.[/quote]

Well then you seem to think yours are about as close as one can reasonably get.

[quote]However, while people who disagree with me regularly accuse or insinuate that posts are somehow unorthodox or contrary to Catholic teaching, I've yet to see anyone prove otherwise. [/quote]

Proof is irrelevant when you won't listen.

Edited December 31, 2010 by Ice_nine

[Adrestia]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1293751666' post='2195292']
As Colbert routinely mocks Catholic orthodoxy as part of his lame-brained "conservative" comic persona, I don't think I'm stretching too much here.
[/quote]

I haven't had cable TV in almost a year, but I don't remember Colbert mocking Catholic orthodoxy back when I caught his show. On the contrary, I remember him standing up for Catholic moral teachings on a few occasions. (I might have selective memory... I tend to repress things that disturb me.)


And, Socrates, you should not be ashamed to tell people who is really controlling your thoughts, words and actions. She's actually quite lovely.

[fides quarens intellectum]

[quote name='tgoldson' timestamp='1293763953' post='2195346']
And, Socrates, you should not be ashamed to tell people who is really controlling your thoughts, words and actions. She's actually quite lovely.
[/quote]

awww!! That's so cute! I wonder if she (Bubbalicious) saw this.

Edited December 31, 2010 by fides quarens intellectum

[KnightofChrist]

"I was raised to believe that you could question the Church and still be a Catholic." - Stephen Colbert

[Jesus_lol]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' timestamp='1293827724' post='2195523']
"I was raised to believe that you could question the Church and still be a Catholic." - Stephen Colbert
[/quote]

And your point is? not everything the church says is dogma.in fact, most isnt.

and there is nothing wrong with questioning anything there. heck, you can question dogma too, long as you accept the answer you are given.


note "question" =/= "not believe"

[Sternhauser]

The Catholic Church has never frowned on anyone asking questions about what it teaches and why. It frowns on denying particular truths as taught by the Church, yes. But [i]questioning[/i]? Not so much.

~Sternhauser

[Socrates]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1293755215' post='2195303']
the hell?[/quote]
Yes, hell is real. Not a place you want to go.



[quote]It was probably to distinguish himself from fundamentalists and hard right evangelicals that he satirizes. Not Catholics imo.
[/quote]
His character is specifically "[i]Catholic[/i]", not a fundamentalist protestant.
Though it did seem he was attempting to satirize "fundamentalist" "hard right" Catholics. (You know, those folks who don't think to "question the Church")


[quote]Yes that is EXACTLY what I was saying. My goodness I go out of my way to assure you that I don't look down upon you and that I don't think I'm a better Catholic than you or any of that croutons yet you insist upon pulling insults out of mid-air. Hell, I was even admiring some of your good qualities.[/quote]
Your love does not go unappreciated.
But don't get too carried away. I am a married man and all.

[quote] Do you have a persecution-complex?[/quote]
Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

Now if I could just keep those damned Freemasons from jamming the radio signals from the Vatican to my brain . . .


[quote]
Well then you seem to think yours are about as close as one can reasonably get.[/quote]
As they rightly should be when one identifies oneself as "Catholic."

[quote]
Proof is irrelevant when you won't listen.[/quote]
Proof is irrelevant when it is non-existent.

Case dismissed.

Edited December 31, 2010 by Socrates

[Socrates]

[quote name='tgoldson' timestamp='1293763953' post='2195346']
I haven't had cable TV in almost a year, but I don't remember Colbert mocking Catholic orthodoxy back when I caught his show. On the contrary, I remember him standing up for Catholic moral teachings on a few occasions. (I might have selective memory... I tend to repress things that disturb me.)[/quote]
i don't watch him on TV, but a few years ago I rented the first season on Netflix to see what all the fuss was about, and honestly wasn't that impressed.

Maybe I totally misread it, but it seemed obvious that he was "standing up for Catholic moral teaching" in a completely mocking and ironic manner for laughs, rather than in a spirit of reverence. It was like the rest of his ironic "conservative" persona that the audience was supposed to laugh at the stupidity of.


[quote]And, Socrates, you should not be ashamed to tell people who is really controlling your thoughts, words and actions. She's actually quite lovely.[/quote]
Shhh!

Edited December 31, 2010 by Socrates

[Socrates]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' timestamp='1293827724' post='2195523']
"I was raised to believe that you could question the Church and still be a Catholic." - Stephen Colbert
[/quote]
I believe that was from the article I was thinking of.

Thanks, Knight.

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1293828973' post='2195529']
And your point is? not everything the church says is dogma.in fact, most isnt.

and there is nothing wrong with questioning anything there. heck, you can question dogma too, long as you accept the answer you are given.


note "question" =/= "not believe"
[/quote]
Always good to have a "not Catholic" to inform us Catholics about the real meaning of Catholic teaching and dogma.

"Questioning" in such a context more often than not means "opposing."
(As if those Catholics who conform themselves to Catholic moral teachings have never ever asked a question.)

I'll leave it to God to judge Stephen Colbert's inner intentions, but there's plenty to give pause before we all rush out to canonize the man.

[Jesus_lol]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1293832346' post='2195544']
I believe that was from the article I was thinking of.

Thanks, Knight.


Always good to have a "not Catholic" to inform us Catholics about the real meaning of Catholic teaching and dogma.

"Questioning" in such a context more often than not means "opposing."
(As if those Catholics who conform themselves to Catholic moral teachings have never ever asked a question.)

I'll leave it to God to judge Stephen Colbert's inner intentions, but there's plenty to give pause before we all rush out to canonize the man.
[/quote]

always good to have the ad hominems. No reason a non catholic cant know as much about certain stuff as a catholic, especially when one has spent the last 4 or 5 years in their company.

You guys certainly have no qualms telling people how protestants view things, or what gay culture is like, or how liberals work, despite not being any of those things.

besides, i didnt notice you disagreeing with Stern when he said the same thing as me right afterwards

Edited December 31, 2010 by Jesus_lol

[Socrates]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1293832747' post='2195545']
always good to have the ad hominems. No reason a non catholic cant know as much about certain stuff as a catholic, especially when one has spent the last 4 or 5 years in their company.

You guys certainly have no qualms telling people how protestants view things, or what gay culture is like, or how liberals work, despite not being any of those things.

besides, i didnt notice you disagreeing with Stern when he said the same thing as me right afterwards
[/quote]
That's because I blindly agree with everything Sternhauser posts.

[kujo]

[quote name='Socrates' timestamp='1293832346' post='2195544']

I'll leave it to God to judge Stephen Colbert's inner intentions, but there's plenty to give pause before we all rush out to canonize the man.
[/quote]

Funny, I don't remember anybody suggesting that we do anything close to canonizing him. But I suppose that's irrelevant; it's much easier to attack a strawman.

[Anastasia13]

Here is an interesting article about him. A reverend considers Colbert as preaching gospel in a non-traditional way. Colbert quotes scripture from memory, which shows that he spends time studying it. http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?%2Frnstext%2Fbehind_colberts_right_wing_funny_man_a_quiet_faith1%2F
Here is a similar article with some of the same info and some new references: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/15/AR2010101505758.html.


Now After reading this you may still say he is not respectful. "Ann quotes at length from an interview Colbert did with "Fresh Air's" Terry Gross, in which he talked about the "tightrope" it was for him to do "This Week in God" on "The Daily Show," because he's a churchgoing Catholic and people in the comedy world are always asking him, "Yeah, but do you believe that stuff?" "What's funny to me" Colbert said then, "is what people do in the name of religion."" http://ambivablog.typepad.com/ambivablog/2006/04/steve_colbert_r.html I know somewhere he said that he laughs at what people do in the name of religion, not at the religion itself.

Here is part of an interview: http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/01/colbert-and-dissonance-between.html
"Mr. COLBERT: Well, sure. You know, that's the hallmark of an American Catholic, is the individuation of America and the homogenation of the church; homogenation in terms of dogma. I love my church and I don't think that it actually makes zombies or unquestioning people. I think it's actually a church that values intellectualism, but certainly, it can become very dogmatically rigid.

Somebody once asked me, `How do you be a father'--'cause I'm a father of three children--`and be anti-authoritarian?' And I said, `Well, that's not nearly as hard as being anti-authoritarian and being a Roman Catholic,' you know? That's really patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. I don't know. You know, I don't believe that I can't disagree with my church and I'll leave it at that."

Conclusion: He is sincere, devout, but not always guaranteed to agree with the church. His profession is comedy, so not everything he does is "respectful" due to the nature of his field. He is probably not the perfect Catholic, but the greatest commandments didn't say to just follow what the Church says but to love God and love neighbor. I think he tries to do this, and he lets his faith be a part of who he is rather than just an intellectualization or an idea. God is his judge.

I was just reading a comment on this site (http://catholiccolbert.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/stephen-on-faith-and-his-own-dark-night/) where a guy speaks of having to learn to think for himself instead of just listening to Kant or someone before he really came to faith. I have heard the same thing said by someone who left Christianity or faith in God. If questioning is what someone must do to believe, then they should believe and seek rather than turn from the ultimate truth and life of the gospel. May God guide us all further into the knowledge and understanding of His truth.

Edited January 2, 2011 by Light and Truth

[Jesus_lol]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/8kNnW.jpg[/img]

[kujo]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1294042911' post='2196122']
[img]http://i.imgur.com/8kNnW.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

I loved that entire segment.

[Jesus_lol]

[quote name='kujo' timestamp='1294063541' post='2196134']
I loved that entire segment.
[/quote]

If you have got a link to the rest of it, i would love to see it all.

[ThePenciledOne]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1294081081' post='2196197']
If you have got a link to the rest of it, i would love to see it all.
[/quote]

Same.

[Adrestia]

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/368914/december-16-2010/jesus-is-a-liberal-democrat