Cyberbullying: Dan Savage's Attacks on Rick Santorum Must be Opposed

By Deacon Keith Fournier
10/5/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Santorum shows courage in the face of this cyber-bullying commited against him by Dan Savage.

Dan Savage is not "blunt" he is debased. Savage has perpetrated digital slander and defamation against Rick Santorum. By launching what he calls "google bombs" - which are vile, obscene and intended to do harm - he is also engaged in cyberbullying.

Rick Santorum is the victim of cyberbullying and digital slander

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - In an article written for the Huffington Post entitled "Dan Savage On LGBTQ Bullies: Why The Church Must Change" Joseph Ward praises the tactics of Dan Savage and his vile and disgusting digital attack on Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. Ward begins his article with these words, "I've always appreciated Dan Savage's brutal honesty, and to-the-point bluntness."

Dan Savage is not "blunt" he is debased. He is maliciously seeking to destroy the name of a good man who has spent a career in public service. Savage has perpetrated digital slander and defamation against Rick Santorum. By launching what he calls "google bombs" - which are vile, obscene and intended to do harm - he is also cyberbullying. Ironically, Savage had the audacity to recently accept an award for his use of the internet to stop the bullying of people with same sex attraction and sexual identity confusion.

Dan Savage is a former Catholic who openly rejected the faith of the Church in which he was raised. However, he has decided to do more. He now disparages faithful Catholics like Rick Santorum because the Senator disagrees with him and refuses to be bullied by his obscene tactics. Along with millions of others, Rick Santorum will never recognize a moral and legal equivalency between homosexual partnerships and authentic marriage. He once again shows his courage in the face of this cyber-bullying commited against him by Dan Savage.

In the past I have warned of the "Two Step" of the New Censors. The effort seeks to exclude our positions from being heard in the public square or from influencing the positive/civil law. For example, those who oppose our positions on the normative nature of the two parent, heterosexual, marriage bound family seek first to relegate our truth claims to being "religious positions." Then they take the next step, they require that these truth claims be confined to expression only within our Church Walls - or else we will face the Police power of the State.

We live in what Pope Benedict XVI called a "Dictatorship of Relativism." The relativists of this age have managed to persuade even some Catholics that there are no objective truths; there are only "my" truths and "your" truths. Further, they have relegated the authentic Catholic position on the very existence of truths and rights to only being "religious" positions in order to then marginalize their importance in informing the social order.

Catholic Christians insist that there is a Natural Law, "present in the heart of each man and established by reason." This law "is universal in its precepts and its authority extends to all men. It expresses the dignity of the person and determines the basis for his fundamental rights and duties." (CCC# 1956) It is here that we find the ground for the moral truths which should inform our life together in a truly just and free society. It is here where we also find those fundamental and foundational human rights which we insist must be recognized by the civil or positive law as rightfully belonging to all men and women.

The Catholic position on homosexual sexual practices as objectively disordered and our opposition to all efforts to undermine true marriage through the "Homosexual Equivalency Movement" - the movement which wants to call what can never be a marriage a marriage and then use the Police Power of the State to force all of us to do the same - is rooted in this Natural Law which binds all men and women.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church wrote in 2003, "The Church's teaching on marriage and on the complementarity of the sexes reiterates a truth that is evident to right reason and recognized as such by all the major cultures of the world. Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose.

"No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman, who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves, tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of new human lives."

Like our position on the fundamental human right to life from conception to natural death, our position concerning the definition of marriage is not simply a "religious" position. We claim that the truth concerning the nature of marriage - and the family founded upon it - is rooted in this Natural Law which can be known by all men and women through the exercise of reason. Catholics also insist that these objective truths should inform a true humanism which will help us live together in peace by promoting human flourishing.

In the midst of this age of relativism the Catholics insistence on the existence of objective moral truths which can be known and should form the basis for a truly free, just and human society infuriates the homosexual equivalency activists. So people like Dan Savage resort to bullying, using the internet to defame a good man because he will not deny the truth about marriage. There is a Cultural Revolution underway in the West with two conflicting visions of the human person, human freedom, human flourishing and marriage and the family founded upon it as the first cell of a truly just society.

We are called to build a culture of life and a civilization of true love in our day. We will not support the efforts to give promiscuous heterosexual or homosexual relationships the same status as monogamous marriage, period. When such practices become enforced by the civil law of the State, we must be ready to experience hostility in opposing such laws and proposing a better way.

What is happening to Rick Santorum is horrible. Dan Savage should be ashamed. Decent people everywhere should speak out against it. If it is not exposed and opposed it may lead to even more acts of depravity as a fringe element of the homosexual community follows the example of Dan Savage in bullying those who disagree with them. Joseph Ward is wrong, it is not the Church which should change, it is Dan Savage. His cyberbullying must stop.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Dan Savage, Rick Santorum, Bullying, gay agenda, homosexual equivalency movement, anti-Catholic, cyberbullying, marriage, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 34 Comments

George Largess
1 year ago
To Edward Nigma; Hooray for Rick Santorum who proclaims the truth. Hooray for the Catholic Church that proclaims the truth. Hooray for St. Paul who proclaimed the truth. I will vote for Rich Santorum every time and against the lies of LGBT always!
Theresa H
1 year ago
The fact is that those who practice the LGBT lifestyle are not even 1% of the population; yet they have managed to sway many un-thinking people to be "accepting" of their lifestyle. The truth needs to be told on every occasion....The LGBT lifestyle is contrary to the Natural Law; it is one of the consequences of original sin. It is called an abomination in the Bible [cf. Lev 18:22, etc.]... I have a family member who promotes the "gay" lifestyle. I love him dearly, but I will never tell him I agree with him in this matter.... because of this, he thinks I don't love him. I have never condemned him (that belongs to God), but neither will I affirm his views for such would be to contribute to the darkening of minds and the weakening of wills. We must hold fast to what God has ordained for the propagation of the human family-- and what He has forbidden--for our own good, as time tells for many of those who so choose to live.... We all have some tendency or other that we have to combat; the LGBT inclination can be controlled by the grace of God. There is at least one apostolate that helps people with LGBT tendencies: Courage. (Visit the web page.)
Bulbajer
1 year ago
I agree with the article; David Savage is being childish. To Pedro. "Homo-fascist"? Really? Wash your mouth out.
Jack Reynard
1 year ago
I have just backed Santorum at 299/1! It is clear Romney is not loved hence Herman Cain (now 13/1, I got him at 56/1) and Rick Santorum (now 129/1 I backed him at 256/1) have a chance to at least push Romney.

Bachmann is a busted flush, Perry got owned by Romney, who else can the right wing get around?

GET YOUR MONEY ON SANTORUM - you know it makes sense ;)
Pedro
1 year ago
Savage is just another of the homo-fascists who are out to intimidate, bully, silence and slander, and anything else they can think of (including violence) and yet they scream their victim-hood while forcing their immorality on others. Just the latest chapter in the struggle of the culture of death ('gay' agenda) and the culture of life (traditional Judeo-Christian morality). Been going on forever and we know how it will end.
Liz
1 year ago
I find the arrogance of these people amusing - The Church Must Change. Really. People have been screaming this for over 2,000 yrs for any variety of reasons. Then when the Church doesn;'t change "they" start a new Church as evidenced by the thousands of various shuches across the world. I believe it was Chesterton who stated something to the effect that Earth does not rule Heaven - Heaven rules Earth. I feel this way - if you don't like the Church - leave. No one is making you stay. If you join a country club you have no problem obeying their rules - yet why is it so hard to obey the rules of the Catholic Church?
Rob
1 year ago
I think this guy's writings are just becoming symbolic of the times. I used to be a pretty ardent listener to conservative talk. But during the time period Obama was running for President, I just couldn't take it anymore. I have heard the most vile things said about OUR president than I've ever heard. We have no respect anymore and I'm not particularly suprised by what this guy is doing. When you can compare the President of the United States to Hitler (or anyone for that matter) on national television and think that is ok, you can't be suprised by any of this. Deacon, I think you are just going to have to get used to the new normal.
Bubajer
1 year ago
I agree. Cyber bullying is no matter to joke about. People hear about suicide victims due to cyber bullying all the time. And yet "google bombs like this one aren't considered such. Savage should be ashamed of himself for his childish act of hate. And I say this in full knowledge that I agree with Savage on gay rights. This is no way to spread love.
JGonzo
1 year ago
To EdwardN, The church does not promote hate, if you are catholic read the church catechism, there you will find the scriptures regarding homosexuality and the church true beliefs and not someones opinion. The Catholic Church promotes loving one another, but the church is also the defender and keeper of the truth. I know I cannot change your mindset no matter what I say...but read what the church has taught for the past 2000 yrs. The Catholic church was established by Christ in 33ad and has been guided by the Holy Spirit since the onset. It's important for you to remember when Saul in his zeal persecuted the church in its infancy. Jesus knocked him off his horse and asked him "Saul why are you persecuting me?" He did not ask why are you persecuting the church, because Jesus is the Catholic Church. You are not dealing with just the church made up of earthly beings, you and others are persecuting Jesus himself. You might be successful in changing a few earthly laws, but be careful when you reach the end. He is the Alpha and the Omega...He will never change. Who would trust a God that changes His mind with the times? Or for others convenience. The apostles and early Catholics died for believing in Him. It would not make sense to die for someone not worthy of their trust. What if after the first few were killed he would turn away and say never mind, that is not what I meant....
Jorge
1 year ago
Let not censorship clowd the truth..allow the liars-false liverals, moral relativists, jihadists, mass-murderers, abortionists and other UNREPENTANT sinners - share their currupted, sinful, twisted,immoral views..it is them that censor and try to silence the truth and not the opposite.Censorship promotes darkness and not light.God gives mankind free-will so we can say/do good or bad things...but we can only choose the good ones, if we speak, hear and defeat the lies/darkness with LIGHT/LOVE/FREEDOM. Censorship has no place in a catholic website!

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