"It is...Our will that Catholics should abstain from certain appellations which have recently been brought into use to distinguish one group of Catholics from another. They are to be avoided not only as 'profane novelties of words,' out of harmony with both truth and justice, but also because they give rise to great trouble and confusion among Catholics. Such is the nature of Catholicism that it does not admit of more or less, but must be held as a whole or as a whole rejected: 'This is the Catholic faith, which unless a man believe faithfully and firmly; he cannot be saved' (Athanasian Creed). There is no need of adding any qualifying terms to the profession of Catholicism: it is quite enough for each one to proclaim 'Christian is my name and Catholic my surname,' only let him endeavour to be in reality what he calls himself." -- Pope Benedict XV, Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum 24 (1914)

Monday, April 27, 2015

Dissecting Michael Coren: The Opportunistic Christian

On Sunday, April 19, 2015, Michael Coren left the one and only Church created by Jesus Christ and entered the Protestant denomination created by King Henry VIII fifteen hundred years later.


King Henry VIII wanted a male heir to his throne and blamed his streak of daughters on his wife. Since divorce/remarriage has never been allowed by Jesus Christ nor His Church the monarch of England went on his own way.

Michael Coren doesn't seem to be seeking a divorce so what caused his apostasy? It's been a very sudden about face for him. On Saturday, June 28, 2014, the Toronto Sun published his "I Was Wrong" column. Prior to it he was considered a doctrinally orthodox Catholic, a 'conservative' if you so choose, in line with the 'hate the sin not the sinner' philosophy, not the 'turn a blind eye' prominenet in many Moderrn parishes and dioceses today.

Let's take a look at his argument for his 'evolution' against doctrine.

Michael says he changed his position on homosexuality/gay marriage due to ...
"largely and ironically because of the angry and hateful responses of some people to my defence of persecuted gay men"

Let's examine that approach, shall we?

What Michael is saying is that extemism in a position nullifies it. Think about that. If true then...
- Westboro Baptist Church disproves Christianity 
- Corporate thieves disprove capitalism
- Watergate disproves democracy
- Holligans disprove English football
- Maple Leaf fans disprove hockey


What I always admired about Michael Coren is his sharp reasoning skills. He wouldn't agree to any of the above so it begs the question how did he come up with such a faulty premise?

Here's another oddity from his column:

"I have evolved my position on this issue not in spite of but precisely because of my Catholicism. My belief in God, Christ, the Eucharist, and Christian moral teaching are stronger than ever."

Image result for why catholics are right

There are a few problems with this statement. The first is doctrine does not evole so why should any Catholic's opinion?

Obvioulsy his belief in the Eucharist changed ten months later since he has gone from receiving the actual Body Of Christ to a symbol of it. 

His belief in Catholic moral teaching changed too since sodomy is still a sin that cries out to Heaven. Michael Coren is far too intelligent to have been duped by the mainstream media's interpretation of Pope Francis' "Who am I to judge?' quote. He understands the context so can't use that utterance as an excuse for heresy. 


Then he brings his kids into it:

"My kids? They’re not political, they respect and love me and they would never waste their time trying to change my mind. That they’re accepting of gay people and gay marriage is axiomatic – they’re aged 16, 20, 24, and 25 -- and, whether you like it or not, that generation in the west simply does not comprehend opposition on these issues."

I wonder why Coren brings his kids into his sudden break from Catholic doctrine. It would be understandable for a parent upon learning one of his children suffers from same-sex attraction to question his faith.

The problem with his self-descibed Cathoic kids is that they accept gay 'marriage'. Sorry Michael, that dog doesn't hunt. Catholic and accepting gay marriage are mutually exclusive. You know that. 

Continuing on with his column...

"I have evolved on this single subject because I can no longer hide behind comfortable banalities, have realized that love triumphs judgment, and know that the conversation between Christians and gays has to transform -- just as, to a large extent, the conversation between conservatives and gays has."

First, was there a Freudian Slip with the 'banalities' choice?

Second, love does not triump judgement, at least in a theological discussion. Such nonsense might make a NDP Youth gathering break out into song and dance, but it's not solid reasoning. Check the Bible and Church teaching - we are judged. One mortal sin is enough to cast us off to eternal damnation.

Third, the conversation between 'conservatives' and gays has not transformed or changed. It's just more reasonable than contrary opinions on the other side. Indeed, we hate the sin, love the sinner, Michael. 

If Michael wants to make his newly found alliance with sodomites and other unnatural perversions a political position than it won't be a surprise to see him in next year's gay pride festivities:


Does that mean his fiscal political positions have 'evolved' too? Is generational debt now righteous? Has the baby been thrown out with the gay borrowed bath water?

So if extemism is a valid plank in an 'evolved' platform does that mean Michael Coren necessarily endorses Ben Levin's sexual grooming/education curriculum legistlated without a mandate by "Wild Woman" Kathleen Wynne who has finally found her sexual energy? Perhaps he realized he could not support it as a Catholic so found a receptive audience in the morally challenged church of England?  

If you think this is confusing read Coren's Wikipedia page. 

"I am not prepared to throw around ugly terms like “sin” and “disordered” as if they were clumsy cudgels"

Well, gosh, Michael, that's might white of you. Too bad Jesus Christ felt differently. He spoke of sin quite often. Indeed he dined with sinners after absolving them of their sins and telling them to sin no more. As pope of your new found belief system how will you handle your flock's sins assuming they have any?

Since Michael has thrown away the Church it's safe to assume he's tossed the Catechim too. It's quite clear how to understand homosexuality. Pro Tip: just like any other afflication (i.e. alcoholism, etc.). I won't be throwing rocks. 

"I am sick and tired of defining the word of God"


Bingo. Michael Coren's entire argument is exposed with this statement. As a Catholic scholar he should know it is in fact not his nor anyone else's preogative to define the Word Of God. That privlidge was given to Peter and the Church his successors rule over. The 33,000 denominations of His Church prove once you break away into personal interpreation then by definition it dissolves. 

Michael, I suggest you got yourself into this mess by succumbing to the Devil's temptations. He seducced you into thinking your intellect is higher than the Church's. Your opinion great that the pope's. It's probably what happened to King Henry VIII, Luther, etc.

Finally, "If we live, we grow. The alternative is, of course, death." Michael, any Scriptural or Traditional proof for that statement? Of course not. You can not make up doctrine. 

Reading Michael's Wiki page it seems like he has profitted from his Christian allegiances. There is some suggestion that something very personal caused his 'evolution' in gay marriage which then precipitated his departure from the Church. Some people expect him to become an Anglican minister in the near future. Whatever the cause we should pray for him since every soul Lucifer wins is a loss for us. 


8 comments:

  1. Wasn't he a parishoner for years at Toronto's St. Vincent De Paul parish, that parish which is run like a funeral home by the Toronto Oratary? It would seem none of them had any direct influence on him.

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  2. A funeral home? I take it you haven't actually been there.

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  3. The day after he entered into the Anglican communion, he was scheduled to give a talk on the future of the Catholic Church at St Mary, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows church in Kitchener. Any idea if he carried through with that?

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  4. Hey Bear,

    The talk was down the road at St Anthony Daniel Church. The ad in St Mary's bulletin didn't state claim his Catholicism, however, I suspect Coren is misrepresenting himself to Catholics now.

    Apparently, he's been worshipping as an Anglican for a year now.

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  5. Coren has sold his birthright a few times just as Esau did to Jacob. This outrageous practice of sheep stealing needs to stop.

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  6. I guess now that the darling of Catholicism has defected to another church you feel comfortable in eviscerating him. It is odd how heroes one moment can in one moment turn into a villain. It seems in this type of response there is a key Christian element missing. When a religion has to resort to attacks to defend itself there must be something terribly wrong with that religion?

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  7. Except no one is attacking or defending here. Thanks for reading, Cliff.

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  8. So, Michael Coren apostacizes over the issue of gay marriage, and thus loses some columns in Catholic publications. What happens next? The Prairie Messenger, Saskatchewan's "catholic" newspaper picks up his column called "Coren's Corner". His first article? Abortion can be okay. http://www.prairiemessenger.ca/15_05_20/Coren_15_05_20.html

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