Dear Editor:
The seven deadly sins are formally known as the seven capital sins and they are not sins in their own right. They are attitudes and basic tendencies that lead us to individual acts of sin. For those unfamiliar, they are pride, avarice, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and sloth.
Pride is often thought of as a selfish attitude or an “ego trip,” but I think in this case of Mr. Swager’s concerns about LGBTQIA+ pride, it’s about certitude. People with certitude don’t need faith, they fall back on fundamentalism. That is, everything exists to them in black and white – these individuals tend to be strongly opinionated, and they go out of their way to practice vainglory. This certitude and fundamentalism is the real pride.
Why is it that we as believers and followers of Christ often spread the word under an ideology that is meant to liberate people with God’s love and mercy, yet advocate for the repression of so many?
As St. John Vianney taught, “Pride makes us hate our equals, because they are our equals.” The concerns regarding pride in this small town come off as desperation of needing comfort during the month of June. If somebody has a problem with pride in and of itself, they should be penning letters during homecoming week regarding #BulldogPride. As a Catholic myself, I’d urge anyone taking an issue with the LGBTQIA+ in our community to take a stand on your own merit rather than hide behind Catholicism as some form of moral certitude, because not all Catholics stand for bigotry.
I do not believe the celebration of LGBTQIA+ is being prideful in the sense of arrogance. The “pride” comes from the fact that individuals who have hidden themselves for fear of oppression and their own livelihood have finally found the courage to celebrate themselves as they are.
As Ignatius of Loyola said: “If our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy.” As a community, let us be a beacon of hope with the message that you are welcome as you are. Let us seek humility and live with kenosis in mind, by practicing the self-emptying love that God has for all.
Toni Conway
Chelsea
