Got this in an email from Fr. Martin over at America. It’s a riot! A nice parody of the sort of “Catholic Kitsch” we see in the catalogues and elsewhere.
WELCOME: Hot Air readers, and thanks for the headline, Ed! While you’re here, please look around; we’re talking about fun Christmas Gift Ideas, and my hairshirt among other things!
November 18th, 2009 | 3:34 pm | #1
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Anchoress, Miss Esoteric. Miss Esoteric said: RT @TheAnchoress: THIS is a riot! http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/theanchoress/2009/11/18/we-pray-video-mass/ [...]
November 18th, 2009 | 3:36 pm | #2
That is very funny!
November 18th, 2009 | 3:45 pm | #3
I hate to be a wet blanket, but I’m a little uneasy about this, I’m sorry to say. Even if it comes from a friendly source, it’s borderline disrespectful to use the cross in such a way. Such an image could just as easily have come from Monty Python, Sarah Silverman, or Bill Maher.
November 18th, 2009 | 4:48 pm | #4
This IS a parody…isn’t it?
I mean…it can’t be real…who would do this?
Yes…it’s a parody…you had me going there for awhile.
[It IS a parody. It is kind of making fun of the terribly kitschy stuff you can find in some Catholic Catalogs, which can be pretty embarrassing -admin]
November 18th, 2009 | 5:15 pm | #5
Gotta agree with Commander Craig. I anticipated humor but felt repelled.
I’m about halfway through with Jeff Cavin’s Bible Study, and finally am coming to understand the roots of our Mass. Seriously, are there not some things that shouldn’t be trifled with..?
November 18th, 2009 | 5:31 pm | #6
Pretty funny! But I took off a few points for making the sign of the cross with the left hand instead of the right…
November 18th, 2009 | 11:29 pm | #7
Classic.
Such fun.
November 18th, 2009 | 11:43 pm | #8
Since we’re going to pick dicey categories for WII, how about
Wii Abortion?
Let’s see what the Libs have to say about that one!
November 18th, 2009 | 11:43 pm | #9
Dave in MO, about the left hand thing… When I was a kid my older brother convinced me that a priest didn’t need to go to another priest for confession — he just made the sign of the cross backwards with his left hand while in front of a mirror!
The part I thought was like, you know, totally bogus is where you move towards the front of the church as you build your point total. Like you can get real Catholics to sit in the front pew!
November 19th, 2009 | 1:15 am | #10
This isn’t for real, is it? It does seem like someone like Sarah Silverman would do…or SNL?
[It is a parody - takes off on all the "Catholic Kitsch" we see around, you know, the dreadful pics of Jesus on the soccer field, etc...-admin]
November 19th, 2009 | 1:39 am | #11
As a convert from evangelical Protestantism, I found this deeply offensive. It seems to be one more attempt by those who do not understand Catholicism to mock sacred rituals which attempt to assist the wounded human soul in its attempt to seek and accept the grace of God. It is particularly out of place as a link on this conservative website. How can you, HotAir staff, claim to protect the interests and uphold the dignity of conservatives throughout the nation, and yet post a link to this offensive video which does to a great number of your readers what many liberals do to figures such as Sarah Palin? I feel betrayed by the news source that I have come to depend on, and even regard fondly.
November 19th, 2009 | 3:19 am | #12
@ Calah Alexander
Grow a sense of humor.
If they really wanted to offend they would have had “molest the choir boys” as one of the mini games. This is a nerf peice, and you would be a fool to discontinue reading HA over it.
November 19th, 2009 | 6:38 am | #13
Meh. I don’t like Catholic kitsch, and I have a world class sense of humor, but I didn’t find this all that funny. I wasn’t offended, but I didn’t even smile.
November 19th, 2009 | 7:54 am | #14
This is just another example of Christians being ridiculed right here in our own country. I doubt this type of parody would be performed against Muslims, and yet Christianity is under attack from our own fellow Americans. This is sad.
[Well, Catholic Kitsch is being ridiculed, anyway. -admin]
November 19th, 2009 | 8:52 am | #15
Oh my, that most egregious sin against the Church of the Most Secular & Self Referential Piety, ” I was offended.”
November 19th, 2009 | 9:30 am | #16
I found it sacrilegious. I particularly didn’t like the rosary used as a bracelet gag. I am a long time subscriber/reader of First Things and don’t think RJN would find it particularly humorous either.
November 19th, 2009 | 9:46 am | #17
I am not catholic and I found this to be sacrilegious. I like satire and much as the next guy but some things should not be done. Thumbs down
November 19th, 2009 | 9:53 am | #18
Why would a commercial for a Roman product have Ein Feste Berg in its soundtrack?
November 19th, 2009 | 10:49 am | #19
I am not Catholic, so perhaps I don’t get the joke. I am a Christian though and found this juvenile and offensive. I agree with the C. Alexander regarding Hotair linking this to their website. Poor taste.
November 19th, 2009 | 11:59 am | #20
I don’t know guys…their website looks legit. I think this is real. I mean there are links to video game rating sites and an explanation of the company. whaaaaaaaaaaaat
November 19th, 2009 | 12:02 pm | #21
I guess we’ll find out tomorrow…you can begin pre-ordering.
November 19th, 2009 | 12:23 pm | #22
I remain surprised that you would publicize this sacrilegious junk, Elizabeth. While I can understand the folks at “America” thinking this is a hoot, the best news is that the link at Hot Air is about to roll over/expire into their archives, and hopefully that will be the end of your public embarrassment.
November 19th, 2009 | 1:09 pm | #23
Anchoress, don’t quite understand your attachment to Fr. Martin, “S.J.” (I mean, what else would he be?). His association with “America” is enough, but his refusal to acknowledge the overwhelming ephebophile element to the clergy sex crisis – upwards of 80% of the victims were adolescent males – and perpetuating the false issue of gay clergy not being pedophiles is just outrageous. Too harsh? Take it up with Fr. Z.
[One of my best friends -a female- was sexually accosted by a priest when she was about 11 years old. As a survivor of child sex abuse within my own family, one thing I know about it is that homosexuality or heterosexuality has little do to with it and nor, for that matter, does celibacy; the sexual abuse of children is about power, and control. It's very likely that -as this report released yesterday to the Bishops suggests- the reason the poor victims of some bad priests were boys is because boys were what they had access to, in the sanctuaries, schools and sports teams, and so that is where they manifested their depravity. As to whether gay clergy are incapable of being good, faithful and celibate priests, I have known several, and they have all been joyful, wonderful men who put themselves wholly at the service of the church. I often ask Catholic bashers who use the scandals to indict all priests if they would indict all of our armed forces because of the behavior of a few bad apples at Abu Ghraib. I will ask you if you would indict all gay priests for the behavior of few bad ones?
Since you seem to think the mere fact that Fr. Martin writes for America is enough to indict him, his faith and his service to the church, then I guess you would. America (and for that matter Commonweal) may not always be journals expressing Catholicism in a manner that is to your (or, for that matter, my) liking, but our church is one that embraces both faith and reason, and part of the reasoning process accepts the introduction of ideas into debate. The ideas may not always be "just right," -sometimes they are wholly wrong- but the introduction of same allows for instruction in both catechetics and charity. If you feel that another Catholic is in error, it is charitable to correct him or her. It is NOT charitable to use a hammer doing so.
James Martin is a friend to me, and one of the kindest gentlemen and most enthusiastic, generous and Christ-loving priests I have ever known, and he as proved himself to be a very good ambassador for the church in venues where Catholics are not exactly beloved. He recently made his final vows -placing his entire life at the service of Christ and his church, and vowing himself to poverty, chastity and obedience- and perhaps we should consider that when we publicly disrespect our priests as you just have, with a lack of charity, good will, or the the benefit of a doubt, and with an evident desire to pass judgment, then you give exactly the sort of scandal to the Body of Christ that I suspect you would abhor if someone spoke so disparagingly of a man you knew to be a good priest. As to Fr. Z, you'll excuse me if I do not "take it up with him." While I am sure he is a good and faithful, enthusiastic priest, he is neither my confessor, nor my spiritual director nor my first reference on things Catholic. If that displeases you, I am sorry. Perhaps you should take it up with your conscience. -admin]
November 19th, 2009 | 8:42 pm | #24
I’m 99.9% sure this is a joke (and I’d put a repeating decimal bar on that .9 if I knew how.) Besides the backwards sign of the Cross, there is a mixing of Catholic and Protestant terminology and motifs and a vagueness about whether the game is supposed to appeal to Catholics or Christians in general. A real game company would have done better marketing research, assuming they wanted to stay in business. (Also, I ran it past my geek son and he declared it fake, then went off on a tirade about how bad Wii is.)
What I don’t get from the vid is real malicious intent, and goodness knows enough ‘Net stuff goes in that direction. I’m therefore disinclined to take much offense with it; in fact my hubby had a little fun with it over at our blog.
Besides, this “product” is driving the obnoxious atheist segment of the gaming community absolutely round the bend. They can’t make up their minds whether it’s real or not, and quite a few seem to be under the impression that all Christians are lunkheads who would actually go in for this stuff.
November 20th, 2009 | 12:34 pm | #25
Okay–
Anybody been to the website and clicked on the preorder bar yet? Hee hee!
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