Our Gang
South Albany High is in the headlines this morning after the principal disciplined a student who refused to take off a crucifix. The school's principal, according to this report in this morning's Albany Democrat Herald, suspected the cross was a gang symbol. The student insisted it wasn't.
Maria Salazar is very clear: Her son is not a gang member and she gave him a crucifix to wear out of love.
Principal Chris Equinoa is equally clear: Religious items are not banned, but he reserves the right to ask a student to remove, or cover up, any item he feels could indicate gang affiliation -- even a crucifix.
Well the Catholic Church just isn't a very good as a gang. Snitches like Judas were treated quiet compassionately by Jesus. No requirement for membership to kill someone, though we are asked to die to self. We don't have the Bloods, but we do have the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I do wonder if this principal would consider the Ichthys an early gang symbol?
Known as 
We can also sing:
Or how about "Better to live in a state of grace, better to live in a state of grace"
Is making the sign of the cross like flashing a gang sign?
I feel much tougher now that I am in a gang!
I didn't know I was good enough to make it in a gang, lol....does sign of the Cross, and walks in procession.
Maybe the principal just watched way too many Mafia movies.
Great, now I'm going to be thinking up Catholic Gang hand signs all morning.
Our local Burger King has a sign stating "behavior expectations," including "NO FLASHING GANG SIGNS," which serves to make me all the more flamboyant when making the sing of the Cross before eating my artery clogging meal!
I do that too!
I hate to be a downer here, but unfortunately many gangs have taken to wearing certain colored rosaries around their necks as their gang symbol. It used to be just bead necklaces, but as those got banned at schools, they started wearing rosaries around their necks and using the "it's a religious symbol" excuse to get past the ban. School officials have gotten wise to them though. Since rosaries have crucifixes hanging on the end it's easy to see how the principal could've mistaken it for a gang symbol.
Snitches like Judas re treated quiet compassionately by Jesus?
Yeah, because burning in hell after doing a required task is compassion.
I won't even touch the Catholic Church's Islamesque use of violence to get conversions.
UAB,
For one the Church does not say that Judas is in Hell. There is strong scriptural evidence that this is so, but no certainty.
His betrayal was not a required act. His will was totally free and our redemption did not require his betrayal. It was not contingent on Judas betraying Jesus. Certainly the Saducees or Pharisees could have arranged for Jesus trial at any time, just as Jesus asked them why they did not arrest him when he was speaking in public.
While certainly there have been some in the Church who have used violence in forcing conversions, but this was always contrary to Church teaching and no Church documents or teaching ever supported such a thing.
UAB is right to a degree,
the church used to be straight up thugs, but thugs for christ.
I mean look at the early pictures of the Popes they had fully mastered the art of the gangsta lean. I certainly would not want to get in Innocent III's grill know what I'm sayin'
Jeff,
For one the Church does not say that Jesus is in Hell. There is strong scriptural evidence that this is so, but no certainty.
You scared me until I realized you meant "Judas". Yikes. I was wondering which Scripture passage suggested Our Lord was in Hell.
I won't even touch the Catholic Church's Islamesque use of violence to get conversions.
You sure are making the rounds, aren't you?
Show me where this supposed "violence" comes from, and while you're at it, check out a copy of the Catechism from the local library.
Read it. And then try to have a civil discussion about Catholicism.