Fr. Z is at it again, this time encouraging Catholics to complain to Apple about a new "confession game" application for the iPhone because "confession is not a game."
Except...all this app does it let users record a "secret" using the microphone, and then listen to other users' recordings and vote them "heaven" or "hell."
Yes, its background graphic resembles a confessional...but I hardly think this is anything to get into a hub-bub over.
They aren't claiming this is sacramental confession, they aren't offering absolution, the people using it don't expect any sort of "seal," and the image does suggest itself rather obviously for such an app (which honestly sounds rather intriguing and fun in a voyeuristic sort of way).
There are plenty of anonymous "confession" sites online now, and lots of movies and books use the confessional setting as an important plot device. Is he trying to claim we now own the very concept of self-disclosure? Is this app really discrimination or "anti-Catholic"!? That's utterly ridiculous! Haven't these people ever read The Decameron (for a Confession related example, story I.1 on "Saint" Ciapelletto) or other medieval works? There is nothing more Catholic than harmlessly facetious tongue-in-cheek treatments of features of the Faith.
Yet the people in the comments section are all up in arms, tracking down a complaint line for Apple and even suggesting getting the ever-kvetching Bill Donahue involved.
Really?!
This rising humorless Fundamentalist Catholicism (of both the neocon and trad varieties) is extremely troubling, though I suppose it's been simmering since Trent. Conservatives are insane.
Except...all this app does it let users record a "secret" using the microphone, and then listen to other users' recordings and vote them "heaven" or "hell."
Yes, its background graphic resembles a confessional...but I hardly think this is anything to get into a hub-bub over.
They aren't claiming this is sacramental confession, they aren't offering absolution, the people using it don't expect any sort of "seal," and the image does suggest itself rather obviously for such an app (which honestly sounds rather intriguing and fun in a voyeuristic sort of way).
There are plenty of anonymous "confession" sites online now, and lots of movies and books use the confessional setting as an important plot device. Is he trying to claim we now own the very concept of self-disclosure? Is this app really discrimination or "anti-Catholic"!? That's utterly ridiculous! Haven't these people ever read The Decameron (for a Confession related example, story I.1 on "Saint" Ciapelletto) or other medieval works? There is nothing more Catholic than harmlessly facetious tongue-in-cheek treatments of features of the Faith.
Yet the people in the comments section are all up in arms, tracking down a complaint line for Apple and even suggesting getting the ever-kvetching Bill Donahue involved.
Really?!
This rising humorless Fundamentalist Catholicism (of both the neocon and trad varieties) is extremely troubling, though I suppose it's been simmering since Trent. Conservatives are insane.
This is a great statement:
ReplyDelete"This rising humorless Fundamentalist Catholicism (of both the neocon and trad varieties) is extremely troubling, though I suppose it's been simmering since Trent. Conservatives are insane."
I think you have hit on something good.