Would someone please get it through the mainstream media’s heads that having once been a Catholic altar boy has no significance to anything else that person does later in life? It imparts no special honors, signifies no special sanctity, and implies no special training. In a story about former New Jersey governor Jim Greevey abandoning his faith to attend an Episcopal church, after having come out as gay, New York Newsday prints the following headline: Former Catholic altar boy attends Episcopal services
So what? You may as well say “Former Newsday paper boy subscribes to the Times.” Yes, I suppose there is some news value in a story about the formerly Catholic former governor jumping the fence (in more ways than one) to run in a more amenable pasture. It’s the stupid, irrelevant reference that grates. Sheesh, the guy was openly pro-abortion in office, so it’s not exactly news he wasn’t “right” with the Church to begin with.
Is it supposed to make us say, “Whoa, if even altar boys are abandoning their faith the Church is in big trouble.” It makes you wonder if any of the editors or reporters were themselves altar boys. If they weren’t, they should find someone on staff who was who can then fill them in on reality.
Oh and someone should also tell them that “altar boy” is politically incorrect now. Everyone knows it’s “altar server” because we have girls up there now. (I’m being sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek, so don’t get your knickers in a twist.)
