Introduction

The University College Cork Chairman of Ógra Fianna Fáil, the tiny youth wing of one of the smaller parties in Ireland, has apologised for his remarks on the adoption of children by gay couples. His remarks came in a post to his blog which has now been deleted. However, fortunately for scholarship, the Google caché of the blog was still available this morning (March 4th, 2011), and as a result fast-off-the-mark theologians, philosophers and psychologists will have accessed and downloaded this new Summa Theologica. For the benefit of those who do not have access to the disquisition, and for the benefit of future generations, I reproduce it below.

But first, some background and analysis.

The Aquinas/Healy-Rae/Furlong Nexus

Dr Furlong begins his disquisition on this complex issue with an epigraph from the Reverend. J. Healy Ray, who is, of course relying on Aquinas as his authority. It will be remembered that Aquinas wrote in Summa Contra Gentiles (SCG):

‘It is evident … that every emission of semen, in such a way that generation cannot follow, is contrary to the good for man. And if this be done deliberately, it must be a sin.’

Now, we all know that gay people are forever saying that the emission of semen in this way is actually jolly good for man, but this is to misunderstand the Divine Doctor’s argument. Rev. J. Healy Rae gives us the appropriate lens under which to examine Aquinas’ teaching:

‘If I were to live for ever, I could never understand why a man, would want to marry another man.’

Here is Natural Law summed up in one, people-friendly sentence.

One of Rev. Healy Rae’s many strengths is that he never fails to speak in the language of the ordinary man even when analysing an abstruse Thomist concept. His urge is always to simplify, to reduce every complex issue to the kind of terms you don’t need to think about. Theologians will remember his wonderful argument in favour of drunk driving which relied on a proper understanding of the mechanics of tractors, an example of his successful marriage, in ordinary language, of modern physics and modern metaphysics, combined with the appeal to tradition.

Furlong’s Disease

So, these preliminary remarks in mind, we return to Dr Furlong’s analysis.  ‘I am by no means homophobic’, he declares, echoing perhaps Aquinas’ own admission (though I can’t remember where) that the emission of semen in such a way that generation cannot follow is actually good fun in several different contexts. Like so many of his ‘fellow country people’ (an obscure formulation that has fallen into disuse among scholars), Dr Furlong says, ‘I am a traditionalist’. We may safely assume that the tradition to which Dr Furlong belongs is the one that employed specialist torture instruments against homosexuals on the basis that their emissions of semen did not ‘attain their proper end’ (Aquinas, SCG). Attaining your proper end was important to Aquinas, and also, obviously, to Dr Furlong. This is not to be confused with the same phrase as employed by homosexuals in which ‘attaining your end’ is interpreted as the actual emission of semen. In this respect they perversely interpret Aquinas’ remark that ‘it is good for each person to attain his end’ as a licence to fornicate. Dr Furlong is making no such argument. In fact, he is against fornication, the European Union, tutus, fairy dust and all other abominations (see below). In fact, as Dr Furlong later stated in an interview with the Irish Examiner (link provided at the bottom of the page) ‘I am from a rural background and I was never exposed to homosexuality.’ There are, it goes without saying, no gay people in rural Ireland.

Dr Furlong goes on to argue that corruption in the state springs from the rejection of the natural law with special reference to the emission of semen:

The scourge of secularism and the evil of Atheism that has spread so rapidly in the last number of years, has DESTROYED or country. People have no morals anymore, no guidance, this can easily be seen with the rise in crime, homosexuality, divorces, the use of artificial contraceptives, and the rising call for the legalisation of abortion. (My italics.)

Now, of course, the attentive among my readers will immediately ask the question: What is the last number? And does Dr Furlong know it? Knowing the last number is certainly a mark of godhead and if Dr Furlong is claiming to know it, he may perhaps be the new Messiah. Equally, he could be a false Messiah or even the Anti-Christ. Only time will tell. What is clear, at any rate, is the list of sins that have led to the decline in morals or that are consequences of that decline. They are:

Causative: Secularism, Atheism

Consequential: Crime, homosexuality, divorce, contraception, legal abortion

He later adds the following to the list:

Blasphemy, frowning on religious practice, populism, fucking yourself, prancing around half-naked, sporting (sic) a tutu, sprinkling fairy dust, parades.

One significant aspect of Dr Furlong’s disquisition is that he regards homosexuality as something that one ‘has’, i.e. a disease, hence his later remark that he ‘was never exposed’ to it.  One might say ‘I have the clap’ (I’m not suggesting Dr Furlong has it, merely using it as an example) or ‘I have a bad cold’ or ‘I have homosexuality’. This is clearly a difference between Aquinas (who regarded homosexuality as a sin and therefore something deliberate and willed) and Furlong who sees it as a disease (and therefore, although unnatural and contra ‘the good for men’, somewhat less culpable). For Furlong, homosexuality is like a contagious disease, (the plague, say, or swine flu, or genital warts or anthrax) which leads to other contagions such as ‘the rise in crime’, the European Union, contraceptives, and the decline in the Irish Family. This holistic conception of the Nation is a feature of Fianna Fáil philosophy.

Quite clearly the disease of homosexuality is caused by atheism. Furlong is unequivocal on this. However, it is important to note that Dr Furlong ‘strongly admits’ that he has ‘good friends who are gay and they are perfectly normal people’. ‘Normal’ here must be interpreted as referring to the town in Illinois, USA, of that name, although the quantity of gay people in that town is not known to scholarship in our present state of knowledge.

Blessed Eoin Furlong? A consummation devoutly to be wished for…

Finally some remarks on the person of Dr Furlong. It appears as if some gang of ruffians got hold of Dr Furlong at some stage and tortured him. This is a reprehensible development. What is to become of philosophers if they can be manhandled by mobs and literally branded for their beliefs? Dr Furlong was, it seems, branded with the words ‘Zealot’ (in whose terms is this an insult?), ‘Bigot’ and ‘Bible Basher’. We do not know where these brands were placed as outwardly there is no evidence that Dr Furlong has these words upon his person. One can only suspect that the hated brands were applied to his modestly clothed  fleshier parts - however, only a homosexual would be interested in seeing those! Nor do we know the identity of his torturers except that one was a traitor to the cause (‘a Fianna Fáil Councillor’). This action has been characterised as blasphemy by Dr Furlong. It is to be regretted that his party is not in power at present as they would then be in a position to punish the perpetrators under The Blasphemy Act. In any case, it makes Dr Eoin Furlong a martyr to the Christian Cause. I will be writing to the Holy See in the near future, proposing him for promotion to the rank of Blessed Eoin Furlong. No less is his desert.

Link to Irish Examiner Article here

Link to Cache of Eoin Furlong’s Blog here (Please note, this link may not persist forever)

Screen-shot of article here.

Full Text of Dr Eoin Furlong’s blog on the homosexual disease:

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Civil Unions and Marriage Equality, NO THANKS!

By Eoin Furlong, Chairman Ógra Fianna Fáil, UCC Cumann

” If I were to live for ever, I could never understand why a man, would want to marry another man”, Jackie Healy-Rae TD.

This weekend Ógra Fianna Fáíl agreed to endorse Same-Sex Civil Unions at its Dublin Policy Day, to quote the Facebook post ” National Youth Committee today agreed Policy on Marriage equality”. As far as I’ve gathered the policy involves the support of Civil Unions and the coercion of the Colley report. As a proud member of Fianna Fáíl, and Ógra, this is one piece of policy that I simply cannot support.

I am by no means homophobic, I have respect for my fellow people and what they do in their own time is of no business to me. To put it bluntly I am a traditionalist and a Christian, like so many of my fellow country people. The Irish family is something we as a Nation must en devour to preserve and protect. Thankfully the bill does not allow same sex couples to adopt, something which would be detrimental to the children and future of this country. The Christian ethos on which this country and our constitution is based, has become diminished in the last number of years. One could almost say that we started to go downhill when we sold our nationhood to the Federalists in Europe.

The scourge of secularism and the evil of Atheism that has spread so rapidly in the last number of years, has DESTROYED or country. People have no morals anymore, no guidance, this can easily be seen with the rise in crime, homosexuality, divorces, the use of artificial contraceptives, and the rising call for the legalisation of abortion. People who have faith in God and who practice religion are now almost frowned upon, and this is especially true from my own experience. I have been branded a Zealot, a Bigot, a Bible Basher, (by a Fianna Fáíl Councillor), just because I am proud of my faith and enjoy practicing it, this I find offensive and dare I say it Blasphemous and insulting to my beliefs.

Anyway back to the main rant,

Marriage is something held sacred by our Constitution, and if a mandate to change this is put forward, a referendum is needed. It wouldn’t take a Harvard Professor to know that putting something like that to the people would ultimately end in defeat. This is why the government, trying to play the populism card, are introducing the Civil Unions bill. It disgusts me that those people who the bill affects are not content with it, i.e. they want full “marriage”, this is one of the main reasons why I am opposed to civil unions in the first place. As some old saying denoted in the annals of history states “You either put out or your put down”. Basically saying accept the bill as a final solution or go fuck yourself.

Something I cannot accept, and never will accept is the lifestyle engaged by the majority of those who have homosexuality, however I must strongly admit, I do have a number of good friends who are gay and they are perfectly normal people. How can those people expect the majority of people in this country to take them seriously if they insist on prancing around half naked, sporting a tutu and sprinkling fairy dust around the country. Gay rights parades are not a method of political negotiation. If those affected want the majority of the people of this country to take them seriously they most campaign through DIPLOMATIC means! And no Sen. David Norris does not count!

Posted by Eoin Furlong at 11:05 AM 0 comments

Photo courtesy of UCCFiannaFail.