{"id":4104,"date":"2005-09-23T21:44:56","date_gmt":"2005-09-24T01:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/09\/23\/dont-ask-dont-tell-jeeves-abo"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:34","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:34","slug":"dont-ask-dont-tell-jeeves-aborted-vocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/09\/23\/dont-ask-dont-tell-jeeves-aborted-vocation\/","title":{"rendered":"don’t ask, don’t tell — Jeeves’ aborted vocation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What’s the world coming to?  Ask Jeeves<\/A> is about to fire Jeeves the Butler <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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(BBC, “<\/FONT>Ask Jeeves decides to axe Jeeves<\/FONT><\/A>; Inquirer; <\/EM>“<\/FONT>Butler gets the bullet<\/FONT><\/A>,” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Sept. <\/EM><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>23, <\/EM><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>2005).  And, <\/EM><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>just as I was going to suggest a possible late-life <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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priestly <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>vocation <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>for the unemployed manservant, I learn that <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>the Vatican is <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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about <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>to post a “No Gays Need <\/EM><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>Apply<\/EM>” sign on all of its <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>seminaries.   (see <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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BBC, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT>“<\/FONT>Vatican ‘to ban new gay priests’<\/FONT><\/A>,” Sept. 23, 2005; Mirror of Justice<\/EM>,<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Gay priests and the Vatican<\/FONT><\/A>, with a lengthy excerpt by “Fr. Paul Michaels,”<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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from <\/FONT>The Tablet<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/EM><\/A>; NYT<\/A><\/EM>, “Gay Men Ponder Impact of Proposal by Vatican.”)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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According to TimesOnline<\/EM><\/A>:<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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“The Roman Catholic Church is about to ban men who are even <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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suspected of latent homosexual tendencies from training as priests. <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>“Vatican sources said that the Pope will recommend mobilising all <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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the resources of modern psychology to weed out those with homo-<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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sexual <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>thoughts.” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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The Guardian<\/EM><\/A> explains:<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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The proposed move, a clear shift away from earlier church policy <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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of condemning homosexual acts but not homosexual orientation, <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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is being seen as another example of the hardline approach of the <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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deeply conservative new Pope, Benedict XVI.<\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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“JeevesG”  Although I wish they’d keep the updated Jeeves search engine icon, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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I have <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>no <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>idea whether that newly-purchased enterprise needs a fresher and <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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more <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>expansive image to compete with Google and Yahoo!.  <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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On the other hand, I’m almost certain that a ban on gay priests <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>will greatly <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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hurt the Church’s image and its institutional soul.  It will both worsen the drastic <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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shortage of priests and greatly burden <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>gay men who have been serving their <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Church faithfully and are now being <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>told they really should never have been <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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ordained.  (It has been estimated that between 20 and 30 pecent of American<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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priests are gay.)  B<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>randing all persons with <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>a homosexual preference as unsuitable <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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for <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>the priesthood is both unjust and <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>unholy.  I urge you to read the Tablet <\/EM><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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column<\/A> mentioned above, which was <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>written by a celibate, homosexual priest<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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with an active ministry in <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>the United States.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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Just as Martin Grace recently wondered<\/A> whether the American Catholic   “JeevesN”<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Church is <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>getting good advice from its lawyers, I have to wonder whether the <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Vatican is getting good advice from the Divine Counselor, who is purportedly <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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the <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>source of the Church’s “Truth.”  More accurately, I wonder whether any <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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one in the Vatican still has the ear of the Holy Spirit and<\/EM> whether they really <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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listen to the Divine message of love and compassion.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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\"maleSym\" \"femaleSym\"  At my Jesuit high school some forty years<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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ago, the principal (a male priest) ran off with the female head of <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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our Parent-Teacher Association.  Do you think we should check <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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out seminarians for hetero<\/EM>sexual tendencies?   What the Church <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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apparently needs is a whole lot of good eunuchs.  <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Meanwhile, Old Jeeves might have to look elsewhere for new <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>employment.   <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Don’t Ask.  Don’t tell.  And watch those bad thoughts!<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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[Tom Toles “explains” it all in <\/FONT>this<\/FONT><\/A> editorial cartoon (Wash. Post<\/EM>., Sept. 23, 2005)]<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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he stows his fan
behind his neck…
little priest<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/FONT><\/FONT>
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<\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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quite remarkable
being born human…
autumn dusk<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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    Kobayashi Issa<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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       translated by <\/FONT>David G. Lanoue<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/FONT>                                                                           <\/DIV>
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                                                                                                       “JeevesLogo” don’t tell!<\/FONT><\/EM><\/STRONG> <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s the world coming to?  Ask Jeeves is about to fire Jeeves the Butler (BBC, “Ask Jeeves decides to axe Jeeves; Inquirer; “Butler gets the bullet,” Sept. 23, 2005).  And, just as I was going to suggest a possible late-life priestly vocation for the unemployed manservant, I learn that the Vatican is about to post a “No […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-14c","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4104"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13015,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4104\/revisions\/13015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}