Matt Pinto on Christopher West

By His Fruits You Shall Know Him: A Defense of Christopher West

by Matthew Pinto

Over the past few weeks, I have watched a friend and fellow soldier in the Church get assaulted by his own troops, [His own troops? We are all subordinates of Chris West? Nice. There is more below on why the logical fallacy Matt uses here is also very popular among pro-abortion supporters.] ironically due to his breakthrough appearance on ABC News’ Nightline, the kind of program we in the Catholic media have long been targeting as an instrument for communicating Catholic teaching in general, and Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB) message in particular.

As one of his publishers (along with the Daughters of St. Paul and Servant/St. Anthony’s Messenger), I have witnessed firsthand the dynamic impact Christopher West is having on people worldwide, both married and single. Few Catholic authors/evangelists can match his track record of eyes opened to Truth and hearts turned to Christ. Fewer still have shown the courage to battle the colossal dragon that is modern society’s dissolute sexual culture, a beast that threatens to devour the souls in its path, including those of our children. [Logical Fallacy #1: The Saviour Complex: Chris is one of the few, the brave. Just as Americans don't talk enough about race, and it must be true because Barack Obama says it, very few Catholics are concerned about the culture, few are doing or saying anything about it, and it must be true because Chris West's publisher says it. Can anyone match his orthodoxy? Well, most can surpass it. But how about his book and CD sales? Only Dan Brown has beaten him. ]

When Archbishop Sheen would be told by agitators back in his day that they had left the Faith, he would reportedly reply, “Oh, what was your sin?” Most, undoubtedly, were sexual in nature, for the Church’s message of sexual restraint has never been an easy teaching. But here Christopher comes forward with an urgent message of sexual healing and renewal from the very heart of the Church, and he is vilified by certain quarters of the Catholic apostolate. All one can do is marvel. [Logical Fallacy #2 and 3: Truth by Assertion and Begging the Question. We aren't given the reason Sheen said what he said, we are told by Someone Who Knows. No further proof is necessary. But, how do we know Chris is giving an "urgent message of sexual healing" and not just making a lot of money off of Catholic voyeurism and his ability to act as a Dr. Ruth Catholic sex therapist? Because. Just because. ]

Breathtaking Results

Christopher, to a degree far greater than any other Catholic evangelist I have known in my 19 years of full-time ministry, is helping to heal people’s sexual wounds and correct their errors and misinterpretations of Church teaching. To read the testimonials we at Ascension Press receive each week in response to his books and conferences is to understand how positive an impact this man is having on people’s lives. The principles of Pope John Paul’s texts that Christopher is popularizing are stimulating vocations to consecrated life, strengthening youth, saving marriages, and saving babies worldwide. [Logical Fallacy #4: Anecdotal Evidence. The question is this: Does Chris West accurately portray the Catholic Faith? One one hand, we are told all these people are totally misinformed about sexuality. They know nothing. But all of these know-nothings LOVE West's teachings, as they loved Dan Brown's and Barack Obama's teachings.

Dr. Schindler, the man who TAUGHT Chris West Catholic theology, says West's theology is whacked, and says he has a drawerful of letters expressing concerns about West from chancery officials, priests and bishops. But none of THAT evidence counts because... well, because. Also, notice how we have now gone from "Chris West teaches error" to "Other people believe in error and Chris corrects it." We can only assume that Dr. Schindler, head of a pontifical institute and West's own teacher, is sadly one of the people Chris has to correct.]

Each year, more than 55,000 engaged persons in over 40 dioceses are being introduced to the authentic Catholic vision for marriage contained in Christopher’s marriage preparation program. Of the 91% who have entered the program sexually active, more than half of these couples said they will forego ongoing sexual relations until they are married. Nearly a third of these couples state that they will employ “Natural Family Planning” methods once they are married. And fully 61% made a deeper commitment to Christ because of the program. This is powerful evangelization. [Logical Fallacy #5: No Experimental Controls. I personally know of a chancery office whose marriage formation process does NOT use TOB and does NOT use Chris West material. Five years ago, their conversion rate to NFP was... 30%. Is West really accomplishing anything out of the ordinary? Everyone says so, but no one provides any real evidence of it.]

Moreover, tens of thousands of college students on both Catholic and secular campuses have heard, perhaps for the first time, what “sexual freedom” really means! Cardinals and bishops from around the U.S. have invited Christopher to address the priests in their dioceses, and as a result, more than 3,600 priests in 31 dioceses have been given new tools to minister to a Catholic community that has, by and large, jettisoned much of the Catholic sexual ethic. The most consistent comment in surveys of these priests has been: “This was the single best continuing education day I have experienced in my entire priesthood.”
[Logical Fallacy #6: Jump on the Bandwagon. I know of a lot of bishops and priests who won't let Chris West anywhere near their flock because they think he's whacked. So, which bandwagon do you believe? Those who have decided to publicly support, or those who have decided to quietly ostracize Chris West? And in either case, if that is the basis for our judgement, when did Catholic theology become subject to popularity contests?]

More than 25 bishops have taken time from their busy schedules to attend day-long seminars given by Christopher. One Midwestern bishop said after a seminar – and in front of a crowd of 600 – that Christopher is simply “one of the best Catholic evangelists in the Church today.” [Logical Fallacy #7: Argument from Authority. As Aquinas says, this is the weakest of all arguments, unless based on the judgement of God Himself, in which case it is the strongest. Now, we can stack up that bishop, who is not infallible and who may very well be on the board of directors of Chris West's Institute, against the director of the pontifical institution that TAUGHT Chris West. That director has said in front of the Church Universal that the student he taught has gone rogue. Again, whose authority do you trust?]

Beyond that, more than 1,100 lay church leaders have attended Christopher’s weeklong course at the Theology of the Body Institute – and have given him an approval rating of over 96%. These leaders emerge substantially equipped to run TOB studies at their parishes, spreading John Paul II’s urgent message even deeper into the Catholic grassroots. [Bandwagon again.]

And these statistics do not even include the tens of thousands who have undertaken a personal or group study of the TOB via West’s books and workbooks – which bear Imprimaturs from bishops such as Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, Sean Cardinal O’Malley of Boston, and Justin Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia. [Authority Argument Again. Most people don't realize that imprimaturs mean exactly nothing. They can be given or refused in error - they provide no assurance that the work contained within is any good. Catholic publishers use them as marketing tools to the gullible. In that, they bear something in common with Matt's sales pitch essay.]

As we know from the Acts of the Apostles, if a work is not of God, it will fail (5:38-39). Yet in this time of historic sexual anarchy, Christopher’s critics remain disinclined to attribute his overwhelmingly positive results to a blessing by God.[Logical Fallacy #8: Timing. If we use Matt's standard of judgment, the Arian heresy was from God, because thousands converted to it, including thousands of priests and bishops, over the course of not just a few years, but several centuries. Arianism was not only popular, but enduring. Of course, if we accept Matt's reasoning and apply it to Father Arius, then we'll have to deny that Christ is fully God. It should be noted that Arius had the support of some pretty strong theologians, and was wildly popular among the army due to his great "rock" music style of delivery. No joke. He created popular ditties that pushed his theology. Wonderful at self-promotion. Remind you of anyone?]

Distinct Mission and Voice

Christopher gets criticized by some for focusing too much on “sex: the verb,” though most who intimately know his work recognize that it focuses on the entire catechetical breadth of the TOB. [The problem is, it often goes beyond.] For most of the Nightline interview, at which I was present, Christopher shared the pope’s vision about “sex: the noun.” But he was stung by hyper-aggressive editing in the final product, and has surely learned a lesson for future broadcast interviews. Despite the incoming fire, he should not avoid these television opportunities going forward. Any occasion to introduce millions of souls to Pope John Paul’s sublime teaching during this time of crisis simply must be seized.[Logical Fallacy #9 and 10: #9 - Wasn't My Fault. Bad Editing. #10 - Crisis. It's a "CRISIS" so we must accept what is coming. Barack uses this technique extensively. No time to waste. Crisis, crisis, crisis. Be happy for what you got. Crisis.]

This said, it should be noted that Christopher’s mission is different from others who teach and evangelize within the Catholic world. He is endeavoring to reach the vast majority of Catholics, including those who have not darkened the door of a church for years, the group comprising the “walking wounded” who have made bad choices in the past, or those who have grown up secretly thinking that their bodies or sex are somehow bad. This is an important part of West’s audience and reaching them is not easily accomplished. The sexual apologetics offered by many who have criticized Christopher will simply not reach, to any measurable degree, the wife who feels used by her husband, the man who has allowed impure habits to dominate his life, or the millions who view Catholicism as hopelessly repressive. [Logical Fallacy #11 and 12: 11 - Chris is Special. Again, a great Barack Obama talking point. What is it doing in Chris' envelope? #12 - Chris' audience is special (as in handicapped). First, this is exactly the post-Vatican II argument that got us rainbows, butterflies, communion in the hand, applause after Mass, clown noses on priests during the liturgy, and sundry other tawdry items. Second, why is the sexual perversion of the 21st century so darned different from the sexual perversions of the Greeks, for which they were legendary, their pornographic in-laid mosaics, their pederasty and homosexuality, etc.? If talking about anal sex and Mary's flat chest were necessary to the Gospel message, why don't we find it in 1 Corinthians?]

Given the sensitivity of the topics he addresses and the sheer volume of words he expresses in public, it is only natural that Christopher will occasionally answer questions or communicate ideas in ways that he will later need to refine. But he has never, and will never, reject a single teaching of the Catholic Church. The alleged “problems” in West’s presentations amount to issues of style, not doctrine.[Truth by assertion again. Calling "anal sex as foreplay" acceptable, which Chris has done, is a doctrinal problem. Saying "heaven doesn't make any sense without hell" is a doctrinal problem. Saying "Origen isn't a doctor of the Church because he castrated himself" is a doctrinal and historical problem. Saying "the saints who threw themselves in thorn bushes to avoid lust had a distorted understanding of the theology of the body" is a doctrinal problem. Notice how I brought forward examples and Matt didn't?]

A highly respected Catholic bishop and scholar once counseled Christopher with these words: “They will expect perfection of you.” This has certainly proven to be the case. But combating it by standing at podiums with scholarly paper in hand is not an option for a man who wants to connect with the vast audience of Desperate Housewives. As Jules Van Schaijik of The Personalist's Project, said, “Attempting to anticipate all objections and prevent all possible misunderstandings would sap the life and sparkle from his talks. What he might gain in precision and clarity would be lost in effectiveness.” [Logical Fallacy #13: It's the Style, Stupid. Style trumps over content. What, pray tell, is West "effecting" since his own publisher admits he is not precise and clear? Which of the doctors of the Church, many known for their golden-tongued oratory, found it necessary to trade substance for style? Is West so poor a teacher that he can't teach the Faith unless he mis-presents it? As Augustine said, "God does not need my lie." Does He need Chris' lie? Further, both Drs. Smith and Waldstein had said Dr. Schindler should have a scholarly discussion with West and stop these public rebukes. Is this "scholarly discussion" now off the table because West doesn't have the time?]

There is no question that many in the Church are still very uncomfortable discussing the subject of sex. But while millions are drowning in a sea of filth advanced by our sexually-twisted media culture, Christopher is one of very few[!] hazarding a high seas rescue mission and giving people a hand into the boat.[Barque of Peter!] Never[NEVER!] has such a mission been so badly needed. Within the next 10 years, probably half the states in the U.S. will have embraced same-sex marriage. Already, most Catholics of child-bearing age have rejected Church teaching on contraception. And on this very day, more than 3,600 children will be killed in their mother’s womb. Yet some of our fellow Catholics have felt it important to spend their energies publicly lancing one of their own.[Logical Fallacy #14 and #15. #14 - Assume the Conclusion. Chris is fine because I just wrote an essay that has come to that conclusion #15 - I'm Better Than You. Barack, Biden, Pelosi are all either Catholics and/or products of Catholic schools, yet we lance them all the time. Should we stop out of deference to Matt Pinto, and Mark Shea, from whom Matt stole this extremely sleazy argument? By accusing someone of "lancing one of your own," Matt (or Mark) makes you feel ashamed, makes himself morally superior, implies that the person being lanced doesn't deserve it, all in order to get you to shut up so he doesn't have to answer a single argument you bring forward. Abortion proponents do this all of the time with the very similar argument: "I don't want to impose my morals on others," that is, "I don't want to lance others, like you do, you sleaze." Both arguments accomplish the same thing using exactly the same method. Now, here's the bonus question: Why are Chris West supporters using pro-abortion argument techniques?]

It is a fact that many of the Church’s most exalted figures also encountered their greatest resistance from within Church ranks. A comforting thought for a man carrying very heavy water in the cultural wildfire [Mixed metaphor. I thought he was on the high seas? Now he's in a wildfire. Such Versatility! And WOW - two Church symbols in two paragraphs. What a deal!] that threatens us all. [Just as modernism is the synthesis of all heresies, these closing paragraphs attempt to synthesize all the fallacies into a sweeping whole. Notice: Many of the Church's greatest heretics also "encountered great resistance from within Church ranks." Chris as water-bearer recalls Chris, Chris, the font of living water, and the theme of "CRISIS!" is again invoked. It gets kind of tiring by the end, though. Makes you wonder how noble old Chris stands the strain out there. On the high seas. Amidst the wildfire. With his heavy bucket. All by his lonesome. Hand outstretched. Alone. Apart from the 3 million CD sales, the 1 million book sales and all the people who are pushing his tripe in every parish they can invade. Sniffle. I would write more, but my eyes are leaking, and I need a Kleenex.]

Matthew Pinto is the president of Ascension Press and the author, co-author, or editor of 11 books.[Some of them quite good, actually. This letter doesn't make that rank. ]