My response to TIA's response (UPDATED)

TIA has posted their response to my letter, you can find it here (your will have to scroll down until they fix their site.) (UPDATE: They have fixed their site)

Here is my response to their response. Because they divided their response into numbered sections, I will follow their system.

1. “We did not know it, so we could not report it.”

I don’t really have a problem with this, if they didn’t know, I can’t expect them to report it.

2. “We acknowledge that you are convinced of your opinion, and we respect it. We hope you may also realize that your opinion is open to discussion.”

If my opinion is open to discussion, then discuss it. You cannot just say, “well, that’s your opinion,” and then leave it. If TIA can come up with another alternative for the music the Bishop Britt is dancing to, please let me know. Until then, because there has been no other option put forward we must accept our initial hypothesis as being the only option.

3. “You seem to confuse singing in honor of God and dancing in honor of God.”

I never mentioned singing, my exact words were: “Do you object to a dance that praises God?” The entire section on the difference between singing and dancing is immaterial.


“It is our conviction that a Bishop should be a model of Christ for his diocese. Now, Our Lord never danced.”

What evidence do you have that Christ never danced? Dancing was a large part of the culture, especially at weddings and other celebrations. We know Jesus attended at least one wedding, and to think that was the only wedding he attended in 33 years is absurd. “They [the apostles] died martyrs because they obeyed this command of Our Lord and opposed the pleasure-oriented pagan world that surrounded them.” Dancing is not exclusively pagan, so I do not understand the point of this argument.

4. “This opinion is confirmed by History where the rule for Bishops is not to dance. We are not aware of exceptions to this rule, but would like to know if any existed.”

By rule do you mean a written law, or just general pattern? If there is a written rule forbidding Bishop’s from dancing, I would like to see it, and wonder why you did not post it with the picture.

5. “This opinion is also confirmed in the Old Covenant, wherein God described in great detail all the ceremonies and rules the Levites should follow for His honor and glory, and, as far as we know, never mentioned dancing.”

The beauty of God’s law is that it is minimalist. Instead of listing everything we can do, it tells us what we must do, and what we must not do. If dancing is not mentioned, we can assume that it is acceptable.

6. “From these spurious sources, and not from the crystal waters of Catholic tradition, the post-conciliar Church assimilated the present day habit of dancing and shouting at religious gatherings…”

What is your proof for this claim?

7. “The example of King David dancing before the Ark does not apply to the case of dancing Bishops because he was a layman, not an ecclesiastic.”

In 2 Samuel 6:5 “And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord with all their might…” It does not say “all the house of Israel, except the Levites who were not allowed to make merry…,” but all the house of Israel. If this is not enough, Psalms 150:2-3 “Let Israel be glad in his Maker, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with timbrel and lyre!” Again it does not exclude the Levites.

I don’t think there is anything else to add to this, there is nothing in the Word of God, or in the Traditions of His Church to forbid “dancing Bishop’s.”
Yours in Christ,
Thursday