Recently a new way for Catholics to use Google came
out www.catholicgoogle.com.
This is from their about page.
Catholic search engine powered by Google striving
to provide an easy to use resource to anyone wanting to learn more
about Catholicism and provide a safer way for good Catholics to surf
the web.
Cathoogle is powered by Google using "safe
search" technology, it produces balanced results from all
perspectives, from sites all over the internet with more weighting to
given to Catholic websites and sites containing content relating to
Catholics and Catholicism. At the same time our search engine
eliminates sites and web pages containing adult themed and explicit
sexual content from web search results.
The site is not
associated or affiliated with Google.com, we work closely with Google
to help ensure that the ads are not objectionable in nature, however,
some of the results and ads that are displayed may not be in line
with Catholic doctrine and we do not endorse of any of the results or
ads displayed on Cathoogle.
If you looked up something like contraception or aborion using
Cathoogle you get quite different results as the top hits weighted
towards orthodox Catholic sites for the most part.
As you can imagine this search service does not sit to well with
some Catholics of a progressive persuasion. I just got word about
another new search service using Google that provides quite different
hits then those provided by Cathoogle.
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About Us Are you tired of using search terms that give you a bunch of results that you don’t want? That you have to go through page after page of results to find answers that match what you want? If so then liberalcatholicgoogle.com is the site for you! Our specialized search algorithm will give you the results you want without a bunch of search chaff. No more will you find such sites as catholic.com, Catholic Encyclopedia, etch cluttering up your search results. Though one problem is that even among us progressive Catholics there are people who accept one so-called "dogma" and not another. When we pick and choose what we accept from the hierarchical Church it is not surprising that others pick and choose a different set. But we are a big tent Church and to accommodate this LiberalCatholicGoogle will further filter your search results based on your theological prospective. When you go to our configuration page you will see a selection of check boxes such as for example:
Just check off the items that best match what you accept. Or you can just check off
And the checkmarks will be checked accordingly. After then after answering a short questionnaire you’re off to search results matched perfectly to what you already believe! No more will you be bothered with pesky Vatican documents such as Humanae Vitae or annoying quotes from the Church Fathers in your search results. You will find plenty of content from the National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, America, and other great Catholic sources such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. Now sometimes you actually want something from a source such as the Vatican or Scripture. In these cases simply checkmark With Vatican Safe Search on – we have a special search algorithm first developed for Cherie Blair. The search will go through Vatican documents using the specialized search pick also known as the Cherie pick to return passages of documents that best match your search preferences and search terms. The Cherie pick also works perfectly wellwith Scripture Safe Search – on. You will be sure to get scripture such as"judge not’ without results such as "go and sin no more" or mean passages from homophobic St Paul. Within seconds you will have select passages to prove to other Catholics whatever you want! Not convinced yet? Well take a look at a sample of real world search results and you will be:
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. Catholics for Choice NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts : News Commonweal – A review of religion, politics and culture EMILY’s List Writer’s Desk: June 26, 2006 Amazon.com: A Brief, Liberal, Catholic Defense of Abortion: Daniel … Pro-abortion Senator Joe Biden |
15 comments
Brilliant!
I’m not so sure about the Catholic Google thing. While the internet has opened up lots of good opportunities for like-minded people to connect with one another, it comes with the danger that we will become insular. It seems that increasingly people seek out news sources that align with their own political leanings (MSBC vs Fox; The NY Times vs The Wall Street Journal; etc). The same is true for things religious, and the emergence of the blogosphere has only advanced this trend. There is going to come a point where we no longer have any shared news or information sources and it will become increasingly difficult to have meaningful dialogue with those with whom we disagree.
Case in point: the suggestion in the parody that all readers of the National Catholic Reporter have a set theological outlook. Have we gotten to the point where we feel free to stereotype others based on what they read?
I think it is vital that we continue to read and inform ourselves across ideological lines. I subscribe to Commonweal and Sojourners, but I also subscribe to First Things and National Review. I read this blog, but I also read the blog for America magazine. How can I be confident in the truth of what I believe unless I read contrary opinions? How can I hope to be persuasive to someone who disagrees with me unless I have really listened to and considered their point of view?
One last point: Having subscribed to Commonweal for the last eight years I have to take exception to the characterization of that magazine as somehow being soft on abortion. I can think of only one article since I began subscribing that took anything other than a solidly pro-life stance on abortion; and that article (by Mario Cuomo) was followed by a rebuttal.
When they do attempt the liberal version you will have the proof you came up with it 1st & THUS BE ABLE TO SHUT THEM DOWN FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.
Ok, I just tried it with the word “sex” and the first place result was “Sex Kills, Become Catholic and Live Forever” I guess that’s better…
One does not necessarily need to drink from both glasses if one knows through a reliable source that one glass contains poison. Having sipped for some time it’s juice, I can say with certainty that Commonweal is a poison cup. By the grace of God a remedy was provided, and I found my way to Firstthings. R.I.P., Fr. Neuhaus.
Another good Catholic search site that I use from time to time is http://www.catholicsearch.net
My only hope is that Cathoogle doesn’t awake from his endless slumber and devour our souls. I suppose the lack of a green color-scheme is comforting.
The “Liberal Catholic Google” parody is sheer class! Perhaps the wittiest thing I have seen all year.
The only problem is that the ads inserted by Google are just like the ones on the ‘Liberal Catholic Google’ site. Try Cathgoogling ‘contraception’ and look at the ads.
I tried using cathoogle and got zero results…
Someone MIGHT actually do this crazy idea….but absolutely hilarious 🙂 Brilliant.
Jeff, you are amazing. How is it that you never seem to run out of fresh ideas?
Excellent parody, almost as wonderful as PWTN (Progressive Word TN), the liberal TV network, which I still rate as one of the greatest.
Now then, how about remembering us over here in the UK??? Liberal Catholics ALL read the Tablet – surely you guys have heard of it? They even do liturgical dance in their offices. I think that LiberalCatholicGoogle would come up with it quite quickly.
Excellent parody, almost as wonderful as PWTN (Progressive Word TN), the liberal TV network, which I still rate as one of the greatest Curt Jester parodies.
Now then, how about remembering us over here in the UK??? Liberal Catholics ALL read the Tablet – surely you guys have heard of it? Employees even do liturgical dance in their offices. I think that LiberalCatholicGoogle would come up with it quite quickly.
The Nancy Pelosi catechism must be on the second page of hits, eh?
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