Catholics urged to fight gay marriage

[rodbarnett]

Bishop, Bork try to mobilize lawyers

By Ralph Ranalli and John McElhenny, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent, 1/12/2004

A call to fight the legalization of gay marriage was issued by several prominent voices yesterday, including Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley and former US Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork, who strongly urged the state's Catholic lawyers and judges to oppose last year's historic decision by the state Supreme Judicial Court.

<snip>

"We cannot afford to be asleep at the switch. We cannot afford to run for cover. Today, at this Red Mass, I call on you, our Catholic lawyers and jurists, to live your baptismal commitment," O'Malley said. "Your baptism and your profession invest you with a great responsibility. Use your wisdom to defend the truth, to defend marriage. Do it with a passion and do what is right."

Later, at a luncheon sponsored by the Catholic Lawyers' Guild, Bork, a former US attorney general, warned that the US Supreme Court appeared to be on track to issue a national decision similar to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's November ruling.

Bork, the author of several books, including "Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline," said that the country has entered a new age of judicial activism that is eroding the government's traditional separation of powers.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/01/12/catholics_urged_to_fight_gay_marriage/

[GinaMaria]

1. too bad they didn't have this kind of passion and

determination to stop pediphile priests. As strong a stance against the rape of children could have made a big difference, imho.

Condemn consenting adult behavior. Trun a blind eye to sexual assault on kids. What a backwards world we live in.

[yellowcanine]

7. Exactly....Just like the Bush maladministration

Up is down and down is up. Project unto others thine own transgressions.

Where is the sense in this?
The church is saying we will oppose stable committed relationships between gays but we will bless a relationship based on a lie as long as it is between a (gay) man and a woman. Idiots.

[lovedems]

2. As a catholic I am totally pissed off!

If the catholic church is going to resort to hate speech as other religions have done, instead of embrace the church, I will run from it as fast as I can.

[Malva Zebrina]

3. there are two marriages

one is the legal definition, the civil ceremony marriage--the one that goes on record in your town or wherever, and then there is the holy sacrament, so named by the church, of marriage, the one where a couple goes before the altar and a priest presents them with the vows and a god blesses the union. The church does have a perfect right to deny the "sacrament" to gays but they have no right to deny a legal civil ceremonied marriage to them or to try and force secular laws to abide by their holy marriage rules in order that gays do NOT and can NOT ever marry civil or church. They simply do not have that power. I don't know how it goes now, but there was time when the church did NOT recognize a civil ceremony --period--one who was interested in remaining in the church, had to , in addition, have the church, under god, ceremony, if one was previously married in a civil ceremony. So what it is to them if gays are married in a civil ceremony?

[saigon68]

5. This Gay Bashing is done to solicit funds.

Look at Fred Phelps. He'd be cleaning portable toilets with a hose, for $5.65 an hour, if he didn't get thousands of dollars in donations from all over to spout his "God Hates Fags" nonsense.

Also last time I checked there were millions starving from a lack of food in the world.
Far better to feed and minister to these people than to get upset with 2 consenting adults who happen to love each other.

YIKES.

[Randomthought]

6. Exactly!

The Catholic church or any church has no right to interfere in civil marriage.

[kysrsoze]

4. Well, if Robert Bork is involved, you know it's something demonic

Nothing like trying to mobilize the Catholic Church to do your dirty work for you. Next will come abortion, then finally fornication and criticism of government.

[yellowcanine]

9. Bork continues to confirm the assessment made by the Senate years ago

when it decided (under Ted Kennedy's leadership) that he was unsuitable as a member of the SCOTUS as a result of his extreme views.

[Merlin]

8. This is a deliberate, political wedge issue assault for GWB and the right.

It really pisses me off that the Catholic church has been so overtaken by right wing idealogues who use it for political purposes.

As a Catholic in exile, this confirms why I walked out on the church 30 years ago.

The calcified, neolithic, dryed-up old men who run the Catholic church should be disavowed and sent into retirement. It should start with JPII.

When I was a kid, there was a lot of enlightened activity in the Church. Pope John XXIII called Vatican II, and many terrific reforms were usured in. Now the Church is mired again in a medieval mindset wholly unworthy of the followers of Jesus.

[davidinalameda]

10. straw men

wonder if the funds raised on this issue by the church will go to the pedophile victims

good fundraising tool--they owe $85 million to victims

[skippysmom]

11. things like this

are why Catholics are leaving the church.

I was raised Catholic and got married in the Catholic Church, but I cannot reconcile myself to a church that stifles dissent and takes on right wing causes.

The Episcopalians are looking much better nowadays.

[dawn]

12. Yup.

Although gay marriage wasn't discussed 15 years ago when I left, it's intolerant attitudes like this that make people want to leave.

[Baclava]

13. NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope....

[arwalden]

14. Outrageous!

and disgusting!

-- Allen

[PATRICK]

15. Catholic lawyers should

Educate the clergy on the nature of law in a pluralistic society that guarantees religious freedom- to name one thing. I remember the canon lawyers heroically tried to humanize the marriage laws and the annulment process. That was quashed. So if the law is always superseded why bother? As a moral teaching you can advocate anything.
As far as legal intervention in the society you had better give the lawyers' respect- not orders.

Pale shadow of past religious state interference. Only the fundies are enjoying the novelty of that game now.

Can't anyone in this world just do their job?

I have bigger fish to fry than this and if the Church doesn't get its priorities straight they will have choice seats in the destruction of all humans, married or otherwise, their enslavement, poisoning and extinction, to name a few evils.

What stewardship. What compassion. And I am entitled to that level of prophetic criticism no matter I don't wear the lace doilies and red robes.

[PATRICK]

16. Bennet Bork Scalia Norquist

The political cardinalte of the subverted Ammerican Church which explains why Americanism is still a viable heresy. If the Church works with political hacks trying to steal it, why not listen to lawyers or people of compassion?

The Bishop has gone over to the other side before he even made a pronouncement.

[delete_bush]

17. Nothing like the fervor of a recent convert

This from a July, 2003 article:

It may be a little late to start for most, but Robert Bork, the former Supreme Court nominee who has written books decrying the decline of Western culture, has just been baptized. Rev. C. John McCloskey, who represents the conservative and activist Opus Dei arm of the Roman Catholic Church and oversaw the baptism, said, "I can confirm that he was received in the Catholic Church."

Bork's sponsors were Kate O'Beirne, a conservative media star, and John O'Sullivan, head of UPI.

Lots of other prominent Catholics were there, such as columnist and speechwriter Peggy Noonan, herself a convert.

McCloskey has made several other high-level conversions of conservatives, bringing into the Catholic Church conservative columnist Robert Novak and Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.

From an August, 2002 article about McCloskey:

(McCloskey) is talking about a futuristic essay he wrote that rosily describes the aftermath of a "relatively bloodless" civil war that resulted in a Catholic Church purified of all dissent and the religious dismemberment of the United States of America.

"There's two questions there.. One is, Do I think it would be better that way? No. Do I think it's possible? Do I think it's possible for someone who believes in the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of life, the sanctity of family, over a period of time to choose to survive with people who think it's OK to kill women and children or for -- quote -- homosexual couples to exist and be recognized?

"No, I don't think that's possible," he says. "I don't know how it's going to work itself out, but I know it's not possible, and my hope and prayer is that it does not end in violence. But, unfortunately, in the past, these types of things have tended to end this way.
"If American Catholics feel that's troubling, let them. I don't feel it's troubling at all."

From a November, 2003 article:

(McCloskey) discusses a famous 1996 issue of the conservative Catholic magazine First Things -- one to which Bork, among others, contributed his thoughts. That issue examined, as it said, "possible responses to laws that cannot be obeyed by conscientious citizens ranging from non-compliance . . . to morally justified revolution."

For his part, McCloskey is adamant and unapologetic. "I love the United States of America," he says. "I would hope, rather than violence, if there was to be a difference in the way that people look at the fundamental issues, that they would separate peacefully rather than impose their views on the others. It's not my ideal. I'm just trying to explain it to you. Really, I'm being quite honest and sincere."

And I am honest and sincere when I say these people are a bunch of real scary freaks!

[Sapphocrat]

18. Bork is like the newest arrival in town...

You know the type: Moves to your town, and two weeks later, bombards the hometown newspaper with letters about what's wrong with your town, and what you and your neighbors should have done 25 years ago to fix everything -- endearing himself to no one.

Such newcomers usually run for city council by the end of the first year. (Cardinal Bork? Yeeeeeesh.)

[yellowcanine]

19. Treason inspired by religion......

is still treason. Why don't reporters ask Republicans if they dissavow McCloskey's treasonous talk?

For his part, McCloskey is adamant and unapologetic. "I love the United States of America," he says. "I would hope, rather than violence, if there was to be a difference in the way that people look at the fundamental issues, that they would separate peacefully rather than impose their views on the others. It's not my ideal. I'm just trying to explain it to you. Really, I'm being quite honest and sincere."

Someone should remind McCloskey that this approach was already tried by the Confederate States of America in 1861. My history book tells me it didn't work out too well.

[Malva Zebrina]

20. You know, I wish they would comment upon something that is really

important here--like the illegal war Bush has waged in Iraq instead of this piddly little single issue item. It seems so puny and little compared to the huge thing that is going on in Iraq under a president who is insane and who needs to be taken to task by someone and who else to do that but those who are in charge of the "spiritual" welfare of their flock.

They have chosen a target that is vulnerable in the pecking order of things. Gays and women are always having to buck up against them.