East Rutherford Catholic church's gay music director to quit over priest's sermon

[LAGC]

EAST RUTHERFORD – A gay Catholic church musician on Wednesday said he will voluntarily leave his post in two weeks because his pastor allegedly created a hostile work environment after preaching against homosexuality.

“Marriage between two men is a lie,” Robert Russell, who has been a music minister at St. Joseph Parish for 22 years, said the newly appointed pastor preached to the congregation July 10.

The Rev. Joseph Astarita, who became pastor of the church in July, declined to comment.

Jim Goodness, Archdiocese of Newark spokesman, also declined to comment on the resignation. But he did say, “Catholic churches are allowed to employ people based on belief.”

The Vatican does not condone homosexuality.
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http://www.northjersey.com/community/religion/091411_East_Rutherford_Catholic_churchs_gay_music_director_to_quit_over_priests_sermon.html

Hmm... guess that "big tent" isn't working out too well for some Catholic parishes, even in liberal New Jersey...

[HockeyMom]

1. Divorce and remarriage is a lie also

How is this any different to the catholic church? A catholic man and woman divorced and civilly married are not married at all to the catholic church. Their children are bastards. This couple should LEAVE EACH other, and not live in "sin" anymore. They will NEVER be married according to this church. The ex is still their spouse forever.

Would these people be considered legally married by society? OF COURSE. There is absolutely no difference AT ALL between straight and gay couples. CIVIL marriages are still valid and legal no matter what churches say.

[Gman]

4. The church has it's own laws

if you're a Catholic, you abide by them. If you don't you leave. No problem. You choose to be a Catholic.

[HockeyMom]

6. Not the point

Legally all these people are married by the state. Tough if the catholic church think so. Only thing that matters is that the state recognizes their marriages.

[Gman]

2. I've said it before that, as far as the state is concerned

marriage is a joint partnership where two parties who are sanctioned to do business as one entity. That is the ONLY interest the state has in a marriage. If two men go into business together, they form a joint partnership company and conduct business as one entity regardless of their sex. No difference. This should not even be a church issue.

Now, if a church wants to prohibit same sex marriage, that's a private matter and they don't have to do it. That preserves the church's position. And if two people don't like it, they can go somewhere else to get married, probably a JP, if permitted. But the state has no right to deny two people the ability to conduct business as one entity. The conferring the ability to conduct business as one entity is the only interest a state has in marriage, regardless of sex.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Let's take the church out of it.

Require all marriage ceremonies to be performed as a civil ceremony. If one is married only the clergy then it is not recognized by the state. They can do both but only the civil ceremony will be recognized.

[Gman]

7. Very similarly, my wife and I were married in Las Vegas i.e. not in the Catholic Church

Then 5 years later, we were "married" again in the church. But the one that counts is the first one. But we also complied with the church.

[LiberalFighter]

9. In some countries in Europe only the civil ceremony is the one that counts.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. SHAME ON E. RUTHERFORD!! Father Mychal Judge was a priest at that church

years ago. Fr. Judge preached love for gays and lesbians. He personally solicited money from Mother Theresa to open a clinic for AIDS patients and he received it.

The sermon was an insult to the memory of this extraordinary cleric.

[NMMNG]

8. He's better off without them