Blackmail

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2009/12/13/163129/65

Blackmail

by BooMan
Sun Dec 13th, 2009 at 04:31:29 PM EST


The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington DC says they will cancel all their contracts to do charitable work with the city if the City Council legalizes gay marriage as they are expected to do.

The proposed D.C. law, expected to go before the council for a vote in the first week of December, would not require churches to perform same-sex weddings. But it would place churches and religious institutions under the auspices of the city's existing equality laws, which forbids employer discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

According to the {Washington} Post, the charity arm of the D.C. archdiocese serves around 68,000 people in the city with services ranging from homeless shelters to health clinics to adoption services. The church spends around $10 million a year on D.C. charity work, and provides a third of the city's homeless shelter beds.

All that could end if D.C. passes the gay marriage law, the church says.

Are you impressed?

[lob1]

1. Who would Jesus blackmail?

[elehhhhna]

3. Who would he hate?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I am NOT impressed.

That is a chicken-shit position to take, and they know it.

The adverse publicity would really hurt the Archdiocese.

Shame on them...


K&R

[babylonsister]

4. I think this is horrible. I'm not religious, but

really, what happened to their vows of charity? They will just drop all their mission(s) because of a vote they seem unable to influence?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Exactly.

I can't see them dropping their missions over this. It's insanity. I hope they get their bluff called.

[silverweb]

5. Revoke all religious tax exemptions.

Put all charitable service contracts up for bid to nonprofits only.

[Old Codger]

9. How About

Just revoke all religions....

[silverweb]

11. Good luck with that.

:D

[Old Codger]

17. Oh Well

one can only hope

[silverweb]

18. One step at a time.

I'll be happy if churches just have their tax exampt status revoked permanently.

[Old Codger]

25. You got it

Absolutely, no way this country should not be taking care of it's citizens as well as the rest of the world does.

[leftofcool]

7. How 'bout the Catholic Church loses its tax status

[peacebird]

8. ding! ding! ding!!!! We have a Winner!!!!

[QC]

10. This is why the government should not be giving money to churches.

Period.

[jtrockville]

12. ^ THIS

[Undercurrent]

13. This is revolting

coming from an organization that systematically protected pedophiles! (Probably still do.)

Now they are abandoning their covenant with the poor and needy because gay adults want to marry other gay adults.

The height of hypocrisy! :puke:

[HughMoran]

14. What a cowardly way to manipulate opinion. Catholic Church = FAIL

:eyes:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

15. Pet Peeve: extortion, not blackmail

The OP is good, and I recc'd it.

I do, however, have a pet peeve about the increasingly common use of 'blackmail' to refer to extortion that isn't blackmail.

Extortion is "Pay me $100 or I will set your car on fire." Unlike business, which is similar, the threatened action is usually illegal. Extortion is also used to describe legal but shady, unethical (like in the OP) or unfair transactions and always has a negative connotation.

Blackmail is a narrow category of extortion involving payment to not disclose damaging information. "Pay me $100 or I will tell your wife you are cheating on her." (The origin of the word is connected to anonymous letters, IIRC)

[gateley]

16. That's interesting and I didn't know it. Thanks. nt

[Arkana]

19. Who. Gives. A Fuck.

It'll just make them look petty and petulant and another public-relations disaster is not what the Catholic Church needs.

[babylonsister]

20. Maybe people who benefit from their charity, and Christians who

didn't know how low they'd go?

[Arkana]

21. That came out wrong.

My point was is that they'll never do it unless they want a public reaction on the level of the boy-touching scandals.

[babylonsister]

23. Have you ever heard of 'righteous indignation'?

Why are they flapping their lips now if they don't intend on doing something?

I agree it'd be a big mistake, but they're not known for their cleverness.

[Arkana]

24. They're flapping their yaps because they think they can bully the city

into listening to them. Like all bullies, though, call their bluff and they'll back down.

[Odin2005]

22. Tax their asses.

[Mz Pip]

26. Just like Eric Cartman

from South Park. "Screw you guys. I'm going home!"

A real 4th grade playground mentality going on with churches these days. I do think Christ would be appalled.

[babylonsister]

27. Mz Pip!

I never would have pegged you for a South Park fan, but you're right. How can this mentality be impressive to anyone?

[Clio the Leo]

28. What about the adulterers and the fornicators?

And the pedophiles?

[hileeopnyn8d]

29. This

this blows that whole right-wing theory that charitible causes are best left to churches, individuals, and other private entities. Or maybe it exposes the real goal behind that particular way of thinking.

[NavyMom]

30. Oh I see, it is immoral for M/M to have sex unless one of them is a child...eom