In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It’s unclear whether the 68,000 people currently receiving social services from the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington will take consolation in that message when the Archdiocese takes away the food and shelter upon which they depend.
The Catholic Church has threatened to cease all contracts with the District, such as providing social services, if the current incarnation of Councilman David Catania’s (I-At-Large) (SFS ’90, LAW ’93) gay marriage bill passes. The City Council is expected to approve the legislation, which is supported by a majority of Council members. The Archdiocese is upset that the bill does not have an exemption clause for religious organizations, which could force the Church to provide benefits to the same-sex partners of employees, expand its adoption services to same-sex couples, and allow same-sex couples to hold events on church property.
With its threat, the Church is valuing an arcane and bigoted belief over the welfare of the 68,000 people who rely on these social services. The District should not allow the Archdiocese to threaten same-sex equality.
No matter what the Book of Leviticus may say, the Church has no moral leg to stand on. At no point does Jesus ever comment on homosexuality, yet there are over 300 passages throughout the Bible that speak about the poor.
There comes a time when the Church has to decide what it means to be a Catholic. Is Catholicism about one’s duty to fellow human beings, to protect and provide for those less fortunate? Or, is it about what he stands against? At this Jesuit institution, we are taught to be “men and women for others.” The Archdiocese does not seem to share this responsibility.
As gay marriage begins to take hold throughout the country, the Church will engage in this same fight on more fronts than it can possibly manage—especially as its older members pass on and a new, more tolerant generation takes their place. It is past time for the Church to reexamine its position towards homosexuality.
With its threat, which basically amounts to blackmail, the Church shows that its hatred of homosexuals is stronger than its love of mankind. The City Council should not concede in the face of these underhanded pressure tactics. Contrary to what the Archdioecese may believe, extortion is not a truly Christian negotiating technique.
What it means to be Catholic is to fully follow the teachings of Christ. That includes respecting the dignity of all people, serving the poor and supporting the sacrament of marriage and our understanding of human sexuality. The Church hasn’t threatened to leave. It has just said it needs to follow its WHOLE faith, not pieces of it. That means serving others AND supporting marriage and family life. All that’s been asked of the city is to find a way to allow religions to continue to fully serve the poor and to live out their faith teachings.
And, of note, over 40 states have constitutionally or legislatively upheld marriage as it has been known throughout time, including most recently in Maine. The reason that marriage has been held to man and woman is because of the relevance of gender to the purpose of marriage. Governments don’t typically bless close, committed friendships. Marriage has special recognition by government because one of its core purposes is the creation and nurturing of the next generation. It’s disturbing that anyone feels a woman (or man) is irrelevant in raising the next generation.
Jesus never commented on homosexuality because that was not an issue in the Jewish population. Homosexuality was regarded as an abomination.
When St. Paul traveled to Greece and Rome we see in his letters that he had to address this issue with those cultures.
I don’t think the sermon on the Mount, was the best quote to lead your argument. It says the the kingdom of heaven will be theirs not earth. (Not meant to be taken seriously).
The bill being introduced is going to open the Church up to litigation and difficulty if it is passed. I think the intent of the statement is that the Church does a lot for Washington DC and the money that is given to the Diocese was discretionary. The government chose to give the Diocese money to run these services for the poor because Catholic Charities does such a great job.
Just because gay marriage is popular does not make it right. That is a logical fallacy based on an appeal to popularity.
The Church has every right to uphold it’s teachings on the sanctity of marriage between man and woman.
I agree whole hardheartedly, what a well written piece!
I don’t really like to come down harshly on the editorial board here, but this really is offensively ignorant, and it’s very clear that whoever wrote this has absolutely no idea of what’s going on with this controversy.
The issue at stake here is one of religious liberty and tolerance; should this bill pass as it stands, the Archdiocese would be forced to provide equal benefits to homosexual couples, which would contradict Catholic teaching. So, in order to avoid this violation, the Archdiocese would have to sever its ties with the District’s programs.
However, all this is easily avoided if further changes are made to the document, protecting the Archdiocese’s freedom to do as it wills. Separation of Church and State demands that the Church be able to operate as it wishes, without secular authority infringing upon this fundamental right. Similar debates have arisen, and will continue to arise with regards to medical practice and issues of conscience (for example, Catholic hospitals should not be forced to provide abortions).
Above all, the Church is concerned with the well-being of people’s souls; keep this in mind, that this is the most fundamental mission of the Church, to shepherd people to God.
So, your primary critique that the Church’s “threat, which basically amounts to blackmail…shows that its hatred of homosexuals is stronger than its love of mankind” ultimately flounders in a tragic ignorance. The Church’s move is not in any way, shape, or form a threat; it’s saying “go ahead, legalize gay marriage, but don’t let that legalization infringe upon our beliefs and practices.” Furthermore, the accusation that the Church “hates” homosexuals is probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read in The Voice! Foolishness speaks for itself, and to say that the Church “hates” anyone is nothing short of absurdity born from tragic ignorance. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and go talk to a Jesuit about this; they’d be more than happy to explain this to you in its fullness.
Read Archbishop Wuerl’s piece on the matter: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-opinions/2009/11/dcs_same-sex_marriage_bill_fin.html