What arguments haven’t we already heard against gay marriage? Well, give New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan points for originality. In a posting on his blog, Dolan laments the so-close-you-can-taste-it impending vote on gay marriage in the state legislature by expressing his fears that all of New York will suddenly become Asia if equality becomes reality.
“Last time I consulted an atlas, it is clear we are living in New York, in the United States of America – not in China or North Korea. In those countries, government presumes daily to ‘redefine’ rights, relationships, values, and natural law,” says Dolan. “There, communiqués from the government can dictate the size of families, who lives and who dies, and what the very definition of ‘family’ and ‘marriage’ means.”
Last time we consulted a news site (about three minutes ago), neither North Korea or China was renowned for their pioneering stand on gay marriage, so we can’t quite see Albany as the new Pyongyang-on-the-Hudson. Still, it’s a nice touch to raise the specter of euthanasia (no pun intended) as a logical consequence of marriage equality. And you can always count on the Catholic hierarchy to throw in the obligatory reference to birth control at the drop of a cardinal’s hat.
Just in case you were wondering about the rest of Dolan’s argument, it’s about what you’d expect. “We cherish true freedom, not as the license to do whatever we want, but the liberty to do what we ought,” he writes, making “obligation” the new synonym for “freedom” (and guess who gets to do the defining).
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But–and you know this is coming–he loves us all anyway. “Our beliefs should not be viewed as discrimination against homosexual people,” Dolan swears. “The Church affirms the basic human rights of gay men and women, and the state has rightly changed many laws to offer these men and women hospital visitation rights, bereavement leave, death benefits, insurance benefits, and the like.”
Just not the liberty in our relationships to do what we ought.
The crustybastard
>>Our beliefs should not be viewed as discrimination against homosexual people. The Church affirms the basic human rights of gay men and women….
If it’s not discrimination against gays, who are you discriminating against?
Marriage has been defined over and over as a fundamental right. That’s a right that’s yours by virtue of being human. A human right, if you will. If you are fighting against my human rights, there is no other way to view it EXCEPT as discrimination.
But I suppose you imagine that Jesus died for your right to persecute anyone whose love you judge as unworthy.
hyhybt
Even assuming he were right about what we ought to do, “liberty to do what we ought” necessarily requires liberty to do otherwise.
It’s even long-standing church belief (at least, in much of Christianity; I’m pretty sure the Catholics are on that side): evil exists because God gave his creatures the ability to *choose* to do right, which to be meaningful requires the option of doing wrong.
Steve
Timothy Dolan can go fuck himself. Catholic leaders are sociopaths.
gregger
That piece of excrement like the last three Archbigots of New York are closet case ‘mos who are afraid of gays and lesbians who have the courage to live a life in the open.
The most way to handle this assholes is just ask them what Jesus said about homosexuals. It usually shuts their ignorant mouths.
gregger
@gregger: should be “those assholes”
Paul
That Archbishop should focus on his church not with the government.
Cam
Of COURSE he doesn’t care about civil rights, he is an important member of an organization that conspired to prtect and hide child rapists for decades, sending them out to new locations where they could rape additional children. To say nothing of their views that women shouldn’t be allowed to join.
Why would any bigotry from them be surprising?
gregger
@Cam: exactly!!
robert in NYC
Oh right, religion is allowed to dictate civil rights. Time for an end to their tax-exempt status for starters.
Eric
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Andy
Why do these idiots not know the difference between options and mandatory?
The crustybastard
Hey Archbishop Glutton, since you’re in the mood to compare things to communism, let’s examine Christianity.
Both Christianity and communism are really great ideas that have proven to be utter failures in practice, primarily due to the inability of leaders to practice what they preach.
You’re right. This is fun.
ewe
EVIL handed down and regurgitated from the Nazi Hitler Youth shacked up in his golden cage at the Vatican. Dolan is a dysfunctional virgin. Fuck him. His opinion is nearest to the last anyone should take note of.
tjr101
This gas bag is dangerous. He’s originally from the mid-west and comes off as a jolly, friendly individual that has society’s best interests at heart while spewing bigotry. Dolan is sort of like a Mike Huckabee. This guy needs to be taxed for every political utterance he makes!
Robert in NYC
He recently equated same-sex marriage leading to marrying one’s mother. I think he has a severe oedipus complex. Repressed gay if you ask me.
tjr101
@Robert in NYC: Hopefully he’s not gay, we already have to share our orientation with the likes of Ken Mehlman.
Jason
Do these people ever notice the irony of statements like this? He worries if gay marriage is legalized, the government will start coming in and dictating how we all should live our lives. Isn’t that what he’s proposing by wanting to prohibit gays from marriage? Can’t he see that his call for ‘true freedom’ is actually infringing on the freedoms of others?
This whole debate has been driving me up the wall since day 1! What the hell is so hard about just letting people live their damn lives!? Although, it is amusing seeing the hate mongers grasp at straws in their attempts at disguising their prejuidice and hate with phantom issues and red herrings just so they don’t have to come out officially and tell the true reason they oppose gay marriage.
K in Newfoundland
Why is it with Catholic clergy that being gay is somehow “wrong” or “disordered”, while it’s okay for priests to molest kids and get away with it? Just goes to show the Catholic church has lost all credibility!!
WillYouPlease
I’m sorry, I snorted out loud during programming class When I read that albany was the Pyongyang of the Hudson.
NYWAY.
Do not insult the pope because he was a hitler youth- that was mandatory. Insult him because he is a bigot and a bit of a hypocrite. Example: “Gays be allowed to marry? Poppycock! Now excuse me while I go live in a massive palace complex with a bunch of male virgins and wear my huge dresses and Tiara.
Larry Sparks
douth anyone would want to bang the popes balls. Its about what it means to be a human being in 21st century? Not the 15th century. Why the church will continue to die/cry. i understand that theres a movement to create the new “catholic” church. The old pagens have come back to roost. Maybe not, if like in the past the saints start killing off there opposition, they may continue to exist, having no shame and blood on there hands!
Al Thompson
Obviously the archbishop is overweight. Too much grand living in preparation of being made cardinal. He ought to spend his time cleaning up after his bishops who hide their dirty linen under Persian rugs. Actually, he ought to go back to Milwaukee where the Germans and Poles loved kissing his big, fat, rosy red… ring.
amanda fukalnite
Who even listens to Catholics anymore??????
they are all a bunch of nasty pedophiles anyway
Jeffree
@Amanda: Who listens to Catholics? Catholics are over represented on the Supreme Court & holding offices in Washington DC & state capitols.
The Prop 8 measure in Ca. was supposedly bankrolled by the Catholics & the Mormons. NOM is too (Gallagher & Brown are both Catholics.
The Catholic vote helped keep Maryland from marriage equality.
Catholic Charities is pulling out from adoption/foster care services due to civil unions.
Need more?
Patrick C
” “There, communiqués from the government can dictate.., ,..what the very definition of ‘family’ and ‘marriage’ means.””
Pretty ironic since the United States conference of Catholic bishops were one of the biggest sponsors of the Defense of Marriage bill which dictates what the definition of a “marriage” is..
One lesson I rememeber very well from Catholic school is that Jesus didn’t hate anyone, but he really disliked hypocrites. REALLY DISLIKED.
Jayz
He does know that the rights enshrined in the Constitution were defined by government? They didn’t get dropped on a stone tablet by a guy in the sky.
The Cardinal
The Archbishop is merely using typical Catholic understatement in denouncing what we gently refer to in the Church as “The Imminent Gay Apocalypse.” From now on we can now refer to it as “The Imminent turning us all Asian and Gay Apocalypse.”
I have written about the threat of the Apocalypse here.
http://thecardinal.posterous.com/gazing-upon-the-gays
zz
Sooooooo I guess he’s trying to say “communist” China has better human rights record for gay people than USA?
Now that the FBI can legally search anyone without going through the proper channels, I’m not sure which country is more fascist.
As a straight female, I don’t understand why anyone cares who other people, gay or straight, marry.
zz
Oh, and I’m already asian so it’s ok if gay marriage “turns me asian” (minus the communist part). And I’m pretty sure nothing can convert my heterosexual attraction to males into lesbian love for females so……..bring on the gay-pocalypse.
Natalia
@Eric: Snap
Alia
@The Cardinal: It’s okay to be Takei!
David
??? I thought the days of The Yellow/Pink Peril were behind us.
Dame Adne
Leave it to a leading figure of a cult of pedophile rapists to call Asians gay, or gays Asians. It’s not mutually exclusive, you know! He looks like Jabba the Hutt to add insult to injury. I don’t clearly remember was Jabba a coddler and enabler of pedophiles too?
Dame Adne
I’m not going to call him a rice queen because I’m pretty sure he can’t deal with adult men, especially George Takei, but are we sure the good Bishop doesn’t have recent trips to Asia on his expense list, covering the ‘saving’ of child prostitutes?
KJM
Catholics or any other religion have the right to define marriage within their own church. They do not have the right to define or say how the state or country should define marriage. If the church wants a say in civil government – let them pay taxes, and then they can open their mouths and join the discourse.
Captain Stupendousness
If the “sanctity of marriage” people can’t play nice with the rest of the class then fine, let them have it their way. Marriage can be exclusively whatever their religious leaders say it is. If you want to tie a knot, jump over a broom, stomp on a glass, walk around a candle, exchange vows or do whatever it is you do to get married — and exclude anyone that isn’t straight — go ahead.
But don’t stink up the civil law that I have to live with. Let marriage be a religious institution and toss it out of the legal code immediately. Make them *all* civil unions.
the crustybastard
@WillYouPlease: Do not insult the pope because he was a hitler youth- that was mandatory.
Oh horseshit.
Hitler Youth (HJ) was no more “mandatory” than the American Boy Scouts. Hitler was Catholic, Nazism was political Catholicism, and ambitious young Catholics joined the HJ.
Doubt Nazism was Christian? The slogan “Gott mit uns” (God With Us) was sported by every member of Hitler’s Wehrmacht (war machine).
Nazism was a pure expression of militant antisemetic Christianity. Period.
Pope Ratzinger was a HJ because he was both Nazi and a Catholic. He’s an evil motherfucker, and dying in a fire is too good for him.
Catholics are a cult of child-rapist clergy led by a former Nazi. I continue to be astonished that anyone’s a member at this point.
Michael Fitzpatrick
All Catholic clergymen are child molestors. That’s a known fact.
Hey, check out my blog: http://www.twogaybullies.wordpress.com/
Let’s end those tax exemptions for the Catholic Church (and all other homophobic churches) so we can tax them into oblivion!
billy wingarden
@hyhybt:
That is the old “god gave us free will” argument.
what kind of god would give mankind free will to create mass murder via the military, the holocaust etc etc etc
Free will is simply a religious excuse for the obvious – there is no God, its a figment of superstion mixed with the fear of death and the promise of a heaven.
An insurance policy that should be outlawed on its face. the story of one man from an age of mass ignorance and superstion does not justify all the horrible things mankind does to each other.
Persephone
@Eric:
Oh, very, VERY nice. 🙂
Persephone
@amanda fukalnite:
Amanda,
Comments like “they are all a bunch of nasty pedophiles anyway” is not only untrue, it’s exactly the kind of unfair generalization that alternative communities have been fighting for years. (Are some Catholics pedofiles? Yes. Are some gay men? Yes. Gay women? Yes. Straight men? Yes. Straight women? Yes. And the list goes on….) Psychological diseases do not care about gender or orientation or what-have-you. But the point I’m trying to make is that we bitch and moan about how they think we’re so dangerous for society, etc. And here you are, doing the same thing. We as a community need to think before we speak/type our words before we end up just as ridiculed as them for saying stupid things. We already have a huge fight on our hands, why add fuel to their fires?
Dong Cung
I am not surprise about what Dolan say anymore, last time he shown to public his brain been filled with the idea “marry with mother”. But this time he better say “it is clear we are living in New York, in the United States of America – not in Vatican. In that state, there is no freedom at all, women do not have any rights on their bodies but procreative machines, human do not have any rights to think difference with priests, young boys do not have any protection from pedophile black robe rapers, so on… and so on….”
Dolan acts against human like a pig farm owner, the more baby pig the more benefits to owner, the more children the more catholics, that very simple, Dolan.
I can make sure, without any priest without any child sex abused priest.
Kal
Clearly, Mr. Dolan does not think gluttony is a deadly sin.
Jack
Organised religion is fundamentally opposed to the American dream and everything the founding fathers intended for their nation. The Church does not want people to be free – or individaulistic – the Church wants everyone to conform to its belief system and live under its rules, thats its basic modus operandi – convert the heathen etc. It is incompatable with Freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
robert in NYC
It always amazes me how the roman cult will disingenuously say that it respects the dignity of gay people and their humanity, but only on condition that they remain celibate. They all need long-term psychiatric therapy to repair their intrinsically disordered, irrational beliefs.
Its opposition to same-sex marriage debunks the myth that it supports family values. It clearly doesn’t. It hasn’t acknowledged that some of us have children. Some of us have been married to the oppposite sex; some of us have adopted children. Opposing our right to civil marriage discriminates not only against us but against our children. Procreation, the one issue that fuels their opposition is a feeble excuse to justify a ban. Not every heterosexual couple can procreate and some choose not to. Should they too be banned and if not, why not? Why not ban adulterers from remarrying, ban divorce even. Compel single parents to marry or remarry if they are widowed so that a child has two parents of the opposite gender? That’s how irrational their argument is. Risible!
Pete
The total renunciation of ALL sex by its hierarchy and clergy is what Dolan defends. This medieval concept out-lived its usefulness 1000 years ago. He officially renounces birth control. Lets not forget the horrible, evil CONDOM , the root of all evil. The demeaning of women is enshrined in Catholic structure. Dolan has joined the group of hand-wringers who claim religious persecution because they can not raise catholic funds from the members any more, so they go after government contracts and want to use these to promote their bigotry through adoptions and social services.
gregger
@the crustybastard: from Wikipedia’s Hitler Youth page “By December 1936, HJ membership stood at just over five million. That same month, HJ membership became mandatory for Aryans, under the Gesetz über die Hitlerjugend law. This legal obligation was re-affirmed in 1939 with the Jugenddienstpflicht and HJ membership was required even when it was opposed by the member’s parents. Massaquoi claims,[9] though, that the war did not allow the law to go very far. From then on, most of Germany’s teenagers belonged to the HJ. By 1940, it had eight million members. Later war figures are difficult to calculate, since massive conscription efforts and a general call-up of boys as young as 10 years old meant that virtually every young male in Germany was, in some way, connected to the HJ. Only about 10 to 20% were able to avoid joining.[10]”
That will not stop me from calling the current Bishop of Rome, Pope Nazi the 2nd.
Drake
Archbishop D should also consult his atlas to see that this is not Vatican City either.
random ntrygg
he is against gay marriage because it will make America to be like Asia, where governments control human rights?
dude, human rights are laws, government makes laws
you’re already in asia by your reasoning
Barry Aldridge
I laugh out loud every time I see the “love the sinner, hate the sin” canard. That allows hypocrites to have it both ways: they can hate what gay and lesbian people do, but can’t be accused of hating them personally, which Christ wouldn’t like.
Barry Aldridge
@Jason: Hypocrites realize what they’re saying, they just won’t admit it.
robert in NYC
Since when does an Archbishop get to dictate civil rights, since when? He’s in no position to bargain away our rights,morally or otherwise given his cult’s millenia old tradition of pedophilia, ongoing I might add. In a democracy, NOBODY should be above the law or exempt from it and in this case, a tax-exempt organization. In essence, they get FULL representation without taxation, allowed to meddle in the political process while we get FULL taxation without FULL representation. There’s something intrinsically wrong with that equation. If they want to interfere, revoke their tax-exemption, simple as that. The GOP would vigorously oppose that of course because they think they shouldn’t be paying any taxes either.
Pierre
This from someone directly involved with the child abuse sex scandals in the Catholic churches…. Not surprising. INTERESTING that those sex scandals usually involve MALES. He’s what’s known as a gay traitor.
Joetx
That piece of shit keeps getting fatter.
Walter Ian Kaye
“The sky is falling!” cried Chicken Little.
Zena
you go girrl! As long as the Catholic Church has so much power in the world, women will not have equal rights so I don’t expect much progress for LGBT either!
Ned Flaherty
Some Mormons, Catholics, and Orthodox Jews are lobbying for exemptions to equality laws in NY and other states.
But equal transportation laws have no exemptions that deny public transport to African-Americans just because some bus driver worships at a bigoted church. Equal housing laws have no exemptions that deny apartments to Latinos just because some landlord worships at a bigoted synagogue. And the 19th Amendment has no exemption that denies a woman the right to vote just because some election official worships at a bigoted mosque. Therefore, no marriage equality law should include exemptions to let government agencies or private businesses deny weddings just because some people or religions are still bigoted.
Same-sex couples have been marrying — safely and successfully — for over 7 years in Massachusetts, where church and state are separate, as the U.S. Constitution requires. There are no religious exemptions to marriage equality, because none are needed, and it never caused any problems. New York should imitate Massachusetts, shun all religious exemptions, and adopt true marriage equality for everyone.
Religious exemptions are just tricks used by the Mormon, Catholic, and Orthodox Jewish sects to delay, derail, and defeat equality for everyone else. No one should fall for such trickery.
Kaitlyn
While I can’t address all of the insulting things that I’ve found here…and I’ve found far too many for my personal comfort…I would like to say a few things.
I’m a sixteen-year-old girl, and I’ve been a Catholic my whole life. I’m heavily involved in my church, and I’ve had countless amazing priests. Not a single one of them has been a pedophile – or gay.
The current media puts far too much of a spotlight on Catholics and Catholic priests who sin, and not enough of a spotlight on the greater majority of the Catholic population – the ones who are just doing what they feel is right. Which is why, when you call the Pope, the Archbishop, and the rest of the Catholic Ordinaries gays, hypocrites, and pedophiles, it’s incredibly demeaning and outright rude. And, to be honest, it shows your total lack of knowledge.
In response to the comments that he’s not providing the liberty to make the wrong choice and obtain a gay marriage – his goal is to prevent anyone from making the wrong choices. Yes, God gave us that freedom to make the wrong choices, but he also put his disciples on the Earth to do their best to keep themselves and others from making choices that would send them into the pits of hell, which is why the Catholic Church – most especially Catholic Ordinaries – do their best to convince the government to create legislation that bans things such as gay marriage and abortion.
Above all, if you disagree with the Archbishop, that’s fine. It’s your choice. But your blatant disregard of the feelings of the Catholic Church is disgusting, and I hope that each and every one of you that reads this will understand the pain you have caused to people such as myself.
Bob On the KNOB
This from a fucking pedophile….. Maybe that means if the “church” has it’s way we’ll be ancient Greece! What a bunch of fucking hypocrites…why doesn’t this sorry excuse for a human being stick his nose back in his book of FAIRY TALES is the bible! WORLD CLASS ASS-HOLE!
robert in NYC
Kaitlyn, before Pope Benedict assumed the papacy, he headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. For decades, he knew of coverups in the church in regard to moving pedophile priests from one parish to another and did nothing to stop it. The victims weren’t only boys, there were girls and some were adult women. Only recently, the John Jay college was commissioned by the Catholic bishops of the US to provide a report on pedophilia. Guess what, in an 360 degree about turn, it concluded that it wasn’t gay priests who were the problem but stopped short of mentioning the heterosexual priests who were also guilty. The problem hasn’t abated, its still continuing.
Further, the archbishop or the pope for that matter have NO business meddling in the political process in the U.S. or any other country. The catholic church in the U.S. is tax-exempt and has no right to influence or tell people how to vote, a violation of its IRS 501c3 tax exempt status. This is clearly a CIVIL matter. Religion, especially catholicism has absolutely NO business lobbying for and influencing any voter to vote against their conscience which is what it is doing. To many of us, that is equally disgusting and offensive but we don’t call for banning religion or freedom thereof. Paying no taxes does not give any religion dominion over tax paying voters. Defending them is defending those who’ve perpetrated crimes against humanity, subjugation of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition, the treatment of women, sexual crimes against males and females and the public burning of gay people during the middle ages, torture of gay people under Spanish dictator, General Franco. You should read the history of the church in Ireland and its long tradition of sexual abuse against girls and boys. Rent yourself a copy of The Magdalene Sisters and you’ll have a better understanding of what your church has been defending for so long.
I’m sorry if you feel hurt, we are too more than you can conceive. Your church needs to take ownership of the harm its caused a lot of people throughout the past 2 millenia. Your church, one that I renounced after some hateful statements handed down over the past 30 years inciting some to villify, dehumanize, denigrate us and in some worst case scenarios, influenced heterosexual haters to go out and kill us, is beyond forgiveness.
In the matter of abortion….would you be prepared to die if it meant that by giving birth it could cost you your life or the life of your child when she has children of her own? Would you be prepared to let her die? You can’t pick and choose which rules to believe in. You either believe and accept everything the church teaches or you don’t. Which is it?
robert in NYC
Kaitlyn, I doubt if you’re 16, did mommy write it for you or is it some right wing fraud posing as a young female for the roman cult?
Joetx
@ Kaitlyn –
Save your “rationale” for bigotry.
And we’re tired of the abuser claiming to be abused by the victims spiel.
robert in NYC
Kaitlyn, since you believe that the bishops are trying to prevent harm by telling voters to vote no on same-sex CIVIL marriage, could you please obtain or ask the people you’re shilling for to provide government reports from Holland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, Argentina, South Africa, Mexico City, the fives states in the U.S. where we are allowed to marry for the overwhelming evidence to support yours and your church’s claim that this is harmful to society? Facts please. Where are they?
Can you also provide examples as to how same-sex marriage causes adultery, philandering by straight men and women, divorce, other perversions such as soliciting female prostitutes for sex especially when its a married man espousing the sanctity of marriage and family values. Can you also explain to us why it is that your church fails to condemn catholic serial adulterers of the Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani ilk, 3 marriage each, but yet haven’t been excommunicated for going against church teaching but Governor Cuomo has received castigation from his bishop for living with his girlfriend. Do you really grasp the concept of hypocrisy and bigotry yet, the double-standard even, a long tradition in your church?
robert in NYC
No. 62, JoeTx…she or he sounds like a shill for the Catholic League pretending to be a young girl. I bet if you posted that fraudulent photo on the net to find out who “it” is, you can bet that the person depicted isn’t even who it claims to be which could open a can of worms if that were to happen. Who knows is that photo could even be of an underaged girl. Have these anti same-sex marriage trollsters learned nothing from Weinergate?
Joseph
@Kaitlyn: I went through 12 years of Catholic school and I never used the term “Catholic Ordinaries”. This makes me think this was written by someone older than claimed, and probably older than myself as well.
Secondly, having gone through 12 years of Catholic school, yes, you will eventually discover that some of the clergy you fraternized with are gay and it’s quite possible that some others will be removed from ministry for improper conduct (I’m 39 and recently one of the priests who was at the Church during my Catholic grammar school years has been removed from ministry for inappropriate conduct with children, while I was in school another priest in the same parish was caught in a cocaine bust, and one of my Catholic high school teachers was accused but exonerated for inappropriate conduct.
Finally, regarding what passed for an argument – I am gay and for the last few years an atheist and I feel I could have mounted a better Catholic defense of Dolan’s position even at the age of 16 – although I never would have, nor to be honest would many of my religion teachers (one priest told our class, “I’m saying this not as a priest but as a psychologist, be who you are”, and another covertly volunteered at an AIDS hospice without letting anyone know he was a priest and told my class there was no way he was going to be at the funeral of any of “his kids” and if we were going to have sex but were too embarrassed to get a condom come to his office and he’d try to talk us out of it, but if necessary he’d provide us with condoms himselves.)
“…his goal is to prevent anyone from making the wrong choices. Yes, God gave us that freedom to make the wrong choices, but he also put his disciples on the Earth to do their best to keep themselves and others from making choices that would send them into the pits of hell, which is why the Catholic Church – most especially Catholic Ordinaries – do their best to convince the government to create legislation that bans things such as gay marriage and abortion.”
You prevent people from making poor choices through teaching them and by providing good examples yourselves. You do not do so through use of force. When Jesus encountered the Samaritan at the well (Samaritans were am offshoot of Judaism or “real” Jews depending on the point of view) she left still a Samaritan. He never coerced anyone. He didn’t say do this because God commanded it or because I’m God, he said do it because it’s right.
By this “logic”, Osama bin Laden is just trying to prevent people from making “wrong choices” like women showing their ankles in public.
“…which is why the Catholic Church – most especially Catholic Ordinaries – do their best to convince the government to create legislation that bans things such as gay marriage and abortion.”
Have you ever heard that Bible verse “Render onto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and render onto God what is God’s?” Jesus doesn’t seem to be asking his followers to take over the government or to disobey man-made laws, does he?
Is it right for countries like Saudi Arabia or China to ban Catholic worship services? Isn’t it the same “logic”? It’s not so much fun on the receiving end, is it? JPII certainly funnelled enough money to groups like Solidarity who opposed governments who interfered in Catholic religious worship, didn’t he? Religious freedom means freedom for all religions or none.
“Above all, if you disagree with the Archbishop, that’s fine. It’s your choice. But your blatant disregard of the feelings of the Catholic Church is disgusting, and I hope that each and every one of you that reads this will understand the pain you have caused to people such as myself.”
The Catholic Church is an organization, and organizations don’t have feelings. The idea that Dolan can compare people seeking their equal rights to North Korea and then a Catholic could whine about the horrible words she’s had to read about him shows a level of hypocrisy that’s off the charts.
Joseph
“Last time I consulted an atlas, it is clear we are living in New York, in the United States of America – not in China or North Korea. In those countries, government presumes daily to ‘redefine’ rights, relationships, values, and natural law,” says Dolan. “There, communiqués from the government can dictate the size of families, who lives and who dies, and what the very definition of ‘family’ and ‘marriage’ means.”
What should have been compared in response are countries like Saudi Arabia, where daily the religious police dictate what ‘family’ and ‘marriage’ means, as well as what can be seen, read, spoken, worn, etc. Let’s never forget the Saudi women who were shoved back into a burning building by the religion police because they weren’t properly covered up.
Jeffree
People who wish to have laws reflect their Catholic faith should emigrate to the Vatican.
Freedom of religion in the US also entails freedom from religion. This is not a theocracy. Cope.
Shannon1981
@Kaitlyn: Your very presence here causes US pain. Go away.
You’re a deluded child, and a religious bigot. This isn’t a theocracy. Go to a country run by religious nutjobs if you wish to find people more like yourself. At any rate, this blog is hardly the place for you, little girl. Does your mommy even know you are here? Should we tell her so you can spend the rest of your weekend saying hail marys and stay out of our hair?
Joseph
Watch this through to the end and you’ll have the perfect rebuttal for “Kaitlyn”:
http://youtu.be/eTX5dTCCOj4
Rocky
@ewe: And you are a BIGOT and a GAY NAZI. So, the two of you have a lot in common.
Dan Lewis
Note that Dolan is a FAT FUCK. He has the credibility of a marshmallow. He ought to be ashamed of himself, but he’s so out of touch he doesn’t even know what it means.
Mike de Fleuriot
No comment, I could not say anything better. Always knew there where good people in the US.
paige
@The crustybastard: I think it counts as discriminating against Asians as well lol
jrngfiejfng
we should just get rid of state-recognized-marriage, period
Mark
The Christianity is a false religion. The Bible is so full of contradictions, and just plain falsehoods that defy logic that you have to completely turn off your intelligence to accept it. Organized religion is the single greatest obstacle human social development in the world today.
JoAnn Nevermann
who defines what we ought to do. The churches have no right to define or claim this privilege. What we oight to do is based on my assesment not a priest or anyone claiming moral authority. The archbishop is forgetting this primary creed of the christian churches LOVE For an learned man he should be ashamed of his arguement that if we suppport gay marriage we become chinese. That would earn him an F at any university. We should go the route that European nations have taken marriages are a affair of the state not the churches
Brian McInnis
Why does the title say ‘Make Us Asian’ when the guy referred only to China and North Korea?
Chrigid
@Kaitlyn:
But it’s okay to blatantly disregard the feelings of LGBTs?
And just how do the comments cause pain to people such as yourself?
And how would a 16-year-old girl know whether the priests of her acquaintance are straight or not … Oh. Oh my.
Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/ny-archbishop-fears-gay-marriage-will-make-us-asian-20110616/#ixzz1uIUbGVby
randalaw
I never cease to be amazed at this guy (and other of his ilk). They constantly scream about losing their religious freedom and having others’ religions foisted upon them, yet they seemingly have no idea that they are doing exactly the same thing. It’s just like some Republicans who are so concerned about “activist judges” defined as any judge who doesn’t agree with the Republican party line. They all disgust me.
Gooby
Dolan, pls