Watch Portland’s Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone, who’s been very busy attacking Maine’s same-sex marriage laws, deliver his latest argument for protecting the institution of the highway to divorce. And here’s what you’ll come away with: The reason religious types cannot back down from the gay marriage debate is they fail to see the separation between church and state. They want their tax-exempt status, but won’t stay out of purely secular matters. Marriage, friends, has only as much to do with faith as you want it. But for legal purposes? Jesus has no say.
In your church, Mr. Malone, marriage may have been “elevated as a blessed sacrament.” But in our world, it’s just a piece of paper, responsible only to man-made governments, that gives us our rights. If any person of faith — gay, straight, or otherwise — wants to attach religious meaning to marriage, that’s their choice.
But to actively denigrate gay Americans, as somehow being less than and unworthy of your “blessed sacrament” is, pastor, very un-Christian of you.
Kid A
oh hey there
[img]http://www.truelifecrimes.com/scott_peterson_mugshot.jpg[/img]
pc
“homosexual persons”…… this is like an educational scare film from the 1950’s!
this malone guy seems like a real fucktard.
Papito
What a sad man this is especially considering that the Catholic Church has been a haven for and supported by gay folks for such a long time.
He expects us to forget that marriage was once all about property and not this bunk about a “blessed sacrament.” When did the church author that nonsense?
If his God is indeed great and all-knowing, shouldn’t we respect the fact that he created homosexuals to be part of practically every species on this planet? God’s plan included gay people. He also gave most of us a functioning brain and the ability to go forth, prosper and evolve.
Same sex marriage is merely the evolution of the species whereas the Catholic Church is stuck in the medieval past thinking they can still control any population that calls themselves Catholic. Maybe they have control in third world countries but not here.
Revoke the tax-exempt status for all religions that want to influence political positions. Let’s stop their attack on our self-esteem. I’m Gay and I’m a good person who deserves to be able to marry my partner. I’m also very proud to be from Massachusetts where we’ve had the ability to marry a same sex partner for several years. One day, most reasonable people believe, same-sex marriage will be the norm throughout the land and history will look back at this condescending man and be revolted at the hypocrisy he represents through the Catholic Church.
Bill S
I think he sounds like a robot.
Brian
QUEERTY Said: “But to actively denigrate gay Americans, as somehow being less than and unworthy of your “blessed sacrament” is, pastor, very un-Christian of you.”
Actually, it is VERY Christian. Religion made us wrong. All Christians still officially make homosexuality wrong, sinful and deviant.” Until that changes we will never be “equal.”
Chance
That’s cute, the way you make it sound like this guy is an exception to the rule.
schlukitz
Thank you, Bishop Malone, for that “Blessed Brain-Fart”.
terrwill
Lets do an investigation into the good Padre’s background, see if there are any “unholy acts” in his past……….I wish there was an organization who immmediatley after someone who is in any kind of public arena comes out with a slam on the community has the bejezus probed out of them to see what shit is hiding in their closets and then aired out for all to see, I am fairly certain the vile senseless hateful attacks on our community would grind to a sudden halt. These scumbags continue to propogate their hate because the can basically do with impunity………..
Philip Lynch
You say you don’t care about a religious wedding, then get upset at the good bishop because he doesn’t let you marry in the Catholic Church. This is not “his” church, it is the Universal Church founded by Jesus Christ. Marriage is a sacrament and a sign of God’s love. It builds strong families. Homosexual unions are not marriages. God loves you.
patrick
@Brian: Well said. Christianity and homosexuality, or any free expression of sexuality, make for very strange bedfellows, no matter how much many of us might like to think differently. Personally I want nothing to do with a Church that made me feel less than and not “good” enough when I was growing up, epecially not any “blessed sacrement”. I just want the right to choose state sanctioned unions which has nothing to do with Christianlty or religion and has everything to with equal rights.
Papito
Hey Philip: Homosexual unions are marriages. How do I know? I live in Massachusetts. Yup, the word has been redefined and the youth of this country are on our side. When you and I are gone, they’ll continue to consider us married. Gay families can raise children and have full and productive lives just like hetero families. We don’t need the approval of the Catholic Church.
Brian
@patrick: Christianity made us “wrong.” Until we change that, we will never be equal.
schlukitz
@Philip Lynch:
You lie. Take your strong families, Homosexual unions are not marriages and God loves you shit, re-mount the ass you rode in and ride back out into the desert please.
Obviously, you don’t watch the media.
schlukitz
@patrick:
Co-sign.
strumpetwindsock
@Philip Lynch:
Marriage is a sacrament?
Show me where it says that in the bible.
The churches didn’t even start to co-opt marriage until medieval times, and church weddings performed by clergy weren’t even a requirement for a church-recognized marriage until the 1600s.
And secondly, does that mean you consider all non-religious marriages to be illegitimate? How about marriages performed by faiths other than your own? The fact is that marriage contracts fall under secular law, and churches enjoy the privilege of performing them at the discretion of the government.
If that were not the case, why wouldn’t gay-friendly churches be performing same-sex marriages already?
schlukitz
@strumpetwindsock:
Excellent response. Much better than mine.
His sanctimoniousl attitude pissed me off. LOL
schlukitz
Typo: sanctimonious
strumpetwindsock
@schlukitz:
No problem. It’s not like I have never blown a gasket. You’re allowed.
Mark
Another ignorant Bishop.
B
Philip Lynch: “You say you don’t care about a religious wedding, then get upset at the good bishop because he doesn’t let you marry in the Catholic Church.”
Nobody but Catholics care what the Catholic Church allows. It’s when it interferes with civil institutions (government) that there is a problem. I might point out that the California Supreme Court ruling in May 2008 that allowed same-sex marriages specifically stated that no religious organization would be required to perform one. That wasn’t good enough for some churches because they want to impose a de facto theocracy on us.
“This is not ‘his’ church, it is the Universal Church founded by Jesus Christ.”
Don’t be so sure. There was probably a lot of back-room politics going on at the time, and it is not unheard of for the group that wins out to rewrite history. Also, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea and note that probably over 1500 people attended. When you get that many, what gets decided gets decided by committee, and often with a goal of putting politically well-connected individuals in charge.
B
Brian wrote, “Christianity made us “wrong.” Until we change that, we will never be equal.”
Nonsense – it isn’t “Christianity” in general but the behavior of some Christians who are misusing their religion to justify their own prejudices. It’s happened before – racists came up with Biblical arguments to justify slavery (arguments now regarded as bogus), heads of state who are about to start a war all claim that “God is on our side” without explaining how both sides can be saying the same thing (it helps, of course, that most Americans can’t understand what people are saying in a different language).
The facts are:
1. The Bible has hardly anything to say about homosexuality,
and the few things that might refer to it are in the context
of idol worship, and maybe Paul’s sexual hangups.
2. The term “homosexuality” in some translations is a recent
change – obviously the publishers are tuning the translations
to appeal to a particular demographic.
3. Christians often read their own prejudices into the Bible
regardless of what it actually says.
There are plenty of problems, but we’ll do better if we diagnose the cause more carefully – then at least efforts might be directed towards the actual problem.
schlukitz
@B:
There are plenty of problems, but we’ll do better if we diagnose the cause more carefully – then at least efforts might be directed towards the actual problem.
And what, I am tempted to ask, might the “actual problem” be, in your estimation?
1EqualityUSA
The latest drivel is to focus on children. “What about the children?” NOM-skulls ask incredulously. Well, what about the children? If they think that just because we’re stripped of equal rights it will stop those of us wanting children, they’re naive. If NOM-skulls really cared about children, they would want all children, regardless of gender, to be protected by stabilizing benefits. Or are children of same-sex parents unworthy of protections and benefits. Such hypocrisy! These sleaze-bags only care about their selfish, little culture war, no minding the collateral damage left in their wake.
1EqualityUSA
Love the bigot, hate the bigotry.
Scott H.
This guy has every right to express what he believes a Catholic marriage should be, and the Catholic church has the right to enforce those rules. What he fails to see is that we are talking about a state right, not a church sacrament, that should be available to all people. He can be as restrictive as he wants to be within the confines of his church, but he has no right to influence the rights I have as a non-religious public citizen.