Cardinal George asks Catholics to oppose (IL) gay marriage bill

[Redfairen]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Cardinal Francis George issued a letter Tuesday calling laws permitting same-sex marriage a “legal fiction” and directing the local Catholic faithful to contact state legislators about a proposed Illinois gay marriage bill.

His statement comes days before state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) and state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) are expected to introduce a gay-marriage legalization measure into January’s lame-duck session. Nine states currently recognize gay marriage, including Maryland, where same-sex couples first were wed legally just after midnight Tuesday.

“It is physically impossible for two men or two women to consummate a marriage, even when they share a deep friendship or love,” George writes in the letter, meant for inclusion in parish bulletins distributed Jan. 5-6. “Does this mean nature is cruel or that God is unfair? No, but it does mean that marriage is what nature tells us it is and that the State cannot change natural marriage.”

George writes that despite the church’s anti-gay marriage position, the Church itself is not anti-gay. He points to a number of groups for Catholic gays, including AGLO, a 25-year-old program that meets for Mass weekly at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Boystown.

Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17335152-418/cardinal-george-urges-catholics-to-oppose-gay-marriage-law.html

[RKP5637]

1. Why, does religion ALWAYS have to be about making someone/some group miserable. Just WTF is

it with religion. I left decades ago and NEVER looked back once. Religion, get over it ...

[xfundy]

9. That seems to be the whole point of religion.

In the USA, at least, and for many years.

I liken it to a club, where members, who are, of course, "blessed by GOD™" sit back and talk about how others are unworthy, "sinful," "without morals," "godless," "libruls," etc., etc., while they are, of course "blessed."

Without a doubt, the best place for the ol' debbil to hide is in CHURCH.

[Odin2005]

10. Religion is about tribal group cohension.

Not much difference than sports fanatics and unreconstructed Stalinists.

[RKP5637]

11. It is, isn't it ... one bellicose against the other and praying (preying?) to their version of

their god to cast harm on the other tribes. So sad and pathetic.

[LiberalFighter]

26. Religion is a form of government

Fear was the basis for religion. As a means of coercing others to obey their commands.

Religion allows mostly like minded people to socialize together and feel like they belong. A smaller community.

[NICO9000]

2. Oh goodie...

Again, another man of the cloth so filled with the love of Christ.

[azurnoir]

3. what's that about separation of church and state again?

and oh ya that tax exempt thingy?

[alp227]

18. TAX. THE. [bleep] CHURCHES.

Mike Malloy had this story of another clergy member in Illinois (Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop at Springfield diocese) who used the pulpit to preach politics. Sourced from Crooks & Liars.

BTW, this video is from my youtube channel, please subscribe if you liked this segment!

[bluemarkers]

4. So tired of them

At this point I'm of a mind to do the exact opposite of what these catholics (or any crazy jebus crowd) want.

[LW1977]

5. Sorry Lou Holtz

Not coming back with assholes like these in charge.

[alp227]

19. Lou Holtz?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Holtz#Personal_life

Hmm. Well, he's a Catholic who donates to Republicans (but donated to Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign for some reason). What does he have to do with Illinois politics?

[musical_soul]

27. You don't have to support everything a Cardinal supports.

I think that voting against the marriage law in IL would be a bad idea. I also oppose the anti-birth control mandate.

The baby doesn't have to be thrown away with the bath water though. One can have a relationship with God and still oppose certain things. That's what religion is supposed to be about, not politics.

[Skittles]

6. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

religious bigots are a dime a dozen

[RKP5637]

8. They're like playing grade "z" movie reruns. n/t

[pnwmom]

7. Catholics in Washington passed marriage equality with larger margins than Protestants

or any other mainstream religious group.

I doubt that Illinois Catholics will be any more interested in what George has to say.

[surrealAmerican]

12. The church already has the authority to choose ...

... who their members may or may not marry. Why must they insist on making their rules apply to people who are not members?

[rasputinkhlyst]

13. This should be enough to revoke tax exempt status of the Catholic Church!

nuff said. Its time for action.

[awake]

30. I Agree

[madrchsod]

14. cardinal george says gay parade=klu klux klan

oops he had to apologize. well sort of apologize.

http://thewoundedbird.blogspot.com/2012/01/cardinal-francis-george-apologizes-sort.html

[olddad56]

15. How does the Cardinal feel about pedophilia in the priesthood?

[uppityperson]

16. Seems they would want people in a stable loving environment. WTH is the "consummate a marriage" bit?

Do they mean a penis can't be put into a vagina? Is THAT what they consider makes a "good" marriage?

How the HELL is being in a committed relationship “acting against the common good of society"?

How the HELL is being in a stable loving environment accepting "something that is contrary to the common sense of the human race.”?

Seriously. I don't get it.

[DavidWD72]

17. No, no, no. The church isn't anti gay!

George writes that despite the church’s anti-gay marriage position, the Church itself is not anti-gay. He points to a number of groups for Catholic gays, including AGLO, a 25-year-old program that meets for Mass weekly at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Boystown.


Some of their best parishioners are gay. Seriously, if the church is so anti any kind of alternative life style just how can they condone the scat play they call public relations. Stop calling it ice cream. The world knows better.

[alp227]

20. The IRS will need extra agents in Illinois...

because another Illinois clergy member, Bishop Thomas Popracki of Springfield, also had an anti-Obama sermon at church back in election season, as Mike Malloy (sourcing C&L) described on Oct. 1:

[AtheistCrusader]

21. WTF is 'natural marriage'? Marriage is a human social construct.

It's whatever the fuck we make of it.

[awoke_in_2003]

24. Correct...

"natural" in most of the animal kingdom is males bouncing from mate to mate.

[AngryOldDem]

22. Again -- taking an active role in politics, free of charge.

Same with the priest mentioned upthread, who took it upon himself to lecture his flock about the evils of Obama.

Let the Church do whatever it fucking wants. Marriage is not the exclusive property of any church. It is, basically, a social contract. The same civil rights that straight couples get, gay couples also deserve. Pretty simple concept. Separate the religious from the civil (or the unintelligent from the intelligent) and the Church really has no leg to stand on.

This was demonstrated to me a few years back when I was still Catholic. At a meeting where a priest was present, a family lawyer stood up and described some of the problems that her gay clients faced because their relationships were not legally recognized. Some stories were heartbreaking. When she finished, she asked the priest point-blank if he thought any of this was fair, or right.

The priest had no answer. Of course not -- he wasn't going to buck the company line, but everyone could tell he was put in a VERY uncomfortable place.

And the Church is about the last institution to be pontificating on what is "natural" and what is not.

Oh, and Cardinal -- this "the Church is not anti-gay" bullshit? Shove it.

[SemperEadem]

23. the state can change anything it wants to change

and this isn't medieval Europe where the church was literally in bed with the state.

go say your mass and leave governing to whom the people elected---or fork over some god damned money! Political speech requires payment of taxes.

[LiberalFighter]

25. What funding do the Catholics receive from outside their faithful sheep?

[closeupready]

28. The Vatican is neither anti-gay nor anti-semitic.

[Politicub]

29. Sex sex sex. That's all righties think about.

What an utterly stupid thing to say about consummating a marriage.

The church always stands in front of the gate of humanity's march for social justice.

And they're about to get swept aside yet again. The tide of history is on our side.