10/29/2007
Iowa Catholics Call for Same-Sex Marriage Ban
The Iowa Catholic Conference, board, made up of the state's four dioceses, has issued a statement calling for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in reaction to Judge Robert Hanson's August ruling and subsequent order that Polk County begin marrying gay people. The ruling was almost immediately stayed, but not before one couple, college students Tim McQuillan and Sean Fritz, was married.
Said the Catholics: "Marriage between a man and a woman is a good from the perspectives of both natural law and our Catholic faith. "Society has chosen to protect and promote marriage because of its unique contribution to the common good...Neither church nor state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage. In a manner unlike any other relationship, marriage makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society, especially through the procreation and education of children."
Hanson's ruling has been appealed.
This weekend, there was an enormous religious rally against same-sex marriage outside the Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines. 1,200 people attended.
The Des Moines Register reports: "The group -- from churches throughout Des Moines -- came for a prayer rally at the east-side church to urge the Iowa Supreme Court to rule against a Polk County judge's decision that Iowa law improperly prohibits same-sex couples from marrying. 'is is more than a political battle,' said the Rev. Keith A. Ratliff Sr. of the Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church. 'This is a spiritual battle.'"
In other Catholic/Gay news, Deb Price of the Detroit News writes about Fortunate Families, a group for Catholic parents of gay children who have made it their mission to transform the church. Says one parent: "We believe we are the church. And if we didn't work to have our children recognized as whole and holy members of the church, then we are complicit with the injustice. So if we stay, we must speak."
Fortunate Families [website]
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Posted 10:24 AM EST by Andy in Catholic Church, Gay Marriage, Iowa, News, Religion | Permalink
Comments
"Society has chosen to protect and promote marriage because of its unique contribution to the common good." This is the most bullshit reasoning that I have ever heard. It's so general that we could apply it to any situation. Should we still have slavery because it would "uniquely contribute to the common good" of the white majority? And who is to say that gay couples don't contribute uniquely to society?
Damn it Catholics.
Posted by: matt | Oct 29, 2007 10:54:34 AM
Hey, you heteros can keep the dreaded 'M' word. I detest it and would never want to call my partner my 'husband' (the thought of using that cringe-inducing word curdles my blood.) "Marriage" as a moniker for "holy matrimony" was and is a hetero institution. You can have it.
BUT you better damned well give us - human beings with life-partners who are joined in loving committed relationships - the same protective rights as is afforded any heterosexual relationship - ALL rights. Ban same-sex marriage, go ahead - but don't try to prohibit our basic human right. These are not special rights - these are equal rights. And if you don't want to recognize my relationship as a 'marriage', that's your prerogative…but you can't negate it.
Posted by: jeffreychrist | Oct 29, 2007 11:06:13 AM
Also makes you wonder what a Catholic thinks that "natural law" might be? It needs to include those will die because their church prohibits use of condoms.
They might also want to properly parse the final sentence, because "_the_ procreation ... of children" is something that they might not want to promote.
Posted by: Mike | Oct 29, 2007 11:21:47 AM
"So if we stay, we must speak."
Why in the hell would you want to stay in an organization that is so backwards, so fossilized and so wrong about so many things? Why not simply leave the Catholic Church, take your money and your family and go somewhere else?
I do not believe that the Catholic Church can be reformed. Those who attempt to do so are confused about democracy and theocracy. The Church is not now nor has it ever been democratic. The Church will do what the Church wants to do, and it expects parishoners to follow them no matter where they go.
Leave the Church and you take some of its power away. Leave the Church and you take away the most important thing to it: your money. I call upon tolerant and liberal Catholics everywhere to en masse exit the Church, tell them to shove their Pontiff's hat up their ass and walk out the door. There are many, many other places in America where you can practice your faith in complete freedom.
Posted by: Jonathon | Oct 29, 2007 11:24:39 AM
I'm still wondering how anyone can claim that procreation contributes to the common good of society. When exactly will we have enough people in the world and the ultimate in "common good" will be achieved?
Posted by: Scientitian | Oct 29, 2007 11:57:16 AM
I went to catholic grade school, high school, and college. Can we get rid of these damn catholics once and for all please? Let's propose a constitutional amendment limiting their civil rights and see what happens.
Speaking of the constituton. Wasn't there something in there about church and state being separate? Meaning one can't tell the other what to do? I could swear I read that somewhere.
psst Jonathon, the pontiff's hat is called a mitre. And it'd never fit, too tight in there.
Posted by: jake | Oct 29, 2007 12:01:15 PM
Dear Iowa Catholic Conference members,
Go fuck yourselves. Beats you fucking kids anyway.
Love,
Marco
Posted by: Marco | Oct 29, 2007 12:52:27 PM
The most screwed-up, deceitful boyfriend I ever had was a Catholic. Today he is also a Republican and Rush Limbaugh fan. Still gay, though. Isn't it amazing?
Posted by: Paul | Oct 29, 2007 1:01:34 PM
@jeffreychrist: Oh, honey. It's a bit ironic that someone whining about "hetero institutions" and forging your own path would have a MySpace page.
Posted by: crispy | Oct 29, 2007 1:12:34 PM
Jake, thanks for the pointer. I am not "up" on my Catholic terminology.
Here's a thought re: Catholic civil rights. During the Cold War, members of the Communist Party of America were required to register with the Federal government as "agents of a foreign power", i.e., the USSR. Why can't we do the same with Catholics? The Vatican is considered a soverign state, and in the last couple of election cycles, the Church has attempted to interfere with our internal politics, i.e., the instruction to priests not to give communion to politicians who support abortion rights, etc.
Posted by: Jonathon | Oct 29, 2007 1:58:07 PM
Marriage (the joining of a man and a woman for the benefit of society, ie., pro-creation) is a unique institution in and of itself. That is true and...
That should remain as it is. HOWEVER, the benefits that married couples enjoy mut be extnded to same-sex couples to whatever extent applicable.
Posted by: Cramps | Oct 29, 2007 1:58:55 PM
Jonathon,
You're right. Catholics aren't American. They're Vaticanites. So we should revoke their voting rights too.
Posted by: beergoggles | Oct 29, 2007 2:25:01 PM
GRRRRRRRRRRR, don't get me started on Catholics. I unfortunately live where these Bastards r the majority!
Posted by: DaK | Oct 29, 2007 4:00:06 PM
Jonathon:
I like the way you think. And we don't even have to amend the constitution to register these bastards. PERFECT!
Posted by: jake | Oct 29, 2007 4:47:16 PM
Since no Senator or Congressman in the United States is willing or capable of writing legislation preventing religious institutions from openly practicing politics with all their tax exempt billions I guess we are well on our way to the Theocracy that so many religious zealots in the US desire. But I thought we lived in a Democracy, guess I was mistaken.
Posted by: SFshawn | Oct 29, 2007 5:26:02 PM
I grew up and went to 12 yr of Catholic education in Iowa City, a very small place. At my parish and/or high school, there were, in my 12 yr there, FIVE priests who either were found guilty of child sexual abuse or had credible allegations made against them, including the HS principal and later Bishop of Sioux City, Lawrence Soens. The worst of the bunch was William Wiebler who never was brought to justice and has died - living in St. Louis across the street from a school, protected by the Bishop there. Thanks to my non-catholic mom and clued-in older brother, I was warned. Still, just remembering their clumsy advances gives me the creeps. I'm pretty sure there isn't any hell, but I'm also pretty sure there isn't much justice. And Catholics should be ashamed, and just shut the f**k up.
Posted by: Jim | Oct 29, 2007 7:31:44 PM
How much god did catholicism bring into the world, given Pedophile priests and AIDS in Africa because they don't like condoms.
I don't think that's contributing much at all.
Posted by: lou | Oct 30, 2007 12:10:50 AM
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