Posted on 07/08/2011 12:31:34 PM PDT by wagglebee
NEW YORK, July 8, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - American Christians may one day find themselves facing legal penalties simply for believing marriage can only exist between a man and a woman, a fate already suffered by believers in other countries, said the leader of America’s most influential Catholic pulpit this week.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York reflected on his blog Thursday on the recent legalization of gay “marriage” in New York, and what repercussions true marriage supporters can expect in the future.
He called it “haunting” that the marriage bill became law on the day Catholics celebrate the feast of the Birth of John the Baptist, “whom King Herod would behead because the saint dared to defend the God-given truth about marriage.”
“If the experience of those few other states and countries where this is already law is any indication, the churches, and believers, will soon be harassed, threatened, and hauled into court for their conviction that marriage is between one man, one woman, forever, bringing children into the world,” wrote the archbishop.
Christians in the UK, Canada, and elsewhere have lost their jobs, been dragged through lengthy “human rights” proceedings, and faced steep fines for questioning the dangerous homosexual lifestyle, declining to facilitate gay “marriages,” or even failing to acknowledge “gay pride” events.
Dolan pointed out that editorials nationwide have been calling for an end to the Catholic Church’s religious liberties as a growing percentage of Americans consider defending true marriage a form of discrimination against homosexuals. The archbishop insisted the Church’s position was “never anti-gay.”
“As I replied recently to a reporter who asked if I had any message to the gay community, ‘Yes: I love you. Each morning I pray with and for you and your true happiness and well-being,’” he recalled.
Meanwhile, he says, the true aggressors have proven to be the gay “marriage” lobby.
“As one respected columnist has observed, the problem is not homophobia but theophobia — a hatred by some of God, faith, religion, and the Church,” he said.
Although Dolan said his brother bishops in New York were “particularly prophetic” in acknowledging an uphill battle on the marriage issue, Dolan said Christians would not back down on the truth.
“Like St. Thomas More, we’re willing to take the heat and even lose our head from following a conscience properly formed by God’s revelation and the teaching of His Church, even if it is politically incorrect, and clashes with the King’s demands to re-define marriage,” he said.
Read Archbishop Dolan’s full post here.
Zero would put us in gulags tomorrow if he thought he could get away with it.
It’s going to come to blood.
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Maybe the hierarchy should have spoken more forcefully in previous elections, not on the eve of this vote; they might change a few minds if they assertively state that people are endangering their immortal souls by openly defying God on something He spoke quite forcefully about.
I believe it. Absolutely.
America is facing a moral crisis every bit as great as the one brought on by slavery a century and a half ago.
They have been quite forthright, at least in New York, for some time. It took just two GOP state reps to turn traitor on this one. I don’t know if they’re Catholic or not, but if they are, they should be excommunicated.
> Maybe the hierarchy should have spoken more forcefully in
> previous elections,
Maybe they should have publically excommunicated pro-homo and pro-abort politicians like the Cuomos, Kennedys, etc.
This is the whole point behind the left backing “gay rights” -
the criminalization of Christianity.
The left/commies couldn’t care less about the homos, they’re just a weapon or tool. And when the commies accomplish their goals, they’ll be “discarded”.
The “gay marriage” push is simply about being able to punish with state power those who won’t buy into the statists and homosexualists ever devolving take on marriage.
Freegards
My mother had the best reply when she was asked if she backed homosexual marriage: “My spirit does not accept that.”
It’s coming. If I want to hear the truth from my Pastor, I’ll have to visit him in jail. he’s already told us that’s where he will be if the government out laws any part of the Gospel.
We as Baptists don't have "excommunication", I'd settle for horse whipping them.
Horsewhipping would probably work too.
It's just too bad they drag us “Social justice is no jusice” people down along with them.
That being said, the Catholic Church, along with those Protestant churches that preach the true Gospel, and other groups that follow the dictates of their religion instead of those of secular liberalism, are probably in for a hard time over the coming years.
‘
Sadly, most priests/pastors will turn. People don't want to risk the tax exempt subsidy.
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