Posted on 04/22/2005 9:35:16 AM PDT by metalmanx2j
Pope Benedict XVI has responded firmly to the first challenge of his papacy by condemning a Spanish government bill allowing marriage between homosexuals.
The bill, passed by parliament's Socialist-dominated lower house, also allows gay couples to adopt.
A senior Vatican official described the bill - which is likely to become law within a few months - as iniquitous.
He said Roman Catholic officials should be prepared to lose their jobs rather than co-operate with the law.
The bill would make Spain the first European country to allow homosexual people to marry and adopt children.
Belgium and the Netherlands only allow same-sex marriages. It is also a dramatic step in the rapid secularisation of what was once one of the most devoutly Roman Catholic countries in Europe.
The head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council on the Family, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, denounced the legislation as profoundly iniquitous.
Secular state
Interviewed in the Italian newspaper, Corriere de la Serra, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo said the Church was making an urgent call for freedom of conscience for Roman Catholics and appealing to them to resist the law.
He said every profession linked with implementing homosexual marriages should oppose it, even if it meant losing their jobs.
The cardinal insisted that just because something was made law it did not make it right.
Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero took office a year ago making it clear he intended to remove what he called the church's undeniable advantages and make Spain a secular state.
There are likely to be further tensions with Pope Benedict XVI. Mr Zapatero has made it clear that he intends to streamline divorce law and even to relax the conditions placed on abortion.
No; man's law never supersedes God’s law.
The matter at hand was how people of faith deal with civil law in issues of conscience that Scripture does not address. In particular, the Bible admonishes us to obey civil authorities and law. This is particularly troublesome when civil law is immoral.
I was hoping someone would post this article. I saw it earlier. Anyone who doesn't believe we are on a long walk down a short pier to the end of the world as we know it, is drinking Kool Aide.
Quitting your job isn't civil disobedience, its your right. That's what they suggested; to quit rather than submit.
"..You represent the Catholic Church doctrine as authoritative.."
It is.
It's not difficult at all.
1. Man's law never supersedes God's law; neither does the Church.
See? It's not hard.
2. Homosexuality is a sin;
Right
issuing marriage licenses to homosexuals is not.
Oops,,,Anything which separates you from God is a sin. State sanctioned sin does that, and no one has an obligation to abet that. They also have no obligation to quit their jobs for that reason.
They should be aware that the godless may fire them. That's OK, people need to understand and take responsibility for their actions. They are certain to be persecuted for being Christians, Jesus told us so. Don't obey the godless, and maybe get fired. If all Christians did that, they would have to fire most of their employees. Oh well, then they take the consequences I guess.
3. However, if you conscience forbids you to issue marriage licenses to homosexuals, then you should find another job.
Wrongo, you should refuse to issue them and let the chips fall where they may. Let the godless worry about the consequences.
You may wish to get involved in protests or legislative efforts to change the law.
No problem. And those who think like you, those meek in their faith, may wish to act more meekly.
But others are under no obligation to do so, and certainly not because people like you misinterpret scripture.
To: Campion
No, really you're claiming that your interpretation of the Bible is the ultimate authority.
That sounds familar.
54 posted on 04/22/2005 2:42:03 PM CDT by Protagoras (Christ is risen.)
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"..You represent the Catholic Church doctrine as authoritative.."
It is.
I knew someone would make my point.
This is not quite the same. I get what you're trying to say -- separation of Church and state. But, when the state asks you to do what you CANNOT do, that is something else. IF the state (say China) mandates that a doctor MUST perform abortions for parents with more than 1 kid, then is that to be resisted or not?
He said Roman Catholic officials should be prepared to lose their jobs rather than co-operate with the law.
He said every profession linked with implementing homosexual marriages should oppose it, even if it meant losing their jobs.
The cardinal insisted that just because something was made law it did not make it right.
Let me know if you want on/off this pinglist.
GREAT GOOD NEWS!
I disagree. Sometimes the civil authority is so egregiously evil or sinful that it by co-operating with the sin/evil one joins in their wickedness.
BTW, it was perfectly lawful and legal to discriminate against and then exterminate Jews and other "undesirables" in Germany during the Third Reich. Do you think Jesus or his disciples would have said that people should go along with those crimes?
Of course you don't.
AP, the irrevent spinners of all things Vatican, sold this as 'the Pope's first difficult test' or some such overdramtized, ankle-biting trial balloon.
I told you it was easy.
You read it that we must murder on command of evil rulers because they were elected by men or seized power and you think that is God's will.
All other people with common sense read it the other way. You may, indeed must, disobey.
Oh well, happy obedience to tyrants and murders!!! Carry on.
And here I thought we were discussing homosexual marriage licenses; how did murder come up?
In any event, the sixth commandment is “Thou shalt not murder.” Sounds like God’s law to me.
I admire your use of the “strawman” technique to attribute a position to me that I do not espouse, then to attempt to invalidate my actual position by disproving the strawman. Even a cursory review of this thread will demonstrate that I never sanctioned murder.
It’s an old oratory technique to change the subject when you can’t argue the original premise. However, I believe that FReepers are supposed to stay on topic. The original topic was the Church’s response to a Spanish law regarding homosexual marriage licenses, not murder.
In summary: murder - bad; homosexuality - bad; homosexual marriage licenses - bad; Church admonition to resist the law - debatable; rational debate - good!
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