Posted on 06/28/2006 6:04:33 AM PDT by wagglebee
BOSTON, June 27, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) A group of clergy including members from a number of mainline Christian denominations and other religious organizations, including a number of Catholics, is calling on the Catholic hierarchy to end its opposition to homosexual marriage, claiming that it is in violation of religious freedom.
The group, calling itself the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, will release an open letter to Cardinal Sean OMalley and Roman Catholic bishops of Massachusetts asking the Catholic hierarchy to respect religious freedom and stop lobbying for a constitutional amendment that would deny civil marriage rights to couples married by other denominations.
The group consists of clergy from the American Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Quaker (or Society of Friends), Southern Baptist and United Methodist denominations.
The letter says that although the group disagrees with the position of the Catholic Church that homosexual acts are gravely sinful, they honor your right to believe as you wish. We respect your right to practice your faith according to your laws.
That honor reaches only so far as the strictly private sphere however. Public defence of Traditional marriage is beyond the pale.
You are promoting prejudice through your political campaign, intentionally or not, the letter says.
By proclaiming homosexuality and same-sex unions to be universally immoral and worthy of second-class status under state law, you are sending a message that our faith communities are immoral. You are harming us and our families and your own faithful as well. Thousands of Roman Catholics have signed our Roman Catholic Statement in support of marriage equality. They have signed out of their pain and their love and concern for the Church.
The largest group in the Coalition is from the Unitarian Universalist church a non-Christian organization followed by the Episcopalians.
In meetings last week, the US Episcopal Church (ECUSA) pushed the Worldwide Anglican Communion to the point of disintegration by refusing a moratorium on ordaining homosexual bishops and other clergy. Last week, ECUSAs House of Deputies voted overwhelmingly to refuse to consider a resolution that affirmed Jesus Christ as the "only name by which any person may be saved, a defining Christian doctrine.
Read the full text of the letter:
http://www.rcfm.org/LettertoRCBishops.htm
Ping.
HA Ping.
Ding ding ding!
We have a winner.
Last week, ECUSAs House of Deputies voted overwhelmingly to refuse to consider a resolution that affirmed Jesus Christ as the "only name by which any person may be saved, a defining Christian doctrine.
That meaans they are not Christian and should be thrown out of the organization
Perhaps they will hold their collective breath until their demand is met. lol
Sometimes, the truth just hurts.
I wonder who the "clergy" from the Southern Baptists is/are?
AFAIK, Southern Baptists don't believe any such thing. A Southern Baptist minister might get himself in hot water for an action like this...
They should publicly identify the Southern Baptist minister who belongs to their group. So we can let his congregation know....
Catholic Church Rolls on Floor, Laughing.
How long will it be til some "church" or the ACLU sues the Catholic church for some "civil rights" violation? Can see it coming.
>>immoral.
And your point was?
(imagine black freeway sign - What Part of 1-Romans didn't you understand?)
Shouldn't that be "Christian" "clergy" group?
By their own "demand" they identify themselves as anything but a "Christian group".
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
-Isaiah 29:13-16
Chortle :-)
Time and again, those who report on these matters NEVER get the the heart of it....
They always frame the subject as if Christians assert that Christ is the only way, never mentioning that the Bible records that Christ himself said so, and that the Apostles said so (including Paul who before his convertion, lead the efforts to stamp out Christianity).
At first I thought Southern was just a misprint for American.
I was thinking the same thing, this guy will probably be out of a job by the end of the week.
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