In aftermath of Maine, gays step up their attacks on the Church

American Papist ^ | November 5, 2009 | Thomas Peters

[NYer]

Last night, by a comfortable margin of 53-47%, the citizens of Maine became the 31st state to vote down gay marriage (as has every single state that has given its citizens a chance to vote on the issue).

Not surprisingly, the mainstream liberal press is beside itself with frustration, especially because it drives yet another nail in the "inevitability" and "wrong side of history" arguments we are often fed.

As I wrote on National Review this morning, Maine voted for traditional marriage "despite it being a liberal state, despite a 2-1 funding disadvantage, despite aggressive legal action against traditional-marriage defenders, despite unusually high voter turn out, and despite Rachel Maddow and the elite press running interference."

And unlike in California's Prop 8 victory for traditional marriage, proponents of gay marriage can't blame this Maine loss on "Mormons, on African Americans who turned out for Barack Obama, or on confusing ballot wording."

They can however, blame it on Catholics, and some angry members of the gay marriage movement are already doing so.

As I wrote back in September, the Catholic Church in Maine - with the strong leadership of Bishop Richard Malone - effectively and institutionally supported efforts to preserve traditional marriage. I have been told the Catholic Church contributed upwards of $500k to the final $2 million or so that was raised by defenders of traditional marriage.

Now, like what happened to the Mormons in the wake of Prop 8, some gays are calling for a systematic attack on the Catholic Church and her freedoms in retaliation for Maine. In case you have any doubts about what happened to supporters of Prop 8 after that was decided, the Heritage foundation has posted a summary:

Supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry.

Now read what one gay blogger wrote today in the wake of the Maine referendum today:

"[Maine voters] have bowed their heads to the nameless, faceless financiers of campaigns which continue to sew bigotry, hatred, and suspicion of their fellows. They have bowed their knees to potentates in the Catholic and Mormon Churches and claimed that this was about their freedom of religion.

... The day will come very soon when Maine will regret turning its back on equality. It is time that the legislature of Maine strip the Catholic Church of all its exemptions. It is time to force the National Organization into the light. It is time to purge their dens of iniquity and shame and to force them into the light.

It is time to dismantle those who seek through deception and fraud to repress others."

Nor is such out-in-the-open hatred of the Catholic Church confined to isolated individuals - no less a figure than Andrew Sullivan, an openly-gay and widely-read author for The Atlantic Monthly - and who still claims to be Catholic - wrote today:

"After Maine, where the Catholic church actually organized a second collection to raise money to prevent gay people from having civil rights, the situation shifts again. Using a tax-exempt church to raise money to defeat the civil rights of fellow citizens is not too shocking in the age of Benedict. It is shocking if one believes in a separation of politics and religion, and if one believes that the church of Jesus should stand in solidarity with the marginalized, rather than seeking to marginalize and demonize them still further.

It is time to acknowledge that the Catholic church hierarchy can no longer pretend that it isn't the active enemy of gay people and our families. That this church hierarchy - especially in its more conservative wing - is disproportionately gay itself and waging war against their fellow gays through the cowardly veil of the closet, is not new. But it is, as we flinch with the sting of defeat, harder to take than ever.

It is time to demand that gay priests who are actively fighting against the dignity of gay people own their enmeshment in injustice, stigmatization and cruelty."

The Atlantic is a major publication, Andrew Sullivan is a significant figure. This is serious. And authors such as Sullivan are getting a free-pass for legitimizing lies and hatred against the Church.

All this is especially ironic when one considers how the gay marriage movement tries to cast itself as one that is seeking tolerance and acceptance of all. Well, apparently the Catholic Church isn't a legitimate recipient of such treatment. I would be more encouraged if leaders of the gay marriage movement would call out or apologize for outbursts against the Church like the ones I've cited above.

Nonetheless, in the coming days and weeks, we need to be vigilant for anti-Catholic rhetoric and attacks. Don't be surprised if a lot of damning stories about the Church are published in the short term. Even if the issue of gay marriage isn't mentioned, you can bet reporters who have something against the Church are dusting off their old file folders right now.

Now of course, this oft-repeated smear that the Catholic Church hates gay people and hates equality is completely without foundation. Just look at a portion of the statement Bishop Malone released today:

“These past few months have served as a teaching opportunity to explain to parishioners and the wider community about how and why the Church views and values marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It has also been an opportunity for listening, and I trust that those who voted for such a radical change did so out of concern for our gay brothers and sisters. Respect and acceptance of all people regardless of sexual orientation is not a point of controversy — indeed, it is a teaching of the Church. While the Catholic Church will continue its commitment to work for the basic human rights to which all people are entitled, it remains devoted to preserving and strengthening the precious gift of marriage.”

That sure doesn't sound like hate speech to me. {update: neither does the statement just issued by the US Bishops - for those stumbling across this post, please read it before attacking our position. It has been compassionately thought through.}

For our part, meanwhile, we have to be charitable and confident in the teaching of the Church and be consistent in our own witness to it. Defining marriage as between one man and one woman is not to treat gays as inferior or unequal. This definition has overwhelming historical, cultural, sociological, and religious support.

Such anger and retaliation from the gay community are a sad indicator that they have no more arguments. Nonetheless, whenever the Church is attacked, we must defend ourselves and the Church we love, continuing to articulate the truths of the human person which reason reveal and faith confirms.

Truth, after all, is the foundation for equality, and for every valid social justice movement. So it should not surprise us that the only way the gay community is now attempting to establish its legal "right" to marriage is through power and intimidation.

update - I won't clutter my post with more examples, but I'll add just one more. There are many others:

The Bishop of Maine, Richard Malone, must be quite pleased with himself. He ran a campaign of lies, hate and distortions -- and convinced enough Maine voters to vote with him. It's going to take me a couple days (or more) to get my head around this one. But, for now, suffice it so say: HATE was the winner in Maine. Hate and the Catholic Bishop. But, this isn't over. Time and justice really are on our side.

Luke 6:22.

[RobbyS]

As if gays didn’t have the support of tax-empty foundations. But that’s a red herring. Gays did not hesitate to use the courts and their connections in the Democratic Party to deprive the people of Massachusetts the right to vote on this issue.

[Lurker]

Get the State out of the marriage business and this problem vanishes.

As usual, Government is the problem.

[OriginalChristian]

With all due respect, you should seek another parish.
Peace be to you...

[max americana]

It’s the only Catholic parish in Hollywood unfortunately.

[NYer]

Thank you for posting those links. It is so very important to show others what happens when the definition of marriage changes. I still recall reading a news article written a few days after MA legalized gay marriage. The author's son was a 1st grade student on that fateful day. No sooner was the announcement made when a team of gays descended on each and every classroom to begin the indoctrination process. The next day, the author pulled his children from that school and enrolled them in a Catholic school. What is most disconcerting, though, is that this trend is not local or even national. It's is worldwide. And despite what they say, it is not a matter of civil rights. They have as much right to marry a person of the opposite gender as do you and I.

Heads up! The gov of NY is planning to introduce a bill to the legislature next week, legalizing gay marriage in this state.

[Rutles4Ever]

The GLBT fifth column thinks it can shame or harass the margin of loss into voting their way.

[1776 Reborn]

Yeah, I think they should be granted legal business partnership contracts by the government,not marriage licenses, to deal with the legal issues surrounding property ownership and custody disputes. I think the churches should be the only ones to actually marry anyone according to their own religious beliefs. That’s my view, I know it is a bit too middle of the road for many regarding this issue but I think it would resolve this issue from the
governments point of view in my lifetime at least.

[Rutles4Ever]

You’re five minutes from Burbank. Go to St. Finbar of St. Charles Borromeo in Toluca Lake.

[Rutles4Ever]

typo, “or” St. Charles Borromeo

[max americana]

Is it a lib parish? I’m wary of any church close to Hollywood.

[massmike]

-The gov of NY is planning to introduce a bill to the legislature next week, legalizing gay marriage in this state.-

Like Patterson’s approval rating wasn’t low enough already....

[Rutles4Ever]

St. Finbar was not at all liberal, at least back in the 90’s. Can’t vouch for what it’s like now, but they were very focused on the Eucharist when I lived in the area.

You should pay them a visit this Sunday and see. I take it you go to Holy Name(?) in Hollywood?

[stevem]

In aftermath of Maine, gays step up their attacks on the Church

Does this mean the opposition of gays toward the Catholic Church's tenet now stands at 110%?

[max americana]

Thanks for the info. I dont want to mention the name of it but it’s “close” to CNN (maybe that’s why it’s liberal).

[livius]

I had to walk out while the lemming idiots were clapping afterwards.

The lemming idiots should have their hands taped to their sides. Actually, your pastor should tell people they should NOT applaud in church. There is no reason for it, no permission for it, and it's always used to get simple-minded idiots (mostly women, I hate to say) to lend their "solidarity" to some liberal cause.

[MrB]

The standard argument is

“How can two people of the same sex being married be a threat to your marriage?”

[thecraw]

The militants won't stop until all churches are like this one: http://www.mccchurch.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Sexuality_Spirituality&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=629

[thecraw]

The standard argument is “How can two people of the same sex being married be a threat to your marriage?”

Same as saying, "If I get an abortion, how that that be a threat to someone else's right to carry their baby to term?"

[Jvette]

The anger displayed by gays seeking affirmation and approval of their relationships as normal and natural used to surprise me. I have wondered why?

It is of interest to me that the rise of the demand for “gay marriage” correlates to the rise of lesbianism, female homosexuality. It is natural for women to want children and to have a partner in the care of raising those children.

Yet, due to the nature of the homosexual union, reproduction is impossible. Artificial means must then be used. Likewise, marriage, as it has been defined and understood for centuries, is between a man and a woman.
Therefore, “gay marriage” must also be achieved by artificial means. As is evident, the voting public is not ready to grant gays that sanction, so they have turned to the courts to impose it. It would therefore follow, that acceptance must also then be artificially imposed.

I submit that the anger stems not from the fact that society has not gleefully adopted the homosexual agenda, but rather a kind of self aversion in the subliminal knowledge that the natural things they desire cannot be attained by their unnatural sexual desires.

It is projection and transferal of blame. Like a spoiled child angry when its parents won’t consent to what is bad for the child and the family.

I believe that even should gays gain the “marriage” they seek, they will still find themselves angry and bitter. Remember it was once enough to be able to practice the “alternative lifestyle” free of discrimination. No matter the concessions, they will never be happy as it will never be enough to quell the knowledge that their sexual desires are disordered under the laws of nature and not just the laws of God.

[Rappini]

Come on Palin.