Posted on 08/10/2010 6:07:36 AM PDT by NYer
.- The anti-Proposition 8 decision’s claim that religious opinions about the sinfulness of homosexuality harm homosexuals is “outrageous” and could endanger both the place of religion in public life and religious liberty itself, legal experts and Catholic leaders have warned.
Last Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Prop. 8, the 2008 California ballot measure which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. He declared as a “finding of fact” that “Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians.”
Under this finding, Walker’s decision cited statements of several religions on homosexual acts and legal recognition of same-sex relationships, including the 2003 Vatican document “Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons.”
That document written by Pope Benedict XVI when he was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) spokeswoman Mary Ann Walsh criticized the Prop. 8 decision in a Friday column at the Washington Post website’s “On Faith” section.
She said the decision was “irrational” in dismissing marriage between a man and a woman “as if it were some kooky idea.” Judge Walker’s claim about religious beliefs’ harmfulness to homosexuals was “even more irrational.”
“The judge's placing religion and government at odds amounts to Constitutional irrationality,” Walsh charged. “It is no small irony that his anti-religious position is enshrined in a ruling deemed to oppose bigotry.”
The USCCB spokeswoman claimed that the U.S. Constitution precludes government from weighing in on the acceptability of religious beliefs. She also said that the judge’s ruling wrongly said that the Church views homosexuality as sinful, when in fact the Church sees it as an inclination that is not intrinsically sinful.
“The Catholic Church makes clear that it is homosexual activities it deems sinful, because it holds that all sexual activity belongs within marriage between a man and a woman,” Sr. Walsh explained, adding that the Church “abhors” violence against homosexuals and opposes “all unjust discrimination.”
Kevin “Seamus” Hasson, President of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, spoke about the Prop. 8 ruling in a Monday phone conversation with CNA.
Asked whether the finding of fact about religion’s harmfulness could set a precedent, he explained that findings of fact are “limited to the case” of Prop. 8. He also suggested that it was “not helpful” to criticize as unconstitutional the judge’s statements on the harmfulness of specific religious beliefs.
For Hasson, the ruling was “disappointing but not surprising.” He charged that the judge conducted the case as a “show trial” and further claimed the judge took the “outrageously extreme” view that those who believe in moral traditions are “irrelevant, irrational even.”
Hasson added that he doesn’t believe any other federal cases have ruled religious teachings to be harmful.
“To say categorically that religion is bad is an amazingly arrogant statement,” the Becket Fund head commented, charging that Judge Walker was “an activist judge.”
Hasson particularly criticized the ruling’s “sweeping statements,” such as its contention that male-female marriage is a “leftover” and that gender roles are “an artifact of time gone by.” He predicted that the ruling’s “breathtaking grandiosity” will lead it to its being overruled.
He repeated that the decision was a “breathtaking development” because it advocated that all religious believers and their moral convictions “should be out of the public square.”
“On homosexuality, when life begins, when life ends, whether euthanasia is permissible, questions of sexual propriety, right across the board. Anything that believers hold is categorically excluded,” he continued.
“This is very dangerous precedent,” Hasson commented, pledging that the Becket Fund is prepared to oppose “anybody who attempts to expand Judge Walker’s erroneous opinion into other areas.”
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, told CNA in a Monday e-mail that the Catholic Church’s teachings on homosexuality are shared by many world religions and have been the view of most people throughout history.
“But in the mind of Judge Walker, all of this is now suspect. Such arrogance would be hard to top,” Donohue continued.
“In the eyes of the Catholic Church, all sexual unions outside marriage, traditionally understood, are harmful to the best interests of society. And for good reason: they compete, if not undermine, the institutional basis that allows for the establishment of a family.”
CNA asked the Catholic League about the judge’s citation of the CDF document signed by Pope Benedict.
“Listing the Pope's remarks in a judicial ruling designed to prove the harmfulness of Church teachings on homosexuality is invidious,” Donohue responded.
He charged that the action seeks to “stigmatize the defense of marriage” and tries to make homosexual relations more acceptable.
“In doing so, it opens the door to the demonization of Christianity in the schools,” Donohue continued.
The Catholic League president claimed that the Prop. 8 ruling would “invite greater pressure” on the Catholic Church and other religions to accept “the radical homosexual agenda.”
If this effort is successful, Donohue warned, “not only will the family suffer, the prospects for religious liberty will be endangered as well.”
If gay marriage is a ‘right’ then will churches be forced to perform gay marriages?
Well, that didn’t take long!
Who knew this was really a law against religious beliefs and conviction? Muslims exempt course.
It would be good for the Church in general if they lost their tax exempt status.
Then they could be out from under the thumb of political correctness.
Of course, the end game is to use the power of the state against the Christian church. This is the goal of the prince of this world and his minions on the left.
Next we will be told that opposition to theft (’Thou shalt not steal’) amounts to irrational religious bigotry that harms burglars. Never mind that we hate the sin precisely because we love the sinner who is being dragged down by the sin.
‘It would be good for the Church in general if they lost their tax exempt status.”
Taxes would be used to destroy churches.
What part of LOVE THE SINNERbut hate the sin don’t they get?
You’re right there,
but at least the church wouldn’t be complicit with the worldly/Satanic agenda for fear of losing their exempt status.
If putting a manger scene in the town square equates to “an establishment of religion” then certainly such a spurious statement in a court opinion “prohibits the free exercise thereof” and should be stricken...
Now why would we EVER think gays would target churches?
Prominent homosexual activists lead screaming demonstration, terrorize Boston church sponsoring ex-gay religious event.
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09b/ParkStreetChurch_0428/index.html
Homosexual activists terrorize Boston church during ex-Gay conference while police watch.
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/events05/love_won_out/index.html
Homosexual groups and their allies — including public officials — attempt to terrorize Christian event. Police make Christian minister pay for protection, and allow demonstrators to illegally gather in street outside hall.
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/events06/MrHetero/index.html
“Safe schools” czar Kevin Jennings helps Harvard celebrate homosexual terrorist group “Act Up”
Contributes to offensive display of sexual perversion, child pornography, and anti-Catholic bigotry — now being exhibited at Harvard University
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09d/harvard_actup/index.html
Maine pro-family leader gets death threat, Catholic church harassed, in wake of same-sex “marriage” vote
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09d/maine_election/heath_threats.html
Hideous gay ‘protests’ in Boston and around the country — threatening churches and private citizens, attacking pro-marriage supporters
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/08c/Prop8/protests_111508.html
Homosexual “Youth Pride Day” includes hardcore “gay” anti-religious propaganda.
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/08b/youth_pride08/intro.html
Ted Olson and this Judge have lifestyle choices confused for being born into a minority class. This ruling legally opens the door for any lifestyle choice including polygamy, incest, and beastiality.
Heard someone in the medical field today put it in precise terms.
Homosexual behavior is medically contraindicated.
In my opinion, that is the reason behind the same-sex “marriage” agenda. Once the courts have decreed the “right” to marry, there will be thousands of lawsuits against churches popping up all over the country. The CA judge was very explicit in his ruling that they are going to try to abolish Christianity in this country.
So what’s next? A new law obliging everyone to take scissors and cut out the ‘controversial’ pages out of their Bible? So that we have a sanitized, un-offending Bible? Oh no wait, there are the other Commandments that can offend any plaintiff at any given point in time in the future...
________________________________
Why oh why is it that in terms of narcissistic political correctness, the U.S.A. seems to have easily surpassed Europe in this type of topic? (I am in Holland). We still cherish our ideas of ‘live and let live’, we have our own Bible Belt, as well as a wild variety of other confessional/opinion-related convictions, as well as the usual percentage of real cranks and madmen; but oftentimes I get the idea that half of American citizens (usually a liberal) is sueing or otherwise legally threatening another
American (usually conservative) over such matters.
Please explain: did the PC hippie egoistic dream ever really stop over there? What’s the matter with you guys and girls?
If gay marriage is a ‘right’ then will churches be forced to perform gay marriages?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
THAT is when our family gathers together to worship AT HOME. I am so up-to-my-neck with all of this. One thing I can say is it has brought out the fight in me.
“What part of LOVE THE SINNER but hate the sin don’t they get?”
Any of it. IMHO, the psychology of the liberal, particularly the homosexual activist, is that down deep they KNOW they’re doing wrong, so the only way they can justify their actions is to insist that everybody affirm their choices. They can’t or won’t see that the person is separate from the action and that it is precisely BECAUSE we love the sinner that we hate the “sin that so easily ensnares”. Sad, really.
Colonel, USAFR
They’ve already fired enough warning shots.....
(July,2004) — The pastor of a Swedish Pentecostal church in Kalmar, Sweden,was sentenced to one month in prison by a Swedish court, for “hate speech against homosexuals” for a sermon he preached citing Biblical references to homosexuality.
July ,2008 -A homosexual man is suing two major Christian publishers for violating his constitutional rights and causing emotional pain, because the Bible they publish refers to homosexuality as a sin.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69147
(December, 2007) — The pastor of an Alberta Canada Church wrote a letter to the editor of his hometown newspaper in which he said homosexuality is immoral and physically dangerous for those involved in it. The Humans Rights Commission ruled to silence the pastor and prevent him from any further speech against Homosexuality.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/dec/07120306.html
In New Jersey,a lesbian “couple” sued a Methodist organization because it would not allow them to celebrate their civil union ceremony on its property.
http://www.lawandreligion.com/sites/lawandreligion.com/files/Dave%20Estes%20FINAL.pdf
-In Massachusetts, Catholic Charities, the largest provider of adoption services in the commonwealth, was forced to end this aspect of its work because it refused to arrange for children to be adopted by homosexual couples. Thus an affiliate of the largest church in America was prevented from doing vital work because it would not go along the absurdity that children placed for adoption don’t need a mother and a father.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/11/catholic_charities_stuns_state_ends_adoptions/
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