Free Republic

THE Border’s homosexual community has hit back at organisers of a rally against same-sex marriage, saying the protest is futile. Albury members of the Wagga Catholic Diocese will hire buses to travel to Parliament House in Canberra next month to “stand up for traditional marriage”. But Hume Phoenix male convenor Steve Onley said members of his social support group were disappointed. “The anger stems from people again dictating to a minority group that we can’t do what we want to do,” he said.“The protest is futile because as far as I’m concerned the laws are going to pass, it’s only...

President Obama will endorse a bill to repeal the law that limits the legal definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman, the White House said Tuesday, taking another step in support of gay rights. Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said Mr. Obama was taking the additional step away from the Defense of Marriage Act — which the administration said earlier this year it would no longer defend in court — in order to “uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections...

A lesbian couple is suing a Vermont inn, claiming it refused to host their fall wedding reception because of their sexual orientation. Kate Baker and Ming Linsley filed the suit on Tuesday in Vermont Superior Court, accusing the Wildflower Inn of Lyndonville of abruptly turning them away after learning they are lesbians. They claim the inn violated Vermont’s Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act, which prohibits inns, hotels, motels and other establishments with five or more rooms from turning away patrons based on sexual orientation. The law makes an exemption for religious organizations. ..“I think this case could set an...

New York approved a gay marriage bill Friday, making it the sixth state in the country to legalize homosexual unions. We are pleased to see this measure taken in such an influential political state...While many of us may not exactly condone that lifestyle, to deny a same-sex couple the same rights as a heterosexual couple is wrong...The only factor that should make a difference in deciding to spend your life with another person is love and faithfulnessMany argue homosexual unions go against the sanctity of marriage according to their religious beliefs. We believe the divorce rate in this country goes...

For a nation that takes pride in keeping church and state apart the record is dismal to say the least. Religion, especially Christianity, plays a very significant role in all aspects of politics and human life. So, it is not surprising that the Catholic bishop of Brooklyn has called upon all Catholics to boycott elected representatives in New York. I suppose one must feel relieved that he did not call upon the Catholics to boycott the entire state government. ..The problem is that the church has helped twist the issue of same sex unions until the issue has been distorted...

The Catholic Church leads opposition to New York's new law legalizing same sex marriage. In a statement over the weekend, Bishop Terry LaValley of the Diocese of Ogdensburg called the law "deeply disappointing and troubling." The statement calls marriage between a man and a woman the only "authentic" marriage. David Sommerstein spoke yesterday with Bishop LaValley about the new law and about his parishioners reaction to his statement. "The statement was not issued in any way to hurt, to alienate or in any way anger any of our sisters and brothers," LaValley said. "It was merely a reaffirmation of the...

More than 200 United Methodist clergy in Illinois have pledged to flout church policy and bless unions for same-sex couples, putting their jobs, homes and callings in jeopardy if couples take advantage of their offer.Methodists in the Northern Illinois Conference also called on the global church to impose no more than a 24-hour suspension for clergy who defy the policy.Elders, deacons and pastors took their stand after civil unions in Illinois became legal this month. But they said their determination to support same-sex unions has been fueled further by a church trial last week in which a jury found a...