Friday, May 11, 2012
"No human being can redefine marriage, especially a politician in an election year"
As Vatican II states, God is the author of marriage. He has defined marriage as between a man and a woman. So, marriage is between a man and a woman. Period. This is not just divine law, it is natural law (the law imprinted on each of our hearts about good and evil). Every single rational person knows that sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are unnatural and immoral. They know it in their hearts. And, yet, they go against what their hearts tell them when they try to argue for same-sex relationships and “gay marriage”. President Obama is the latest person to enter into this with his comments this week in support of same-sex marriage. He knows in his heart that marriage is between a man and a woman; he stated this as recently as a few years ago. Neither he nor anyone else has the authority to redefine marriage. God is the author of marriage; He has the sole author-ity to define marriage. No human being can redefine marriage, especially a politician in an election year.
Voters in North Carolina affirmed divine and natural law this week by passing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Good for North Carolina in defending marriage! It is the 32nd state to vote in support of traditional marriage...32 out of 32.
Below are two statements from the USCCB website in response to the North Carolina vote and President Obama’s comments. Pray for our bishops!
CARDINAL DOLAN: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON MARRIAGE 'DEEPLY SADDENING'
May 9, 2012
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued the following statement:
President Obama’s comments today in support of the redefinition of marriage are deeply saddening. As I stated in my public letter to the President on September 20, 2011, the Catholic Bishops stand ready to affirm every positive measure taken by the President and the Administration to strengthen marriage and the family. However, we cannot be silent in the face of words or actions that would undermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. The people of this country, especially our children, deserve better. Unfortunately, President Obama’s words today are not surprising since they follow upon various actions already taken by his Administration that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage. I pray for the President every day, and will continue to pray that he and his Administration act justly to uphold and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. May we all work to promote and protect marriage and by so doing serve the true good of all persons.
U.S. BISHOPS APPLAUD APPROVAL OF NORTH CAROLINA MARRIAGE AMENDMENT IN FACE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S RECENT COMMENTS
May 10, 2012
Marriage protection essential to the common good, says Bishop Cordileone
Cites right of every child to be raised by mother and father
North Carolina is 30th state to protect marriage via constitutional amendment
WASHINGTON—The decision by the voters of North Carolina to define marriage in a constitutional amendment as the union of one man and one woman “affirms the authentic and timeless meaning of marriage,” said Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland, California. Bishop Cordileone, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Promotion and Defense of Marriage of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), applauded the May 8 decision with Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh and Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte, North Carolina.
“The success of this amendment demonstrates people’s awareness of the essential role that marriage, as the union of a man and a woman, plays for the common good,” said Bishop Cordileone. “Despite his comments yesterday, I would hope that President Obama would recognize this essential role as well. This is not a partisan issue, but a matter of justice, fairness and equality for the law to uphold every child’s basic right to be welcomed and raised by his or her mother and father together.”
He added, “I extend my gratitude to all of the people in North Carolina who worked tirelessly to make this a reality. The people of North Carolina join millions of other Americans in affirming the importance of marriage in our society.”
North Carolina is the 30th state to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
The statement of Bishop Burbidge is available online: www.dioceseofraleigh.org/news/view.aspx?id=1486.
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17 comments:
You are a closet case.
I'm sure this will be one of many comments on this post. I don't want to talk about the separation of church and state, the selective enforcement of biblical and relationship laws by the Church, the original meaning of this stuff in Koine Greek, or other topics that I'm sure will come up. You won't like what I say here, but I hope you "approve" this comment.
I think that the cheery attitude and the rooting-for of gay marriage bans in this post is disturbing. At a school where many of your parishioners have gay friends, know them well, and have attended gay weddings, you're living in a bit of a fantasy world to say people know that these relationships are wrong. Many people want, as I do, the Catholic sacrament of marriage reserved for a man and a woman, but to express *joy* at the revocation of civil privileges and rights is callous and cold.
I think even among people who are against gay marriage, there are many who do not enjoy watching gay marriage bans passed, and see the whole fight as very ugly. To cheer "Come on Maryland!" is becoming of a frat boy not a compassionate chaplain. I am afraid you do not know your flock.
I'm one of the many people at GW who has left the Catholic Church because of your silly antics. In Christ, we face everyone with compassion, a knowing heart, and empathy at their pain. You have chased people out of the church in handfulls, and you need to come to terms with that, and think twice before posting something like this.
I am not telling you to preach a pro-gay marriage message, I would never expect that. Rather, the gleeful attitude towards life being made harder for same-sex partners is unchristian. This is disturbing and I wish you had been more compassioniate, or thought twice about this.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/414027/may-09-2012/barack-obama-vs--north-carolina-on-gay-marriage
A more illuminating, less polemical post on this subject might have been how we as Catholics could strengthen our understanding of the vows of marriage, and what a truly Catholic marriage means. I would suspect that many [heterosexual] married persons are not truly living their vocation in the way God intended, nor are people really clear on the sacramental element of marriage, beyond the civil benefits. Rather then engaging in fratboy taunts against gay marriage supporters, perhaps you might do well to educate your flock on why we as Catholics think that marriage is so important. Surely infidelity, divorce, and other issues are a greater threat than gay couples who want civil rights outside the Catholic Church.
"Every single rational person knows that sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are unnatural and immoral."
The ignorance and arrogance of such a statement is profoundly disturbing. "Every single rational person" once "knew" that the sun revolved around the earth and that salvation was by both faith and good works (both once firm Vatican positions, repudiated after only 500 years or so). Do you really expect university students to not call you on such foolishness? You may believe what you like and try to convince others, but denigrating those who believe otherwise betrays how little faith you really have in your own position. Let's hope it doesn't take the Vatican another 500 years to admit its current missteps on gay marriage, married clergy (available in the loyal Eastern rites for some 2000 years now without disaster), and women priests.
[and - why can't you be as loud and inflexible in demanding and working for the Church's stands on social justice as you are in oppressing gays? just asking --]
"Every single rational person knows that sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are unnatural and immoral."
Um, no. Please explain to me how rational thinking would lead one to the conclusion that homosexual relationships are immoral. It's just this kind of vitriol from people like you, Fr. Greg--people who are supposed to be role models in our society--that makes members of the LGBT community feel like there is something inherently wrong with them, like they are less than everyone else and are unwelcome in our society. Given the recent tragic string of suicides committed by young members of the LGBT community, I personally feel that the tone you've taken is irresponsible and highly offensive. Gay or straight, God created man in his own image, remember?
As a straight man and an ally, I beg of you to remove this post out of respect for my friends who have struggled with their sexual identities, as well as for the friends and families of those whose lives have ended too soon as a result of the wholly unwelcoming environment language like yours has fostered.
You're such a waste of resources on this campus
The offensive name calling against Fr. Greg is really unnecessary and definitely not Christian.
As one of the many, many, many souls that Fr. Greg has helped shepherd back into the Catholic Church, I encourage you all to actually learn what the Church teaches about marriage, natural law, homosexuality, and ALL sexual sins.
Here is a great quote by Peter Kreeft:
"The Church is the best friend of homosexuals, both because she tells them they are made in God's image and have intrinsic dignity and rights and are called to be saints, and because she is the only social force left that insists on moral absolutes. So when they sin against themselves she says NO, just as she does to heterosexuals who sin against themselves sexually, but when others sin against them she says NO also. No one else dares to say NO. She speaks up for everyone, including homosexuals." (http://www.thinveil.net/2012/05/dr-peter-kreeft-church-is-best-friend.html)
I'm sure many of you will absolutely hate this quote as you hated this post, but as I myself am really good at being a sinner, I am really thankful that for the Church helps me continue to seek true happiness.
L, I love your post and your quote. What I find offensive is how the supporters of gay marriages continuosly bash the supporters of the institution of a marriage between a man and a woman. If you want to stop hatred, look at yourselves first.
Your declaration that "God is the author of marriage" is inherently wrong. Marriage was originally derived for the SOLE purpose of property arrangements between families, most easily achieved by marrying off a daugther to either settle debts or acquire more land.
Religous law cannot drive political law because there is no single unified religion in this country that equally represents each citizen. We are lucky enough to live in a country that allows religious and personal freedom, both of which cannot be taken away from a minority because the majority does not approve. The tides are turning in America, and I hope you live to see the day that allies of the LBGT community outnumber those who spew their vitriolic hatred as truth.
Can people with same sex attraction change? Yes they can according to people can change. com http://narth.com/docs/website.html
Stories of Change
Rich Wyler: A Change of Heart
Rich was in a complete state of crisis as he entered reparative therapy for homosexual sex addiction. His wife had caught him in yet another lie that was supposed to cover up his double life. He had "hit bottom." Finding a therapist he could trust, and who had himself overcome unwanted same-sex attractions, Rich threw himself into the deep emotional work he had been running from all his life. It changed his life.
.......... http://www.peoplecanchange.com/stories/index.php
Thank you for being such a faithful shepherd of the Church! Many are praying for you and the mind-boggling situation you are in. God bless you!
Father Greg, I hope your detractors will heal from their irregularities in up-bringing, sexual abuse, abandonment and/or whatever awful things happened to them as children that has them so hell-bent on attacking you for representing the Catholic position on matters of morality.
It should not be so shocking to their systems that a Catholic priest is Catholic.
When I read these comments of gay kids acting out like this, it reminds me of my toddlers , when they want to play with dangerous things and when taken away, a huge tantrum results:"But, I WANT it!" "You're mean!" "You're hateful" "I wish you would go away."
Albeit with bigger vocabularies, these gay kids, want to indulge in harmful and shame-filled activity and demand you approve. When you withhold approval, their shame meter goes off and it enrages them. Deep down, gay kids have shame and they know they are not "normal". Acting on their deviation, only sends them further into harmful coping mechanisms to deal with the shame/low self concept:more anonymous trysts,(to feel fabulous/wanted), drugs, booze, cutting...
Father, as Jesus was scourged, you too, are being scourged. I saw your plight on another blog. You have my prayers and so do your persecutors!
God bless Father Greg for doing his job, which is to care for souls and to present the teachings of the Catholic Church. Catholics with same-sex attraction who seek to lead a chaste life can get help from the Courage groups, founded by the late Fr. John Harvey. For some, such as a beloved brother lost to AIDS, this would have been a life-saving choice.
www.couragerc.net
Good for you Fr. Greg! The Church needs priests like you that have a backbone and won't be bullied. God Bless your priestly ministry. So thankful for you.!!!!!
Thank you Father Greg. I am 100%
with you. May The Lord bless you
for your courage. I am praying for you
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