Monday, August 16, 2010

Justice delayed, yet again.


I received an E-mail informing me of the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court to extend the stay against Same-Sex marriage in California until the Court hears the appeal. The appeal trial begins on 6 December 2010. I immediately telephoned Tom, who had asked me to officiate at his wedding on Wednesday evening. The City of Norwalk had scheduled workers until 8 PM on Wednesday, so that same-sex couples could obtain licenses. Thank you, by the way, to the folks at the City of Norwalk.

Now, with this decision by the Ninth Circuit to extend the stay, justice is once again delayed and denied to countless couples. Tom answered the phone and said he and Bruce had just heard the news. He thanked me for making myself available to officiate their wedding, but went on to say that the damned christian right has done it to us again. He was simply too upset to speak about it further. We’ll speak again tomorrow. He is correct about the “christian” right they have targeted our community.

Two weeks ago, Anne Rice stated the following:


For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputations, and deservedly infamously group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.

As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I’m out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.


Gandhi said: “In the West I came to love Christ and to hate Christians.” He said that because of the hatred and discrimination he suffered from “Christians.” There was a Hymn I grew up hearing “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Well, Tom is now an atheist. That’s quite a revelation considering the fact that Tom was a Catholic priest. He was driven out of the priesthood when he refused to cover-up the sex abuse of his predecessor. His bishop was displeased.

If charity is the most effective form of evangelization, then it is logical that hatred by Christians serves to do on a larger scale what it has accomplished in the cases of Anne Rice, Gandhi and Tom.

I thought of something that Malcolm X said years ago when African Americans in this country were struggling for Civil Rights. “No one ever gave rights to anyone, you have to take them.” We too shall overcome.

5 comments:

Daniel said...

Ugh.... My stomach turned when I heard the news.
I pray that justice will prevail there.

Anonymous said...

Geoff:
I will say at least that the ninth district court has given the hearing a date.....now the work begins in new earnest...

I am so sorry that your friends have been put off one more time....

I am vry much aware that my ancestors came to these lands to flee oppession and hate...that was in the late 17 century....we have our young people sent off to be killed in wars that are morally questionable so people can be free mmmmm ...strange.....but a large group of citizens are denied there rights to love and to have that love recognized legally.....shame on this country and to those who deny this right

Thank you and God Bless
Fr Vince

Unknown said...

I am trying to see this temporary setback as a positive. Judge Walker's decision, as wonderful as it was, would affect only Prop 8 and California. 9th Circuit and Supreme Court decisions affect larger segments of our nation.
We have seen a wonderful thing happen in this country, the public is waking up to what we've suffered.

Mareczku said...

My thoughts go out to Tom and Bruce and all those who have been harmed by this turn of events. I am saddened by Tom's story. It is so tragic. We must remember though not to lose our faith in Christ. You are blessed in that you can share Christ with us. Let Christ be your strength in these troubled times.

In the Kitchen With Don said...

I think the tide is finally starting to turn in our favor. We just have to keep our eyes on the prize and keep fighting for what is right. Eventually, we will prevail! I long for the day when I can marry my partner and have it recognized in Kansas, and every other state in the union.