tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post112279621916873457..comments2023-07-01T00:39:39.762-07:00Comments on Father Geoff Farrow: Bishops take 'strong exception' to marriage rulingFather Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03904564207135202567noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-15116209546585949872010-04-11T14:28:54.113-07:002010-04-11T14:28:54.113-07:00Dear Father Geoff,
As a gay catholic, one subjugat...Dear Father Geoff,<br />As a gay catholic, one subjugated and alienated from by church, I thank and applaud you for your outspoken advocacy on behalf of all all gay and lesbians.<br /><br />Seems to me that Christ would be more inclusive than The Roman Catholic Church. In addition, there are many gay priests as well as many gay Catholics who walk in fear or simply accept rejection, persecution, and alienation from the very church that was intended to serve all, not just straight Catholics.<br /><br />Given the massive amount of information and research contrary to Church teaching on homosexuality, it defies reason that the church remains so stubborn to make changes that would be inclusive. Although not a theologian, I believe Jesus desired an inclusive church for all. Apparently, the kingdom of God is best understood eschatologically - the belief that understanding of the kingdom of god is unfolding. In essence, maybe your outspoken stance is one of the preliminary eschatological events what will lead to a deeper understanding of inclusion when it comes to understanding and accepting all God's children, regardless of sexual orientation.<br /><br />Whether, sexual orientation is innate or a choice still remains to be settled but the evidence is leaning towards the suggestion that gays are born gay. If this turn out to be true, the church will need to adapt current teaching. If not, it would mean that some have been predestined to eternal hell. Things move slow in the church and it took 500 years for the church to sidestep it's excommunication of Galileo when he proved the world was not the center of the universe. I suspect we shall wait on the church to reverse teaching to balance with truth and will see further rejection.Cranes3https://www.blogger.com/profile/01627640553931095945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-26834745030600459672010-03-05T16:28:22.910-08:002010-03-05T16:28:22.910-08:00Dear Carlos,
Your love for God and God's comm...Dear Carlos,<br /><br />Your love for God and God's commandments are laudable. I would respectfully point out that there are many good people of sincere faith who disagree with your interpretation and understanding of Sacred Scripture. <br /><br />Among these are Reformed Jews, Episcopal USA, Metropolitan Community Church, several other mainline Protestant Churches, Unitarians, etc.<br /><br />What we are speaking about here is CIVIL LAW. Any particular religious group attempting to impose it's narrow theological views on all Americans through Civil Law violates the very principles upon which our Republic is based. When Catholic bishops abuse their tax-exempt status to function as a Political Action Committee in order to rewrite CIVIL LAW, as they did in California and Maine, they undermine the very values which make freedom of religion possible for us all.Father Geoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03904564207135202567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-52648889388489397472010-03-03T18:34:55.121-08:002010-03-03T18:34:55.121-08:00Excellent points here. I am glad that I am not th...Excellent points here. I am glad that I am not the only one who is upset by the term "Unjust Discrimination." Why can't they just say discrimination? Who gets to decide if the discrimination is unjust, the person being discriminated against or the person doing the discriminating.Mareczkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13122584421854834046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-86536300092024025942010-03-03T18:33:32.899-08:002010-03-03T18:33:32.899-08:00Not only are all your arguments sound, padre, but ...Not only are all your arguments sound, padre, but I'd argue that the church is also painting itself into a corner via such public denouncements of gay marriage from high-ranking clery. As you say, the church is not wont to admit it's wrong. And it is likely wrong here. Eventually, gay marriage will be legal throughout the united states and in most foreign countries. Rather than making these hard-to-reverse statements, the church should be looking to the future and contemplating how it will articulate church teaching on sexual/relationship issues once gay marriage is legal. If that means taking a hard line and stressing that all non-procreative sex is wrong, then the church should say that in reference to all people without singling out gays and lesbians. However, the church should say it with compassion while admitting that all people are sinners--and then be ready to move beyond that and embrace us all. If, instead, that means stressing the importance of the unitive aspect of sexuality and relationships, then the church should do that across all people.<br />The church is currently not choosing to lash out against non-procreative sex by straight married couples or even against straight couples having pre-marital or non-marital sex. Sure, the church teaches that it's wrong, but it isn't railing against it. That gays and lesbians are being singled out is hitting a dissonant chord with young people--straight and gay alike--who see that this is just plain mean and unfair. We can have nerdy "youth days" 'til the cows come home, but we will continue to lose young people if we do not show that we can lead with reason and credibility and without prejudice and mean-spiritedness.<br />mattmattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-43384576891885068692010-03-01T19:41:33.880-08:002010-03-01T19:41:33.880-08:00Another excellent article, Father Geoff. I also g...Another excellent article, Father Geoff. I also get upset by the phrase "unjust discrimination." Why do they need to qualify this?Who gets to decide whether or not the discrimination is "unjust"? Those being discriminated against or those doing the discriminating?Mareczkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13122584421854834046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-58629370491259619932010-03-01T17:44:46.538-08:002010-03-01T17:44:46.538-08:00All I hear is intelect talking. It's is agains...All I hear is intelect talking. It's is against the law of nature for people of the same sex to marry. I did not read anything on that rebuttal about pleasing GOD. This world has forgotten about our creator and it has adapted it's own laws that violate Gods commandments. It is obvious that the people who think gays should marry don't belive in God. I don't fear gay people dislike them, I pray that they convert back to faith in God and ask for his forgiveness of their sin.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14304426424849078705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-21443164386510159242010-02-27T20:02:09.761-08:002010-02-27T20:02:09.761-08:00I find it ironic that the bishops argue that the M...I find it ironic that the bishops argue that the Maryland Attorney General's ruling is wrong and anti-democratic because it violates the will of Maryland voters. They are perfectly willing to argue that some democratic majorities should be ignored - as in the case of abortion - and that other democratic majorities must be respected, as in this case. This is not the sort of reasoning which converts people to Christ. This is the sort of political and lawyerly arguing that grasps for every possible argument to support a previously adopted position. The bishops increasingly sound like lawyers and politicians. The fact that they themselves believe such speech is an exercise in moral leadership reveals them to be spiritually vacuous.Sebastianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01187627097284114180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850096231666604.post-14673336923975460932010-02-26T12:28:33.061-08:002010-02-26T12:28:33.061-08:00Great rebuttal to the bishops' statement, Fr. ...Great rebuttal to the bishops' statement, Fr. Geoff. I would add that their claim that, "the opinion correctly notes that federal law does not require Maryland to recognize such marriages," is false. Section 1 of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution is the Full Faith & Credit clause. Maryland & every other state is constitutionally bound to recognize marriages, including same-sex marriages, performed in other states. DOMA is unconstitional on its face since it allows states to not recognize valid marriages performed in other states. The reason why DOMA hasn't been challenged is b/c everyone is afraid of a negative ruling from a hostile judiciary.Joenoreply@blogger.com