Bishops Exhort Lawmakers on Gay Marriage

[Zenlitened]

Source: The Boston Globe

Bishops exhort lawmakers on gay marriage

June 13, 2007

The four top Roman Catholic leaders in Massachusetts sent a letter to state legislators yesterday, urging them to vote in favor of a proposed ban on same-sex marriage at tomorrow's Constitutional Convention.
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The bishops say that by sanctioning same-sex weddings, the state has taken away the rights of children by "redefining marriage in a way that is indifferent to the absence of mother or father." The letter asks that lawmakers approve the proposed ban so that Massachusetts voters can decide the issue in November 2008.

"Marriage is a fundamental social institution," the letter says. "Its definition and meaning are critical concerns for all in society. Because it involves issues of utmost social importance, extending far beyond questions strictly legal, the marriage debate should not be reserved only to lawyers and lawmakers. Every citizen has a stake in the outcome, because every citizen has a stake in the well-being of the family."

The letter was signed by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, Bishop George W. Coleman of Fall River, Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of Springfield, and Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester. The four bishops sent similar letters before previous Constitutional Conventions.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/13/bishops_exhort_lawmakers_on_gay_marriage/

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Same tired arguments, same twisted logic.

How sad.

How many families have been harmed by the simple fact that gay and lesbian couples have been able to get married for the past few years? None.

How many families have been strengthened by access to the legal protections and social recognition that marriage confers? More than 8,500 according to MassEquality. http://www.massequality.org/background/

I'm grateful to our governor, Deval Patrick, for trying to put this issue to rest, so Massachusetts residents can go about living their lives free of the shrieking of bigots:

...Patrick, who is personally lobbying lawmakers and on Saturday became the first sitting governor to march in Boston's gay pride parade, has warned of "great passions and great fear and great intolerance" among supporters of the amendment.

"All the (court) did was affirm an old principle that people come before their government as equals, that if the government is going to give marriage licenses to anyone, then they must give them to everybody, even if your choice of spouse is someone of the same gender," Patrick said.

Link:
http://www.boston.com/news/specials/gay_marriage/articles/2007/06/12/gay_marriage_faces_another_critical_vote_in_massachusetts/

Tomorrow's a big day.

[Newsjock]

1. What about that tax exemption?

Just wonderin'.

[MrPrax]

2. Tax Free Bigots!!!

Did Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, Bishop George W. Coleman of Fall River, Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of Springfield, and Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester file any income taxes?

Must be nice for the State to give legal sanction to vows of poverty by men who are perfectly free to inherit property under their own names, while women in their Church are required to forfeit said inheritances if they are nuns.

Wonder what children think of a cult where Mommy is a slave and married to a dead body, while Daddy sits in a gold chair pretending to be God?

[sallyseven]

3. Tax the churches, schools, and

other buildings the church owns. They crossed the line. I wish they would STFU.

[classysassy]

4. Call Bush

and request he stop the killings.Remember"thou shall not kill.?"

[xchrom]

5. oh those bishops are on to the gay agenda.

indeed -- it's our PLAN to ''deprive'' children of a mother or a father -- cause in ALL of history great children have never ever come from homes where one of those is absent.

:eyes: