The Catholic Church in Action

I want to be clear that I am an atheist. I’m not a Catholic. I don’t believe in any higher power, there is nobody watching out for and/or guiding us. The universe was not created in 7 days, and no deity created us in his perfect image. In my opinion the Christian creation myth found in Genesis is exactly that, a myth, no different than any other creation myth from any of the other early cultures all over the world. And I do not, under any circumstance, need to ‘respect’ anyone’s belief system any more than I respect someone’s belief in aliens or fairies. But in particular I won’t respect a church that so vigorously attacks LGBT people. Everywhere in the world where gay people are pushing to be treated equally, the Catholic church is pushing back, and attacking us:

This past June the New York Catholic Conference announced it will “oppose efforts to legalize same-sex marriage or to grant equivalent status to non-marital relationships, and will support legislation to prohibit the recognition of same-sex civil unions and/or same-sex marriages.”

Cardinal Francis George, head of the Chicago archdiocese spoke out in 2010 against Illinois civil unions (not marriage) and campaigned hard against SB 1716. He called on the Illinois General Assembly to reject the bill. To ensure that gay couples were not even granted second-class status.

The Illinois Council of Bishops issued a statement regarding that state’s vote on Civil Unions. Not marriage mind you, but Civil Unions. They said “Everyone has a right to marry, but no one has the right to change the nature of marriage. In our country marriage is granted unique protections and benefits under the law because marriage is the foundation of family and society.” In their opinion, gay couples don’t deserve those benefits.

On June 15th of this year, Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of Oakland, Calif., urged his fellow bishops to “fight back in the war of words over efforts to redefine traditional marriage.” Fight back, against you and me and all gay families.

In 2008 Bishop Cordileone said “same sex marriage is a “satanic plot by the evil one”. Yes indeed, I am doing Satan’s bidding.

Sacramento Bishop Soto recently “reiterated that the Church’s teaching that homosexual acts are sinful.”

In July Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said California’s SB48 “…would require school textbooks to teach about the sexual orientations of figures in American history. This amounts to the government rewriting history books based on pressure-group politics.”

From the Manhattan Declaration, signed by dozens of Catholic church leaders, we read: “We acknowledge that there are those who are disposed towards homosexual conduct and relationships, just as there are those who are disposed towards other forms of immoral conduct.” You and me, we are immoral.

Hawaii Bishop Larry Silva and other diocesan leaders made vigorous efforts to defeat a civil union bill before the state legislature. In letters to state lawmakers, in public testimony, in pulpit statements, in letters to the editor, top diocesan officials applied pressure, urging their Catholic constituents to fight HB 444, which grants all the rights and benefits of marriage to samex couples in Hawaii. Bishop Silva said “Society has a stake in marriage. It is not a private affair. One of the obvious purposes of marriage, from time immemorial, is the procreation and formation of children,” he said. “Such procreation is not possible in a same sex union and therefore [a same sex union] should not be given the same dignity or protection as marriage. No dignity for you.

After playing a key role in defeating a push for gay marriage, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence has urged Rhode Island lawmakers to reject an alternative establishing civil unions for gay couples, calling them a “stepping stone” to gay marriage.

Maine’s Bishop Richard Malone “has asked churches to take up a special second collection to support Stand For Marriage Maine, the group leading the effort to repeal Maine’s same sex marriage law. Fifty Catholic dioceses contributed over $550,000 to the Diocese of Portland, Maine, to aid its fight against a gay marriage law. Special collections to deny your rights.

Nicaragua’s largest Catholic diocese spoke out against marriage equality. They urged lawmakers not to legalize same sex marriage. The Archbishop followed that by saying “The church makes a distinction between the respect for every person regardless of sexual orientation, but rejects homosexual and lesbian practices as an act objectively contrary to God’s plan for the human race. The family is at the center of the great struggle between good and evil, between life and death, between love and those who are opposed to love,” he added. “Those who are opposed to love.” He’s talking about me and you.

Minnesota’s Archbishop John Nienstedt mailed every Catholic in that state a DVD defending marriage as between one man and one woman. He hoped to “rally the troops” around the Church’s position on the issue. He used church money for that. Shouldn’t that money have gone to help people in need? Isn’t that why we are here, to help other people? I emailed the Archbishop. He didn’t respond.

St. Anne’s Catholic church leaders in San Antonio, Texas discontinued a Mass that had been offered for more than 15 years to the gay and lesbian community. Bishop Oscar Cantú said the Mass conflicted with Catholic teaching because it was offered to a gay Catholic group. He said: “The Mass … continues to send conflicting messages about the Church’s official teaching concerning the proper celebration of the Eucharist and living an active homosexual lifestyle”. So gay people can’t celebrate the Eucharist. They aren’t worthy. I contacted this church directly. They didn’t respond.

When Washington DC announced that it intended to legalize marriage equality (and it since has), the Catholic Church immediately said that it would withdraw all its welfare services in protest. Since Catholic charities cannot legally discriminate against gay married couples in DC by withholding services, it has decided that rather than treat everyone fairly, it will treat everyone unfairly.

The Catholic News Agency’s article “Five Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Will Harm Children”

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource.php

Minnesota’s Catholic bishops spokesperson Father Michael Becker said that gay and lesbian couples cannot feel love for each other and that it’s just about sex which is “essentially one person using another.” He says allowing gay people to marry “harms the dignity of marriage in general”. I communicated with Father Becker myself and he reiterated that position. He said our love literally does not count.

Bishops in the Catholic Church of Ireland have attacked a civil partnerships bill for “undermining” marriage. The Bishops said “Same-sex relationships, by their very nature, cannot be considered equal to marriage or almost equal to marriage.” We can’t even be almost equal.

The Bishop of the city of Tursi has declared homosexuals should not receive communion or be given funerals. He said “Homosexuality, which is a disease, has become something normal. They sprout like poisonous mushrooms, and instead of feeling shame they celebrate this plague and the church itself minimizes these sins.” Imagine a young gay catholic reading that. Do you wonder why they have low self esteem? Why they take their own lives?

How can we tell our gay kids it gets better? The Catholic Church is telling them it surely does not. Can you give me ONE Bishop or ONE Archbishop who has publicly and vocally supported LGBT civil rights? Just one, in the entire world?

The Catholic Church, with the lesser assistance of the Mormon Church, is the number one reason for the oppression of LGBT people worldwide. That’s not my bias nor my personal opinion; that is an objective fact. In every state in this country where marriage equality comes up, and anywhere in the world, the church actively fundraises and spends literally millions of dollars to deny you and me recognition under civil law. They make public statements, they issue press releases, they continually urge their members to work against us. These are objective facts, and cannot be argued. What the church recognizes or doesn’t recognize behind the closed doors of their churches is their own business. That they spend millions of dollars annually to successfully get our state governments to deny us equality is the act of a gay-bashing hate group. Also, an objective fact, not subject to argument. I make absolutely no apologies for what I post about the Catholic Church. In the words of our President: “We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing hatred and denying our families, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken — you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

And I don’t just rant about the Catholic Church online, I get involved. I met with the parish council at Transfiguration Church in Castro Valley. We talked for about an hour and they were very nice and felt badly about how the Catholic church treats gay people – but they refused to speak out or get involved even though they agreed with me. Why? Because they were afraid of what the Oakland Diocese would do to them if they did. THAT IS NOT JUSTICE, THAT IS COWARDICE. I have made numerous requests to meet with the larger Our Lady of Grace church in Castro Valley, to discuss LGBT rights and bullying, they refuse. They told me to “go talk to the Oakland Diocese, they are in charge.” This church has a ‘Justice Film’ night and I contacted them, asking if I could show a film on LGBT rights. No response.

I have sent countless requests to the Oakland Diocese asking to meet with them. No response, ever. I tried to reach out to Bishop Soto in Sacramento, again no response. I have spent many Sunday mornings outside the Oakland Diocese with Father Tim Stier and the Sisters of Magda, protesting the Diocese and speaking to churchgoers about change. I can’t go every Sunday because I have kids and spending time with them is far more important. But I go when I can and I fucking get involved.

IN EVERY STATE AND EVERY COUNTRY, RIGHT NOW AND ALWAYS THOUGHOUT HISTORY, WHERE GAY PEOPLE WANT THE SAME RIGHTS AS STRAIGHT PEOPLE, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FIGHTS THEM.

And so I fight the Catholic Church.