Boston College Jesuit Law School in Disarray Over Prof's Defense of Marriage

LifeSiteNews ^ | 09/24/2009 | n/a

[Pyro7480]

On September 15, 2009, StandForMarriageMaine.com released a television ad which featured Scott Fitzgibbon, a professor at Boston College Law School, arguing in defense of marriage between one man and one woman.  He encouraged Maine voters to vote "yes" on an upcoming ballot referendum which aims to overturn state legislation which legalized homosexual "marriage" last May.

Complaints from fellow faculty members at Boston College, a Jesuit-affiliated school, soon began piling up. Merely one day after the ad aired, Boston College Law Dean John Garvey issued a letter to the BC law community, writing, "Several of you have contacted my office to express your anger at Scott's actions, and it is hard for me to see any of our students, faculty, or staff offended or hurt by the words of others."
 
Rather than praising Fitzgibbon's public defense of a Catholic teaching, Dean Garvey wrote that Fitzgibbon's "public statements represent his own opinions ... and do not state any official position of Boston College Law School."  Garvey defended Fitzgibbons' participation in the advertisement but also seemed to welcome faculty opposition to Catholic teaching.

"We also have faculty members who hold a contrary view, which they too are free to express publicly," he wrote. "Many have done so while referring to themselves as BC Law professors. One of them has publicly led the fight to oppose the Solomon Amendment on the grounds that it is an affront to gay and lesbian students and prospective members of the U.S. military. Others have taken controversial positions on such subjects as abortion, euthanasia, and the treatment of detainees."

Three days after Fitzgibbon's pro-traditional marriage ad aired, a group of 76 "Individual Faculty and Administrators at Boston College Law School," including Dean Garvey, issued the following statement : "The undersigned members of the faculty and administration at Boston College Law School feel that it is important to reaffirm our belief in the equality of all of our students. We are proud of the fact that Boston College Law School was one of the first law schools in the country to include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination pledge, and we reaffirm our commitment to making our institution a welcome and safe place for all students, including LGBT students." 

[EDINVA]

thanks... with a tip o’ the hat to G. Bernard Shaw.

[Jacquerie]

Support for homo marriage is indicative of the Leftist rot which has grown in our institutions these past 70 years.

I maintain that once governments violate Natural Law and our Unalienable Rights with increasing frequency, the end of civil government is in sight.

Homo marriage is an abomination and affront to Natural Law. There is no God given “right” to perversion and certainly no right for gays to marry.

[Dajjal]

No Catholic Colleges with the name "Thomas" in Ohio on the wikipedia list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Ohio#Roman_Catholic

The two in Cinci are Xavier Univ. (Jesuit) and College of Mount St. Joseph (Sisters of Charity).

But could you be thinking of Thomas More College (Benedictine Sisters), near Covington, KY, across the river from Cinci?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_More_College_(Kentucky)

[LibFreeOrDie]

Unsurprising, considering:

Robert Drinan, SJ, was Dean of BC Law School before he became a flaming lib Congressman.

Ted Kennedy was a BC trustee.

Fr. Monan SJ, BC Chancellor, was the principal celebrant at Ted Kennedy’s funeral Mass.

Bill Ayers was scheduled to speak at BC a few months ago, and was only cancelled after a local talk show host made noise about it.

[Dumb_Ox]

I know it’s PC to say that we should have homosexual marriage and all that. I just don’t understand how this movement has moved so swiftly, that it’s now controversial to say that marriage should stay a man and a woman.

My pet theory: anti-discrimination laws, rules, and lawsuit threats cleared out any organizational opposition to homosexual politics within businesses, movie studios, newspapers and universities. These urban or college town institutions set the trend for the country. Colorado's Amendment 2 was the last stand.

Also, childless homosexuals have more time and money to spend on politics and activism. They have less to risk in low-income, high-influence positions like grad student, actor or journalist.

The same erotic networks spread not only HIV and other nasty bugs, but also political solidarity. It'll get worse before it gets better.

For example, the Denver Metro Young Republicans hold many of their meetings at Hamburger Mary's, a diner devoted to gay camp. A GOP that tolerates Dick Cheney's position will fold quickly, unless a second front is opened within the Dems.

[SuziQ]

"The undersigned members of the faculty and administration at Boston College Law School feel that it is important to reaffirm our belief in the equality of all of our students. We are proud of the fact that Boston College Law School was one of the first law schools in the country to include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination pledge, and we reaffirm our commitment to making our institution a welcome and safe place for all students, including LGBT students."

I guess he thought he needed to 'make nice' to the homosexuals at BC., but the Dean of the Law School DIDN'T address the issue Scott Fitzgibbon was supporting in the video. The Church CLEARLY teaches that though we shouldn't discriminate, or treat people badly, based on their sexual orientation, those people should not have the right to the Sacrament of Marriage, because their sexual practices are not fertile; they will NEVER be able to create a child. But even with civil marriage, the Church recognizes the influence on civilization that marriage has, so it's important that it be restricted to the union between one man and one woman.