Posted on 11/22/2008 8:25:00 AM PST by SmithL
SAN FRANCISCO -- Catholics played a pivotal role in the success of Proposition 8, from pulpits down to the pews. Bishops lobbied for its passage, priests preached about it, and laypeople overwhelmingly voted for it.
The Bay Area has a large and vibrant gay Catholic community, and they have many allies among straight Catholics. So it has led some to question how the region's dioceses, which include myriad diverse groups, could be opposed to what many view as secular rights.
"It makes me very, very, very disenchanted with the Archdiocese (of San Francisco) as an institution," said Kevin Sullivan, 50, who said the archdiocese brought him back to the faith of his childhood. "It's very frustrating to be a gay Catholic and to have to apologize to everyone I know about Proposition 8."
The demographics of the Bay Area are not so unlike those of other urban dioceses around the nation - their politics lean much further left than the church's teaching. But the recent election has brought that tension to the fore over issues that reach beyond Prop. 8.
In September, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, a Catholic, was rebuked by bishops around the nation for saying the church hasn't always preached that life begins at conception; the bishops said that has always been the belief. And the Bay Area, which has a number of gay-friendly parishes, as a whole voted against Prop. 8 despite the position of area bishops.
For many Catholics who voted no on the measure, it was particularly painful that San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer, the former bishop of Salt Lake City, played a pivotal role in bringing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the Prop. 8 battle. The alliance had a powerful effect on the election
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Why don’t these gays go to the Metropolitan Community Church? It’s a gay friendly denomination. Rather than trying to make established churches adhere to politically correct positions, why don’t they just go to their own home church, which welcomes them as they are???????
Good point....it needs to be repeated!
Why don’t these stupid whiners just go to “Metropolitan Community Church” and get it over with? There is absolutely no way they can claim to be believing Catholics and justify their position, and the failure of the bishops hasn’t been that they’ve preached too much about this, but that they haven’t made it sufficiently clear.
I was surprised to read that Niederauer was responsible for getting the Mormons so involved. I know that he’s from Salt Lake, so it’s logical, but after his weak performance in “dealing with” Nancy Pelosi, I didn’t expect him to actually fight very hard on Prop 8, either.
Two great minds with the same obvious thought...LOL!
Yeah, I find that I feel the need to fix articles that talk about those ‘pro-choice Catholics’ as well!! God help us all.
“Why don’t these gays go to the Metropolitan Community Church?”
A little behind in that suggestion?!?!?!?
I’m very proud of the Catholics and Mormons who stood tall supporting prop 8. Kinda wonder why the evangelical movement was relatively silent on the issue? Blessings to all churches that were shining their light in the darkness!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv72urCWJcU
“what would happen to that priest and that church?”
They’d get sued and lose, which is why we need to stop this quickly because Obama will give civil rights to gays.
I agree with you. This is going to get ugly.
That's great to know. The lavender mafia was recruiting dollars out of the eastern enclaves of fruits and nuts. Here in California we could see the Mormons and Knights of Columbus were mobilized. But the Southern Baptists, Assembly of God and other fundamentalist churches seemed to be silent on the issue or at best seemed to have only token support. I'm glad to hear that my perception was wrong.
Next time, and there will be a next time, I'd like to see more churches take a more open stand in this cultural war.
“...vibrant gay Catholic community..”
How could you be gay and Catholic at the same time? Are Catholics now brainwashed about gays, too?
My first thought.
“It makes me very, very, very disenchanted with the Archdiocese (of San Francisco) as an institution,” said Kevin Sullivan, 50, who said the archdiocese brought him back to the faith of his childhood. “It’s very frustrating to be a gay Catholic and to have to apologize to everyone I know about Proposition 8.”
Don’t apoligize. Quit the church, or get right with God. Your call.
The Knights of Columbus have a great leader, Carl Anderson. I wish we had more bishops with his intellect and character.
Because their goal is not to find a welcoming religious community, but to destroy all existing ones. MCC was the merely the simmering frog pot--and it worked, didn't it? Even normal folks now think of it as "the church for gays" and not what it really is: another salvo in the great war against God.
Good thing we know how the story ends.
***How could you be gay and Catholic at the same time? Are Catholics now brainwashed about gays, too?***
Only certain Baby Boomers still living in the fairytale years made up after the misunderstandings of some laity and clergy of Vatican II and their students could be called brainwashed in this regard.
Goats, sheep.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.