Posted on 04/09/2016 11:02:52 AM PDT by marshmallow
Last week, under heavy pressure from powerful corporations, Georgia's Governor Nathan Deal vetoed legislation that would have protected religious institutions from being required to approve same-sex marriages or to hire openly homosexual employees. In his veto statement the governor implicitly adopted the rhetoric of the homosexual lobby, suggesting that any resistance to same-sex unions is intolerable. "I do not think that we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia," he said.
With that veto and that public statement, Governor Deal implicitly accepted the argument that any group which refuses to endorse homosexuality is engaged in invidious discrimination. How did Christian leaders react? Dr. Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention denounced the governor’s stand as “shameful,” a “sellout to big business.”
And how did the Catholic bishops of Georgia respond to this disgraceful claim that the Christian faith is a form of bigotry? Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Bishop Gregory Hartmayer of Savannah announced blandly: “Gov. Nathan Deal has announced his intention to veto H.B. 757 and the debate will, thus, continue.”
Yes, the debate will continue. But which side will the bishops support: those who argue that Christians should be compelled to recognize same-sex unions as normative, or those who support the freedom of conscience? Their statement provided absolutely no clue:
Under these circumstances, the general well-being of the state requires that all respectfully acknowledge the worthy motivations on each side and progress into a future of dialogue which, more than continually revising legislative language, will focus on greater compassion and mercy so that every individual can develop his or her full potential.
So the Catholic bishops of Georgia, it seems, will sit on the sidelines, like spectators at a tennis match, watching the arguments batted from one side to the other.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicculture.org ...
Gregory in Atlanta is an AmChurch Bernardin protege. A culture warrior, he isn't.
Catholic clergy are whackjob liberals.
What is called ‘heavy pressure from powerful corporations’ is the result of homosexuals and other deviants infiltrating the higher echelons of the corporate structure and government.
Business, large or small, doesn’t like to get involved in controversy as a rule. Their smart enough to know that to pander to one side is to jeopardize business to the other.
But this isn’t about business. It’s about fascism and advancing their agenda. It’s a mistake for the Bishops to stand idle.
Cowards.
I'll tell you right now that there isn't any such organization in my diocese (Knoxville.) How does one go about organizing?
There actually is no debate imo. With all due respect to Bishop Hartmayer, the main reason that Christians are now being persecuted by federal and state governments is because they probably don’t know their constitutional protections.
Consider Section 1 of the 14th Amendment for example.
14th Amendment, Section 1: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States [emphasis added]; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Also, note that Acts 22:24-29 indicates that Paul claimed his Roman citizenship protections to save himself from being flogged.
Christians also need to get up to speed on constitutionally checked versus unchecked 10th Amendment protected state powers.
As a side note to this discussion, consider that an angry conservative, mad at the feds, was in the office yesterday. I asked this person the question, "do you know what the Constitution’s Section 8 of Article I is (the fed’s constitutionally limited powers)?”
Nope
Like protestant churches, Catholic churches differ slightly from church to church. Some are very conservative; some lean to the left. However, the Church stands strong in its definition of marriage. So, maybe the bishops didn’t think it was necessary to repeat what everyone already knows.
I for one sent the governor a letter advising him I would be spending as little money in Georgia as possible.
Going forward, I will do as little commerce as I possibly can with Home Depot, Coca Cola and Disney and the state of Georgia as possible.
How is such a position by Catholics, news?
Where is our dear brother Pope Francis on all this? I’m sure he will weigh in quite clearly and decisively.
Shameful.
After all, everyone knows Catholics don't interpret the Bible literally; they're not Protestants, you know! And that's an important point to make in a "redneck" state.
The US bishops are not, as a whole, on the sidelines. This statement:
“...focus on greater compassion and mercy so that every individual can develop his or her full potential...”
Translates to:
“We endorse and approve the homosexual agenda for the family, the social justice agenda for the Church, and the progressive agenda for the country.”
Catholic Church is a ship nowadays with no rudder and a light wind
But plenty of sailor boys
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