Maine Catholics told to oppose gay marriage

[WillParkinson]

(Portland, Maine) The leader of Maine’s Roman Catholics has told churchgoers across the state they have a moral duty to oppose moves to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

Although no legislation has been introduced in the state House, LGBT groups are gathering support for gay marriage. Bills have been filed in neighboring Vermont and New Hampshire. Same-sex marriage already is legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The pastoral letter by Bishop Richard Malone was read at Sunday mass and called on Catholics to work to preserve the traditional sacrament of marriage.

The letter said that redefining marriage strips the institution of an essential component, “namely the ability and obligation to procreate.”


http://www.365gay.com/news/maine-catholics-told-to-oppose-gay-marriage/

[msongs]

1. umm is divorce legal in Maine? jesus /the pope don't like divorce. any move to make it illegal? nt

[racaulk]

2. "namely the ability and obligation to procreate.”

Then, CLEARLY, the Church is also against the rights to marriage for post-menopausal women, women that have had hysterectomies, men that have had vasectomies, those that are left unable to reproduce due to disease, etc.

:sarcasm:

The procreation argument is utter bullshit, and they know it. This is just a further attempt by the church to demonize gays. Quelle surprise.

[yardwork]

4. I already have kids. Is it ok if I get married now?

[racaulk]

7. Yes, but only if you marry a man.

But, the minute you hit menopause and can no longer reproduce, you must immediately file for divorce. Which, ironically, is legal.

If you can't reproduce together, you can't be married. Simple, isn't it?

:puke:

[yardwork]

14. This is going to play hell in retirement communities throughout the south.

[IntravenousDemilo]

6. And as Sarah Palin's family have shown, one doesn't need to be married in order to procreate either.

[racaulk]

9. Ding! Exactly.

The same has been true in my family in many instances also. I, personally, am living proof of that. I imagine "shotgun weddings" are more common than most people are willing to admit in public.

Marriage is not necessary for procreation, so why does the reverse need to be true?

:shrug:

[yardwork]

15. I seem to remember that that was some kind of sin, too.

The message is clear. The only people worthy of marriage are different-sex, same-ethnicity, Catholic, fertile people of child-bearing age who intend to have sex only to produce children.

Nobody else is allowed to get married. Do I have that right?

[racaulk]

21. I think that statement officially excludes everyone but Mr. and Mrs. Duggar, and the like. n/t

[MNBrewer]

27. "I seem to remember that that was some kind of sin, too." Everything worth doing IS :)

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

17. One of the dissenting justices in the CT opinion made the same

stupid procreation argument.

[yardwork]

19. The church is always trying to regain its power.

Even since the church lost to the kings, they've been fighting to be back in charge. This is just the latest skirmish.

[yardwork]

3. I think that this is harassment of Catholics.

Not only is it violating the rights of gay people, and violating human rights in general, it's also violating the rights of Catholics to worship without being harassed with the threat of excommunication.

[NMMNG]

5. WTF?

The letter said that redefining marriage strips the institution of an essential component, “namely the ability and obligation to procreate.”


Right, because being gay makes you sterile. :eyes:

And since when are we "obligated" to procreate? I don't recall that being listed as a requirement for obtaining a marriage license. Are opposite-sex couples forbidden to marry if they're sterile or choose not to have children?


People need to get over this notion that if you're not spawning like dogs in heat you aren't entitled to the same rights as others.


BTW, if procreation is an obligation then why are priests, nuns and monks required to be celibate? They should be out there procreating for Jesus.

[MountainLaurel]

8. I was wondering about that

Since my opposite-sex partner and I are childfree. I wonder if our marriage is valid in the U.S.?

[yardwork]

16. Apparently it is not, according to this particular Catholic guy up in Maine.

[MountainLaurel]

23. That's OK with me

I like the idea that I'm pissing someone off just by having sex.

[racaulk]

10. I hovered over your embedded link. LMAO!!!

:rofl:

But you do make a very valid point. Some opposite-sex couples choose not to have children or are unable to do so for a variety of reasons. I don't hear the Catholic church arguing that those marriages should accordingly be dissolved.

[bluedawg12]

12. Spewing over the keyboard warning required.

:spray:

:rofl:

Is it time for the clown car picture?

[bluedawg12]

11. Does he advocate making birth control pills illegal?

Or marriage between sterile couples?

[yardwork]

18. I'm sure that he preaches that birth control pills are a mortal sin.

I think that contraception is a mortal sin as opposed to a venial sin, which is bad but not as bad as a mortal sin.

http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu06.htm

[bluedawg12]

20. that's about all he get's to say, but he crosses the line with politicking

about which laws should be passed. He should stick to mortal and venial sin topics.

He is selective in what he wants legally banned, isn't he? :freak:

[muntrv]

13. Bishop Malone, you should lose your tax exempt status.

[bluedawg12]

22. here's another bat shit clergy

seriously, they should be revoked as tax exempt.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7881892&mesg_id=7881892

Baltimore's own James Francis Cardinal Stafford at Catholic University last week:

His Eminence James Francis Cardinal Stafford criticized President-elect Barack Obama as “aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic,“ and said he campaigned on an “extremist anti-life platform,”...Stafford said, comparing America’s future with Obama as president to Jesus’ agony in the garden. “On November 4, 2008, America suffered a cultural earthquake.”

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/11/cardinal_stafford_obama_is_apo.html

[GodlessBiker]

24. If that's what they want, we'll take the fight to the churches (paraphrasing A. Sullivan).

[Jamastiene]

25. In other words, breed like rabbits so the next generation will give money to the church too.

So, is this "obligation to procreate" meme next on their agenda to add to the government's definition of marriage? I wonder what minimum number of children will be required before the provisional straight marriages are annulled...6 kids? 8 kids? 10 kids?

[bluedawg12]

26. here's another pearl of wisdom from the clergy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4479132

Educated Catholics have sown dissent and confusion in the Church, claims bishop

[Kerrytravelers]

28. Mr kt and I don't have children. I guess our mariage doesn't count.

How Christian of this Bishop Malone.

[RobertDevereaux]

29. And *I'm* telling them...

...they have a moral duty to SUPPORT moves to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

[freestyle]

30. People who take a vow of celibacy should not comment on marriage.

I don't know why anyone would take advice on marriage and any aspect of sexuality from people who have forsworn both. This is not meant as Catholic bashing, but a bit of sense. The absolute least qualified people to pronounce on marriage are those who are determined never to experience it.