Bishops mailing Minnesota Catholics DVD opposing gay marriage

[dflprincess]

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/103494984.html

More than 400,000 DVDs are being mailed to the homes of Minnesota Catholics on Wednesday, courtesy of Catholic bishops in the state who want to stop the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in its tracks. Critics say the mailing, from state bishops, is aimed at November voters.


The 18-minute DVD includes an appearance from St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt in which he says it is time for Minnesotans -- not the "ruling elite" of legislators and judges -- to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Thirty-one states have passed such an amendment.

"It is the people themselves and not politicians or judges who should make this decision," Nienstedt says on the DVD. "This is the only way to put the one man, one woman definition of marriage beyond the reach of the courts and politicians."

Gay advocates who have worked to change the Catholic Church's stand on same-sex marriage said that coming six weeks before the November general election, the DVD distribution is aimed squarely at voters. "It's an effort to have Catholics vote the way the bishops want them to vote, but by and large Catholic voters are
well-educated and they are independent-minded," said Brian McNeill, president of Dignity Twin Cities. The group for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people works to change what it calls the "antiquated sexual theology" of the church. "We would like to talk to the archbishop about it, but he won't talk to us," McNeill said.

[Bitwit1234]

1. I guess now the church is taking on the task of

combing church and state. I mean getting involved in politics. Looks like this DOJ under Holder is just as ineffective as the president. Both don't seem to want to show their authority about the law.

[hyphenate]

2. It's time for AU

to begin an investigation!!

I'm sure they have people around the country to do the numbers, but I think this should be a priority on their radar. It's time we really began to make these churches and religious groups realize that church and state are completely different things, and religious groups cannot tell anyone what they should or should not vote for!!

As a matter of fact, I think it's time to launch an all-out war against the religious right, and show that their meddling has its consequences--PAY TAXES. It will not be popular among some people, but it WILL discourage some of this shit, I think.

[dflprincess]

3. I agree with you but I have the feeling that the Church is

just barely not crossing the line by making the DVD about church doctrine and not mentioning any candidate (and probably claiming the timing of the mailing was a "coincidence"). Though why they can even get by with this much is beyond me.

I've been trying to think of anyone I know (besides a few relatives who don't see things my way) who is still a practicing Catholic so I could see this thing - though it probably wouldn't be good for my blood pressure.

[gratuitous]

7. Where the line is

The line is on named candidate advocacy. Issue advocacy is protected speech for any non-profit organization, religious or secular. Here's why: Because everything is political, right down to feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and caring for the sick. Someone somewhere makes a buck off of people being hungry, homeless or sick. By doing those things in a capitalist society, you're interfering with those persons' (let's call them blood-sucking leeches) "right" to make a living off of other people's misery.

Same sex marriage is not a candidate for any office. The Catholic Church or any other tax-exempt organization is perfectly free to voice its opinion on the issue, yea or nay. Organizations cross the line when they say "Vote for Moochie Marblehead because Moochie's against gay marriage!" But simply being against gay marriage is permissible participation in the political system, and it has been for a long time.

Now, if you want to make issue advocacy illegal, you might as well outlaw all non-profit or charitable organizations, because everything is political, and someone's ox is being gored no matter what the issue. If something wasn't an issue, then there would be no need for advocacy. But for some reason, people in our society have to advocate for such things as clean air, drinkable water and wholesome, non-poisonous food. Because someone's making a buck off of making the air unbreatheable, fouling the water, and purveying toxic foodstuffs.

[TygrBright]

4. Minnesota is not the best state to pilot this in...

There are plenty of troglodyte bigots there, and plenty of them are Catholic. But there is also a VERY LARGE Catholic community of educated, liberal, "Vat II" Catholics who will use these as coasters and mini-frisbees. And who might get even more pissed off than they already are at the Archdiocese which has been diligently pushing MN Catholics back into the 13th Century.

And when MN Catholics from THAT community get pissed off, they DON'T go away mad. They hang around and make all kinds of inconvenient trouble.

Should be interesting to watch.

speculatively,
Bright

[the redcoat]

5. How many

church-goers will be left in the area when they all realize their donations and contributions went to making and mailing 400,000 hate DVDs?

[dflprincess]

6. It was funded by a private donation

though there were several irate letters to the Star Tribune today from both Catholics and nonCatholics that asked if the money couldn't have been put to better use actaully helping people.

The bishops may indeed regret this one.