Unwritten story: New VA & NJ governors are strong Catholics

On January 19th 2009 the new governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, will be sworn-in to office at 11:30 AM.

But earlier that day, at 9:00 AM, he will attend a Mass celebrated by Archbishop John Myers at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Chris Christie, you see, is a practicing pro-life, pro-family Catholic. I wrote in my posts leading up to the November elections as much. 

He opposes gay marriage and wants to allow the people of his state to vote on it, while on the other side, the Democrat Legislature is trying to legalize gay marriage during the upcoming lameduck session.

Christie is also pro-life, and didn't hide that fact during the race. Like many pro-life politicians, he is forced to take an incremental approach (such as parental notification, a 24-hour waiting period and a ban on partial-birth abortions), but at least he is sincerely trying.

Jon Corzine, Christie's opponent in the race, attached him for his pro-life, pro-family positions.

The other new governor to be sworn in early next year is Bob McDonnell, equally pro-life and pro-family (from what I've heard). McDonnell was ruthlessly and relentlessly attacked for his pro-life, pro-family positions, as was his attorney general candidate friend, Ken Cuccinelli (who also won, despite the Washington Post calling him a "bigot" the weekend before the election).

Remembering off the top of my head, the Washington Post alone published something like 40 or 50 individual stories about McDonnell's thesis in school, where, among other things, McDonnell expressed conservative and/or "Catholic" perspectives on the role of women in the work place, the effects of abortion and contraception on society, etc. 

I'm a bit fuzzy on all the details - and readers are welcome (as always) to correct them in the comment box - but the basic point is this: two Catholic candidates won elections this year to state-wide office without compromising their pro-life, pro-family principles. 

The world didn't end, and once they are in office, they won't conduct witch hunts against those who disagree with them on these issues - but they will use their office to promote these central values, which transcend any one religion or political party. Catholics aren't pro-life and pro-family, after all, only because the Church tells them to be so, but rather, they are encouraged to hold true to these commonsense principles because of the witness and encouragement of their Catholic faith.

You read a lot, and heard a lot about how dangerous were Christie and McDonnell's "Catholic" beliefs during the election, but you won't hear much about these "dangers" now, because in the meantime, the people of Virginia and New Jersey chose them for elected office.

I think this reality scares some pro-abortion, anti-marriage individuals. But it should encourage us.

Honor Roll: Bishops who supported traditional marriage in Maine

I've written before about the hard-fought battle won for traditional marriage in Maine earlier this month, with significant Catholic assistance.

Tim Drake at NCRegister has the numbers of the top dioceses which supported the Maine efforts financially {and I have added the names of the cardinal or arch/bishop in each diocese}:

Maine released its campaign finance filings, showing contributors to the Diocese of Portland’s successful effort to prevent the legalization of same-sex “marriage.”

According to the campaign finance records, nearly five dozen dioceses and bishops made financial contributions to the effort. Among the largest donations were $50,000 donations from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Phoenix. 

Here is the list of the Top 12 Dioceses That Contributed to Support Marriage:

Phoenix         $50,000 - Bishop Thomas Olmsted

Philadelphia     $50,000 - Justin Cardinal Rigali

St. Louis         $10,000 - Archbishop Robert Carlson

Kansas City, Kan.  $10,000 - Archbishop Joseph Naumann

Newark         $10,000 - Archbishop John Myers

Providence       $10,000 - Bishop Thomas Tobin

Youngstown     $10,000 - Bishop George Murry

Fall River         $5,000 - Bishop George Coleman

Rockford         $5,000 - Bishop Thomas Doran

Crookston       $5,000 - Bishop Michael Hoeppner

Pittsburgh         $5,000 - Bishop David Zubik

Arlington         $5,000 - Bishop Paul Loverde

To see the entire list of campaign contributors, visit here.

Quite frankly, these are bishops who put their financial resources and personal reputations on the line to defend traditional marriage in this country. Traditional marriage is not a popular issue to defend these days. Just look at the attacks that have been aimed at the Mormons since Proposition 8 passed in California.

If you live in one of these dioceses (or another diocese that donated, but a lesser sum), please consider contacting your bishop and briefly expressing your gratitude to him.

I can guarantee these bishops will get angry letters (or worse) from individuals on the opposite side of this issue. 

The St. Louis Catholic blog, for example, has already detailed the case of the local Saint Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper attacking Archbishop Robert Carlson for supporting the efforts of his brother bishop in Maine to protect marriage. (The Archdiocese has issued a short statement in response here.)

Also, please continue to show your support for the local bishop in Maine, Bishop Richard Malone. 

I'm sure he is getting the brunt of their anger.

Wuerl's Gambit: Claims that Church's social services threatened by DC gay marriage

There is a showdown taking place in Washington DC between the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the liberal DC City Council over new efforts to redefine marriage in the District.

I have blogged before about Archbishop Wuerl's decision to actively engage the resources of the local Church on this issue.

The Washington Post has coverage today on the latest salvo fired by representatives of the Archdiocese, claiming that if the gay marriage bill is approved, the Catholic Church may be forced to cease providing its numerous social services in the area.

[As an aside - we should be wary of the objectivity of the WaPo's coverage. This is the same publication, after all, that only a couple weeks ago called Catholic attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli a "bigot" and an "embarrassment" for his personal views about homosexual acts. Well, Ken still won the election, and the WaPo has yet to apologize.]

Anyway, I'd rather trust what the Archdiocese of DC has said itself about the issue in its press release, which points out that in this situation, it is the DC council that is acting as the aggressor - the council have made changes to the language of the bill which render it even more harmful to the free practice of religious entities in the District:

"... [as the bill is currently written,] religious organizations and individuals are at risk of legal action for refusing to promote and support same-sex marriages in a host of settings where it would compromise their religious beliefs. This includes employee benefits, adoption services and even the use of a church hall for non-wedding events for same-sex married couples. Religious organizations such as Catholic Charities could be denied licenses or certification by the government, denied the right to offer adoption and foster care services, or no longer be able to partner with the city to provide social services for the needy."

“It is our concern that the committee’s narrowing of the religious exemption language will cause the government to discontinue our long partnership with them and open up the agency to litigation and the use of resources to defend our religious beliefs rather than serve the poor,” said Edward Orzechowski, president/CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. Catholic Charities serves 68,000 people in the city each year. The city’s 40 Catholic parishes operate another 93 social service programs to provide crucial services."

The same press release invites folks to visit www.MarriageMattersDC.org for more information.

This threat isn't small potatoes. Though I do not have the time at present to hunt down all the related links and news stories, regular AmP readers will recall that the Catholic Church's social services have been shut down over issues related to gay marriage and adoption legislation (notably in Boston and San Francisco) before. It's a disturbing trend.

I'm also trying to track down parallel stories of religious organizations being forced to shut down their charitable organizations due to harassment for "discrimination" against homosexuals. This sort of thing has happened before but typically it does not receive much mainstream media attention. If you know of cases please send them to me.

update: Get Religion's analysis of the reporting by WaPo is once again a very useful contribution.

update 2: I also recommend reading Chuck Donovan over at Heritage for more context.

Action: Halt same-sex marriage in New York

update - it appears that gay marriage proponents decided not to introduce their measure in the senate meeting today. Great work, papists! Thank you for defending traditional marriage in the state of New York!

===

As I wrote late last week, Governor Patterson may try to bring gay marriage to a vote TODAY.

Edward Mechmann (who blogs for the archdiocese of New York) gives AmP readers some tips:

Please visit the NYS Catholic Conference Catholic Advocacy Network or the National Organization for Marriage to send emails to the NYS legislature.  

Thanks for taking a few moments to contact your state reps!

Alert: Gov. Patterson plans to push gay marriage in NY next tuesday

No less than one week after the American people, for the 31st time, clearly rejected homosexual marriage when given a chance to vote on the issue, the highly-unpopular governor of New York is attempting to force it on his state before he leaves office:

"Gov. David A. Paterson said Thursday that he would include gay marriage on the agenda of an extraordinary session he is calling for Tuesday, potentially setting up the first vote on the issue in the State Senate and a dramatic floor debate.

Senate Democratic leaders could still block the issue from coming to the floor and have done so before, though it appears more likely to be put to a vote this time. Gay rights advocates, who feared holding a vote amid a Senate leadership feud this summer, cheered the governor’s action.

The measure’s chances of passing, though, are seen as far less likely. While a same-sex marriage bill has already been passed twice in the Assembly, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Democrats have a shaky 32-to-30 edge in the chamber, but several Democrats have said they will vote against the measure, and no Republicans are publicly supporting it." (NYT)

I'm trying to figure out a clear action item in response to this story, so papists can get involved, and when I find it, I'll post it.

Sounds like New York needs a defense of marriage act passed to stop this nonsense.

update - very relevant to this topic is what Maggie Gallagher - president of the National Organization for Marriage which recently won in Maine - wrote today about despair:

Despair is a spiritual weapon, and it is the gay-marriage movement's single most powerful weapon.

I understand that, and therefore I understand why gay-marriage advocates use it so often. But why do we pro-marriage conservatives use it on ourselves so often?

[Read on.]

In aftermath of Maine, gays step up their attacks on the Church

Last night, by a comfortable margin of 53-47%, the citizens of Maine became the 31st state to vote down gay marriage (as has every single state that has given its citizens a chance to vote on the issue). 

Not surprisingly, the mainstream liberal press is beside itself with frustration, especially because it drives yet another nail in the "inevitability" and "wrong side of history" arguments we are often fed.

As I wrote on National Review this morning, Maine voted for traditional marriage "despite it being a liberal state, despite a 2-1 funding disadvantage, despite aggressive legal action against traditional-marriage defenders, despite unusually high voter turn out, and despite Rachel Maddow and the elite press running interference."

And unlike in California's Prop 8 victory for traditional marriage, proponents of gay marriage can't blame this Maine loss on "Mormons, on African Americans who turned out for Barack Obama, or on confusing ballot wording." 

They can however, blame it on Catholics, and some angry members of the gay marriage movement are already doing so.

As I wrote back in September, the Catholic Church in Maine - with the strong leadership of Bishop Richard Malone - effectively and institutionally supported efforts to preserve traditional marriage. I have been told the Catholic Church contributed upwards of $500k to the final $2 million or so that was raised by defenders of traditional marriage.

Now, like what happened to the Mormons in the wake of Prop 8, some gays are calling for a systematic attack on the Catholic Church and her freedoms in retaliation for Maine. In case you have any doubts about what happened to supporters of Prop 8 after that was decided, the Heritage foundation has posted a summary:

Supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry.

Now read what one gay blogger wrote today in the wake of the Maine referendum today:

"[Maine voters] have bowed their heads to the nameless, faceless financiers of campaigns which continue to sew bigotry, hatred, and suspicion of their fellows. They have bowed their knees to potentates in the Catholic and Mormon Churches and claimed that this was about their freedom of religion.

... The day will come very soon when Maine will regret turning its back on equality. It is time that the legislature of Maine strip the Catholic Church of all its exemptions. It is time to force the National Organization into the light. It is time to purge their dens of iniquity and shame and to force them into the light.

It is time to dismantle those who seek through deception and fraud to repress others."

Nor is such out-in-the-open hatred of the Catholic Church confined to isolated individuals - no less a figure than Andrew Sullivan, an openly-gay and widely-read author for The Atlantic Monthly - and who still claims to be Catholic - wrote today:

"After Maine, where the Catholic church actually organized a second collection to raise money to prevent gay people from having civil rights, the situation shifts again. Using a tax-exempt church to raise money to defeat the civil rights of fellow citizens is not too shocking in the age of Benedict. It is shocking if one believes in a separation of politics and religion, and if one believes that the church of Jesus should stand in solidarity with the marginalized, rather than seeking to marginalize and demonize them still further.

It is time to acknowledge that the Catholic church hierarchy can no longer pretend that it isn't the active enemy of gay people and our families. That this church hierarchy - especially in its more conservative wing - is disproportionately gay itself and waging war against their fellow gays through the cowardly veil of the closet, is not new. But it is, as we flinch with the sting of defeat, harder to take than ever.

It is time to demand that gay priests who are actively fighting against the dignity of gay people own their enmeshment in injustice, stigmatization and cruelty."

The Atlantic is a major publication, Andrew Sullivan is a significant figure. This is serious. And authors such as Sullivan are getting a free-pass for legitimizing lies and hatred against the Church.

All this is especially ironic when one considers how the gay marriage movement tries to cast itself as one that is seeking tolerance and acceptance of all. Well, apparently the Catholic Church isn't a legitimate recipient of such treatment. I would be more encouraged if leaders of the gay marriage movement would call out or apologize for outbursts against the Church like the ones I've cited above.

Nonetheless, in the coming days and weeks, we need to be vigilant for anti-Catholic rhetoric and attacks. Don't be surprised if a lot of damning stories about the Church are published in the short term. Even if the issue of gay marriage isn't mentioned, you can bet reporters who have something against the Church are dusting off their old file folders right now.

Now of course, this oft-repeated smear that the Catholic Church hates gay people and hates equality is completely without foundation. Just look at a portion of the statement Bishop Malone released today:

“These past few months have served as a teaching opportunity to explain to parishioners and the wider community about how and why the Church views and values marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It has also been an opportunity for listening, and I trust that those who voted for such a radical change did so out of concern for our gay brothers and sisters. Respect and acceptance of all people regardless of sexual orientation is not a point of controversy — indeed, it is a teaching of the Church. While the Catholic Church will continue its commitment to work for the basic human rights to which all people are entitled, it remains devoted to preserving and strengthening the precious gift of marriage.”

That sure doesn't sound like hate speech to me. {update: neither does the statement just issued by the US Bishops - for those stumbling across this post, please read it before attacking our position. It has been compassionately thought through.}

For our part, meanwhile, we have to be charitable and confident in the teaching of the Church and  be consistent in our own witness to it. Defining marriage as between one man and one woman is not to treat gays as inferior or unequal. This definition has overwhelming historical, cultural, sociological, and religious support.

Such anger and retaliation from the gay community are a sad indicator that they have no more arguments. Nonetheless, whenever the Church is attacked, we must defend ourselves and the Church we love, continuing to articulate the truths of the human person which reason reveal and faith confirms.

Truth, after all, is the foundation for equality, and for every valid social justice movement. So it should not surprise us that the only way the gay community is now attempting to establish its legal "right" to marriage is through power and intimidation. 

update - I won't clutter my post with more examples, but I'll add just one more. There are many others:

The Bishop of Maine, Richard Malone, must be quite pleased with himself. He ran a campaign of lies, hate and distortions -- and convinced enough Maine voters to vote with him. It's going to take me a couple days (or more) to get my head around this one. But, for now, suffice it so say: HATE was the winner in Maine. Hate and the Catholic Bishop. But, this isn't over. Time and justice really are on our side.

Luke 6:22.

Election Day! Support pro-life, pro-family, pro-marriage causes!

Today, please do your part in defending the family in each of the following key elections, as I outlined yesterday.

If you are able to vote in the Virginia, New Jersey, New York-23 elections or Maine referendum, please do so.

If you are out of state, please support the pro-family candidate or proposal with financial resources or by volunteering with appropriate signs at the polls!

I'll be hovering around twitter today posting updates on the elections and election returns.

And let's pray for our country and the brave candidates who fight for our freedoms and families.

Video: Gay activists in Maine lie about Catholic support for homosexual marriage

CatholicVoteAction brings to our attention a duplicitous tactic being employed by homosexual activists in the lead-up to Maine's Nov. 4th marriage vote:

CatholicVoteAction.org Calls on Maine Group to Pull ‘Catholic’ Gay-Marriage Ad

Homosexual advocates have released a shameless new ad featuring a grandmother and two gay men urging Maine voters this November to approve ‘same-sex’ marriage. The grandmother in the new commercial speaks about her Catholic faith and the importance of the institution of marriage, but then urges voters to support ‘same-sex’ marriage.

Here is the video:

Look at how subtly this ad works: "I've been a Catholic all my life ... my faith means alot to me."

This ad is deceptive because it implies that this woman supports homosexual marriage because of her Catholic faith.

Of course, the universal Church only supports traditional marriage between a man and woman, as God instituted it, in harmony with natural laws which defend and promote human dignity and flourishing.

This video ad is doubly duplicitous because it ignores the clear teaching and activity of Maine's own Bishop Richard Malone, who is a staunch defender of traditional marriage and is mobilizing and urging Catholics in Maine to Vote Yes on November 4th.

I mean, who are Catholics supposed to believe - a woman who claims to be Catholic in an advertisement sponsored and run by homosexual-marriage advocates, or the local Bishop together with his priests in agreement with the constant teaching and universal witness of the Catholic Church? Really, it's not even close.

So let us come together and refute the lies being fed Catholics in Maine by those who created this advertisement. Catholics proudly support traditional marriage as God instituted it, and we won't let homosexual-marriage activists try to hide the clear teaching of the Church and their local Bishop from Catholics in Maine.

Visit www.standformarriagemaine.com where you will find ways to support their efforts to preserve traditional marriage. There's an action item for most everyone who is passionate about this issue. Even those of us who can't vote in Maine.

They also have documents and arguments showing why all citizens have an interest in supporting traditional marriage.

Video: Protecting Traditional Marriage and Preserving Childhood Innocence

Two videos this morning about two important causes....

First, the battleground to preserve traditional marriage in the United States is currently in the state of Maine. The victory won in California through the passage of Proposition 8 last November in California is threatened if the referendum for traditional marriage in Maine is defeated (30 out of 30 of the previous state referendums have all preserved traditional marriage, but this vote in the liberal state of Maine is down to the wire - and it will take place on November 4th).

Here is the latest video from Stand For Marriage Maine:



A second and related cause is the protection of Childhood Innocence in our nation's schools. Homosexual activists are attempting to teach school kids inappropriate material about the homosexual "lifestyle" starting as early as kindergarden (this really is happening already - and almost always its the parents who are the last to know) One of the leaders of this "queering" movement, Kevin Jennings, was appointed by President Obama to the Deparment of Education.

Now through the efforts of American Principles in Action, we're trying to get him expelled:



I've written extensively on Jennings here, and will write on the situation in Maine soon.

Here are five effective ways you can help:

1. Link to this post from your blog, website, facebook profile, or through sending emails
2. Watch, favorite, rate, comment on and/or embed each of these YouTube videos
3. Join the Facebook groups Expel Kevin Jennings, and Stand For Marriage Maine, and invite your friends. Re-tweet this message for Jennings and this message for traditional marriage.
4. Visit http://www.expeljennings.com/ to sign the petition requesting Jenning's removal, and visit http://standformarriagemaine.com/ to find a variety of ways you can help them save marriage in Maine
5. Pray for the protection of children, and for the preservation of traditional marriage

I know there are many causes that are worthy of our attention these days, but these are two critical issues close to my heart, where small, organized actions taken by us can have a great and beneficial effect. Together, we can win this.

Thank you, papists!

Picture: Red Mass in DC attended by six Catholic SCOTUS members

Local DC blog Snark Infested provides photos from this years Red Mass (Mass for lawyers), where all six of the Catholic Supreme Court Justices of the United States were in attendance I believe:

Reports from the ground indicate that yes (as picture above) - the most recent Supreme Court confirmation, Sonia Sotomayor, was in attendance (even though I hear she has not attended Mass in years), as was Catholic Vice-President Joe Biden. The homily was preached by Cardinal DiNardo of Galveston-Houston (update - here is the full text of Cardinal DiNardo's homily).

Notably, no mention of the duty of judges to uphold the natural law teaching on Traditional (i.e., heterosexual) marriage was mentioned, which I think is dissapointing considering our political climate.

Cardinal Rigali, meanwhile, issued a "powerful statement" on Respect Life Sunday.

Did your priest preach on life issues this previous Sunday?

Catholic Church steps up defense of traditional marriage in Maine

Bishop Richard Malone, head of the only diocese in Maine, has placed the resources of local Catholics behind the efforts of Stand for Marriage Maine. We should too.

Maine is yet another example of government officials or judges forcing same-sex marriage on a state. Stand for Marriage Maine is simply attempting to give the people of Maine a chance to vote on an issue that will effect them intimately.

Same-sex marriage proponents intend to use the individual example of states (like Maine) to eventually make same-sex marriage legal nationally (they make no secret about this strategy of theirs).

Well, we can prevent this happening if we appeal to the average American - who still supports traditional marriage - instead of leaving this in the activist hands of courts and government officials.

Hop on over to http://standformarriagemaine.com/ and they have ways you can support their efforts to preserve traditional marriage. There's an action item for most everyone who feels passionate about this issue.

In DC, Archbishop Wuerl gets off the same-sex marriage fence

(Not to say he was ever on the fence about the issue - but hey, it made you click the headline, didn't it?)

In all seriousness, Archbishop Donald Wuerl is definitely off the bench and in the fight for traditional marriage now.

From the Washington Post:

Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl is plunging the Catholic Church deeper into the battle over legalizing same-sex marriage in the District, a tactic that could complicate the D.C. Council's efforts to quickly take up the matter this fall.

Wuerl sent a letter to 300 local Catholic priests Tuesday reminding them about the church's opposition to same-sex marriage, and he launched a round of media interviews designed to bolster the church's presence in the debate.

In his efforts to mobilize Catholics, Wuerl joins a group of Baptist, predominantly African American, preachers in stepping up the pressure on D.C. officials to allow a public vote on whether same-sex marriage should be legalized.

... 

Wuerl launched the media offensive on the same day that eight opponents of same-sex marriage, including {non-Catholic} Bishop Harry Jackson, filed a request with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics to hold a initiative next year defining marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The proposed initiative simply states: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in the District of Columbia." 

... 

In a letter supporting the proposed initiative, the D.C. Catholic Conference noted that there are 580,000 Catholics living in the Washington metropolitan area.

"It is ironic that at the same time the city is asking for voting representation in the U.S. Congress, its leaders are denying residents the opportunity to participate in the Democratic process for an issue with widespread implications for children and families," Ronald Jackson, executive director of the D.C. Catholic Conference, said in a statement. 

Good to have you in the game, Archbishop. Now let's get behind him.

From the Archdiocese of Washington press release:

Learn more about Catholic teaching and marriage at www.MarriageMattersDC.org, an initiative of the Archdiocese of Washington to promote a deeper understanding of marriage and its contribution to society.

Photo: (Episcopal) Franciscan FAIL

Ph/t: Pinoy Catholic.

Or, if you prefer: "Compassion FAIL."

update: to by clear, this is an Episcopal - not Catholic - Franciscan. I didn't even know they had those. Thanks to reader OCDSister for the clarification and for making the extra effort to provide a hyperlink.

NY Gov. Paterson claims gay "marriage" the "right way" from a spiritual standpoint

CNA reports:

"While New York's senators debate whether or not to legalize same-sex "marriage" in their state, the seven Catholic bishops of New York have issued a statement strongly opposing "such a drastic measure."

David Paterson, the governor of New York, introduced a measure to legalize same-sex "marriage" on April 16, claiming that it was the "right way" to proceed from a spiritual standpoint."

It's that last point that gets under my skin - what reasons can Patterson give for his personal revelation?

The bishops of NY, meanwhile, led by Abp. Dolan, give argument after argument after argument:

On Monday, all of the Catholic bishops of New York, headed by the newly-installed Archbishop Timothy Dolan, issued a statement on the attempt to legalize same-sex "marriage."

"We face today the prospect of a law in New York which would radically change the timeless institution of marriage. As pastors of citizens from every corner of our great state, we stand unified in our strong opposition to such a drastic measure," the bishops said, urging Catholics to contact their senators.

Beginning with a historical approach, the group of bishops noted that "throughout history ... the one constant has been the conviction that marriage is the union of a man and a woman in an enduring bond, ordered for the procreation and stable rearing of children."

Although Catholic opposition to same-sex "marriage" is frequently cast as solely religion-based, the New York bishops stated that, "Just as importantly, it is based on reason, sound public policy, and plain common sense." They pointed out that "the state has a compelling legal interest in promoting marriage between men and women in order to create stable families and provide for the safety, health and well being of children.

On the other hand, "the state has no such compelling legal interest in recognizing a relationship between two people of the same sex," the prelates said.

Addressing the argument that homosexual couples face discrimination and must be protected by legalizing same-sex "marriage," the New York bishops advised, "If there are injustices against those in relationships other than marriage, those injustices can certainly be reformed and corrected in a way other than by drastically redefining marriage."

Weighing the common-sense arguments of the bishops against Patterson's interior locutions, well, I think it's obvious which side is coming up short. 

Maybe that explains why Patterson attempts to skip into the "spiritual" ... he's not having a very good time of it in the plainly rational. 

Video: Miss USA California puts Perez Hilton in his place

Good for Miss USA California (never really thought I'd say something like that):


The (beginning of the) aftermath:

Miss California's answer sparked a shouting match in the lobby after the show. "It's ugly," said Scott Ihrig, a gay man, who attended the pageant with his partner. "I think it's ridiculous that she got first runner-up. That is not the value of 95 percent of the people in this audience. Look around this audience and tell me how many gay men there are." (FOX News)

Support for traditional marriage: supposedly a "minority" position whose adherents it is considered acceptable to mock and marginalize.

... at least if you live on the edge of the California coast.

Update: Iowa Catholic Conf. of Bishops release statement on homosexual marriage

Sent to me by an AmP seminarian reader:

We, the Roman Catholic Bishops of Iowa, strongly disagree with the decision of the Iowa Supreme Court which strikes down Iowa’s law defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman. This decision rejects the wisdom of thousands of years of human history. It implements a novel understanding of marriage, which will grievously harm families and children. (More.)

Last week an Iowa Court approved same-sex "marriage."

Breaking: Iowa Court Approves Same-Sex Marriage

The Hawkeye State?

The Iowa Supreme Court today declared unconstitutional a state ban on same-sex marriage, clearing the way for Iowa to join two other states in allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

In a unanimous decision, the seven-member court upheld a lower court's ruling in August 2007 that a 1998 state law limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violated the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution.

... same-sex couples likely will be able to obtain marriage licenses in Iowa in three weeks, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.

... With the Supreme Court decision, Iowa becomes the third state in the nation, after Massachusetts and Connecticut, to permit same-sex marriage.

... Bryan English, a spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center, which opposes same-sex marriage, said the group would immediately begin pushing for a referendum on the issue. (WaPo)

And the stuggle moves into America's heartland.

"Vermont Gov. Will Veto Same-Sex "Marriage" Bill Passed in Senate"

Nice to see good news on homosexual marriage coming from the northeast:

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas said today that he would veto a bill the Senate passed Monday that would open the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, reports the Associated Press (AP).

Douglas had indicated earlier that he thought the state's civil unions for same-sex couples were enough, and that he was against same-sex "marriage." (LifeSite)

Of course, this is a momentary pause in an ongoing conflict.

Frightening: New website exposes where Prop. 8 donors live!

This is very scary .... from a UK Telegraph blogger:

Valleywag is reporting today on a new Google Maps mashup, eightmaps.com, which gives the name and profession of every Proposition 8 donor. It also lists how much they donated and shows where they live.

The site's strapline is distinctly creepy:

"Proposition 8 changed the California state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. These are the people who donated in order to pass it."

In other words, for everyone who is angry that some people don't want homosexual marriage - this website shows them where to direct their attacks. Literally. Frightening.

update: on a perhaps related note, the HBO show "Big Love" aired parts of the temple rites of the Mormon church during their latest episode. Why should we care? Reader James:

"Because to Mormons this is akin to the desecration of the blessed sacrament [to Catholics]. Needless to say, it has caused outrage in the Mormon community ... some theorize that this was done in revenge for the Mormon Church's campaigning for Prop. 8."

Of course, this is not strictly-speaking akin to desecration of the Eucharist, but we still ought to show solidarity with Mormons for the persecution they are receiving because of their Prop. 8 support. This is an issue of justice.

Update: California Initiative Proposes Abolishing All Marriage from Law

If you don't like the result - undermine the result:

California same-sex "marriage" supporters are collecting signatures to support a ballot initiative that would remove civil marriage from California law entirely, as well as the provision codifying marriage as between a man and a woman.

The new initiative arose after it was widely acknowledged that judges appeared unconvinced that the state Supreme Court should overturn the voter-approved amendment.

Kaelan Housewright and Ali Shams, the two college students behind the initiative, must collect the signatures of about 700,000 registered voters by August 6 in order for it to make the ballot. (LSN)

And you know what - they might find those 700k signatures.

Poll: CA Gay Marriage Ban numbers down

AP:

A new poll shows California voters who oppose the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriages slightly ahead going into Tuesday's election.

The Field Poll released Friday had opponents of the ban with a 49 percent to 45 percent edge. That's much closer than in previous surveys over Proposition 8.

I know - it's just a poll, but for any CA readers who thought they could just stay at home on Tuesday...

Good news: Prop. 8 is winning in CA

Let's hope this winning margin holds:

According to the latest poll from California, those fighting for the defense of traditional marriage have a nine point advantage over activists seeking state recognition of same-sex marriage.

The poll released on Tuesday afternoon by the Knights of Columbus, reports that the drive to pass California’s Proposition 8 is leading among likely voters 52 to 43 percent. If Proposition 8 is passed, it will amend the state Constitution to say, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in the state of California.”

The poll also shows that Proposition 8 leads in every region of California except the San Francisco Bay Area, where 58% are opposed to the measure. (CNA)

Google v. Marriage

Google has decided to take a stand on gay marriage - in favor:

However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love. (Google's Official Blog)

So much for not being evil.

Related: Google opposes anti-gay marriage measure

Ph/t: AmP reader Daveko.

Noted: California Voters Oppose Ban on Gay 'Marriage'

Things aren't looking good for the upcoming November referendum:

A majority of California voters oppose a ballot initiative to ban gay "marriage," though they are evenly split on the practice itself, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The ballot question essentially will ask voters to prohibit the practice of same-sex "marriage," which was approved this year by the California Supreme Court.

... A majority of likely voters, 54 percent, oppose ending gay "marriage," compared with 40 percent who support it, the poll said. The result is similar to the findings of a Field Poll in July, which found that 51 percent of likely California voters opposed ending gay "marriage," while 42 percent said they supported it. (AP)

It's hard to give people reasons to vote for something they don't think directly effects their lives.

"Massachusetts House repeals law restricting same-sex marriages to residents"

The homosexual lobby moves quickly:

In what marriage advocates called “part of a cynical strategy to inflict same-sex marriage on the unwilling citizens of other states,” the Massachusetts House on Tuesday voted by a margin of 119 to 36 to repeal a 1913 law that blocked marriage licenses from being granted to same-sex couples from out-of-state.

The Senate approved the repeal earlier in July, meaning the measure now requires one more procedural vote in each chamber of the legislature before it is sent to Governor Deval Patrick, who has said he will sign the measure.

Massachusetts became the first state to permit homosexual marriage in 2004, but then-Governor Mitt Romney ordered town and city clerks to follow a 1913 law that prohibits couples from marrying if the unions would be illegal in their home states.

At the time, Romney argued that repealing the law would turn the state into the “Las Vegas of gay marriage.”

The Catholic Action League denounced the House vote in a Tuesday statement, calling it “part of a cynical strategy to inflict same-sex marriage on the unwilling citizens of other states without the consent of the electorate.” (CNA)

And Catholics helped:

Doyle also lamented Catholic politicians’ involvement in passing the law.

“Today, a majority of Catholics in the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted again in favor of homosexual marriage. There is a growing sense of outrage among faithful Catholics over the conduct of nominally Catholic politicians who repudiate fundamental Catholic moral teachings about the sanctity of human life and the integrity of traditional marriage. There is also a growing sense of urgency that this scandal must be brought to an end.”

Update: Author believes California bishops' response to "gay marriage" was "tepid"

I said, she said:

But the response from some Catholics so far has been tepid. Take the following statement released by the California Catholic Conference.

{she quotes it, then comments:}

“Maintain support” for traditional marriage? Catholic support requires more episcopal muscle than the release of a mild statement. Because the Church is "the universal sacrament of salvation" (Lumen Gentium), our shepherds should be mobilizing Catholics to fight back. Every Catholic priest, religious, businessman, teacher, doctor, banker, grocer, landlord, professor, and college student should be sent out with a mandate to fight for marriage.

Again, maybe a topic like "gay marriage" deserves a press release longer than one page.

Breaking: California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban

Associated Press:

The California Supreme Court has overturned a gay marriage ban in a ruling that would make the nation's largest state the second one to allow gay and lesbian weddings.

The justices' 4-3 decision Thursday says domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage. Chief Justice Ron George wrote the opinion.

....

California already offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners the same legal rights and responsibilities as married spouses, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support. It's therefore unclear what additional relief state lawmakers could offer short of marriage if the court renders the existing ban unconstitutional.

A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine California's current laws banning gay marriage in the state constitution.

More from the LA Times here.

LifeSiteNews:

Today the California Supreme Court imposed, through judicial fiat, so-called same-sex marriage on Californians, thus totally disregarding the sanctity of marriage and the will of the people. In 2000, Californians adopted Proposition 22 to protect marriage and maintain its definition as a union between one man and one woman, and expressly prohibiting the state from recognizing same sex marriages.

To ensure that marriage is protected and the voice of the people is heard, a constitutional marriage amendment must be placed on the November ballot and national efforts need to be made to generate a federal constitutional marriage amendment. The decision must be removed from the hands of judicial activists and returned to the rightful hands of the people.

... "On a positive note, the Court's decision today will likely serve as a wake-up call to both Californians and their fellow Americans across the country. I'm certain this decision will help fuel a California marriage amendment and re-ignite debate over a federal amendment which would protect marriage as between one man and one woman."

Your thoughts?

"Family Day" rally in Rome draws incredible numbers

The AP:

A huge crowd of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters rallied in Rome Saturday to tell Italy that they alone should be counted as families, and pressure parliament to reject legislation that would grant new rights to unmarried and same-sex couples.

The "Family Day'' rally, drawing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in an unexpectedly strong outpouring, was organized by lay Catholic groups and family associations. While the demonstration has been endorsed by Italian bishops, neither the Vatican nor the Italian bishops' conference is formally behind it.

WDTPRS has much more, as he is literally living in the thick of it:

Today was "Family Day" in Rome and it was a huge, vast, mind-blowing success. It was lay organized and attended.

It would have been a success, according to the organizers, had over 100,000 people come to St. John Lateran for the event.

The last report I heard was that over 1.7 MILLION people showed up.

He also goes over the huge discrepency in real attendence vs. claimed attendence by the media. Want to guess which way they skew the numbers when counting up one side or the other?

Update: Rocco adds his coverage here.
Update 2: More news from AsiaNews.It.
Update 3: Associated Press has coverage here.