The State of New York, on Friday, 24 June 2011, became the sixth of the United States to legalize same-sex marriage. This prompted a strong response from the Roman Catholic bishop of New York, Timothy Dolan.
“We strongly uphold the
Catholic Church's clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers
and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that
marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union
that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the
spouses themselves.
“This definition cannot change,
though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue
to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government
sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these
timeless truths.
“We worry that both marriage
and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in
passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of
civilization.
“Our society must regain what it appears to have lost - a true understanding
of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in
nature, and respected by America's foundational principles.” Timothy Dolan,
Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York
I applaud Archbishop Dolan for his strong statement. He is correct that there may be consequences for the stand. The most obvious would be attempts to remove tax exempt status from churches which refuse to accept the legislation. We must be willing to accept persecution for the truth without wilting. We do not have a spirit of fear.
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More on tax-exempt status, homosexuality, persecution, and marriage later.
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