The arrival of same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia this week has been celebrated by left-leaning clergy. On March 3, as same-sex couples applied for "marriage" licenses at the District courthouse, liberal clergy cheered the couples as they emerged.
Groups such as Clergy United for Marriage Equality have promoted same-sex marriage, which they have framed as a justice and equality issue. They have not supported efforts to gain an exemption for religious organizations or individuals. As a result, organizations or individuals that "discriminate" between traditional marriage and homosexual relationships must either violate their consciences or face possible hostile action by the D.C. government.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington repeatedly warned that its foster care and public adoption program would not be able to continue under the new law, because the archdiocese prefers to place children with man-woman married couples. According to the archdiocese, "although Catholic Charities has an 80-year legacy of high quality service to the vulnerable in our nation's capital, the D.C. Government informed Catholic Charities that the agency would be ineligible to serve as a foster care provider due to the impending D.C. same sex "marriage law."
The Institute on Religion and Democracy has published a paper on "Is Marriage Worth Defending?" It is available for free download at www.TheIRD.org/marriagepaper.
IRD Vice President Alan Wisdom, author of the marriage paper, commented:
"Local media have featured photos of smiling same-sex couples and stories of free cupcakes for the 302 gay "marriage" applicants. The less photogenic consequences of this policy on D.C. Catholic Charities--the city’s largest social service provider, serving 68,000 of its poorest residents--are being largely ignored.
"Liberal clergy seem all too happy to let the D.C. government force other Christians to violate church teaching and become complicit in behavior that the Bible calls sin. This is just the kind of abuse against which opponents of same-sex "marriage" have been warning.
"The religious left is more devoted to validating the latest cultural trends than to upholding timeless Christian teaching. One would hope that it would understand the danger in invoking government power against its more conservative religious opponents.
All those who value their religious freedom should be up in arms at this attempted coercion of consciences. If Catholics are not allowed to be Catholic, no one's liberty will be secure.
Groups such as Clergy United for Marriage Equality have promoted same-sex marriage, which they have framed as a justice and equality issue. They have not supported efforts to gain an exemption for religious organizations or individuals. As a result, organizations or individuals that "discriminate" between traditional marriage and homosexual relationships must either violate their consciences or face possible hostile action by the D.C. government.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington repeatedly warned that its foster care and public adoption program would not be able to continue under the new law, because the archdiocese prefers to place children with man-woman married couples. According to the archdiocese, "although Catholic Charities has an 80-year legacy of high quality service to the vulnerable in our nation's capital, the D.C. Government informed Catholic Charities that the agency would be ineligible to serve as a foster care provider due to the impending D.C. same sex "marriage law."
The Institute on Religion and Democracy has published a paper on "Is Marriage Worth Defending?" It is available for free download at www.TheIRD.org/marriagepaper.
IRD Vice President Alan Wisdom, author of the marriage paper, commented:
"Local media have featured photos of smiling same-sex couples and stories of free cupcakes for the 302 gay "marriage" applicants. The less photogenic consequences of this policy on D.C. Catholic Charities--the city’s largest social service provider, serving 68,000 of its poorest residents--are being largely ignored.
"Liberal clergy seem all too happy to let the D.C. government force other Christians to violate church teaching and become complicit in behavior that the Bible calls sin. This is just the kind of abuse against which opponents of same-sex "marriage" have been warning.
"The religious left is more devoted to validating the latest cultural trends than to upholding timeless Christian teaching. One would hope that it would understand the danger in invoking government power against its more conservative religious opponents.
All those who value their religious freedom should be up in arms at this attempted coercion of consciences. If Catholics are not allowed to be Catholic, no one's liberty will be secure.
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