New Jersey Bishops Distribute Letter Opposing Same-Sex Marriage

New Jerseya s Catholic bishops are instructing priests to read or distribute a letter this weekend asking Catholics to pray that lawmakers in New Jersey not allow same-sex marriage in that state. The bishops’ letter reiterates the Vatican’s position that marriage is only between a man and a woman and says, “Governments do not have the power to define marriage otherwise, because it is a permanent human institution that does not owe its existence to governments”…. However, the Bishops failed to mention when one could stop going to their local government courthouse to buy marriage licenses in the state of New Jersey or when those marriage licenses would be available at local Catholic parish offices.

[RodW]

The bishops’ letter is nonsense -- they’re saying the State has no power to regulate marriage, and therefore the State should not make this -- by their definition -- non-existent, state-regulated, civil ’marriage’ available to same-sex couples!

[BEE33]

Such BS! They may be able to sell this crap to the dimwitted gullible, but even within the RCC marriage is not a permanent institution or they wouldn't have let Joseph Kennedy II have an annulment (which they later reversed thanks to the publicity his outraged ex gave it ONCE SHE FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, those sneaky bastards did it in secret), which effectively made their kids bastards in the eyes of the oh so holy, sanctimonious, fraudulent church. The RCC is a disgusting, amoral, criminal organization that rapes children and protects and enables their rapists. They should stay out of politics or they should lose their tax exempt status for interfering in the political process by campaigning and funding campaigns. THEY are the real bastards.

[EQLTY4ALL]

This is a prime example of when you let so called religion run amuck...they
think that now that there into our political system they've got power.
Look what they've been doing to Kennedy who supports Woman's right to chose.
If the GLBT community doesn't start doing something they will not stop at nothing to push us back 30 years and into the closet; and we'll have no one to blame but ourselves for bending over and taking there cross right up our A$$!!
We need to come together and stop the squabbling with in our own FAMILY and start getting into the preverbal LIONS DEN. Americans are clearly misguided in their so called idea of what Equality is and we should be the ones that wake them up to this fallacy.

[nealcmh]

The pope is not an official of the New Jersey Legislator. Neither are the Catholic Bishops. They need to keep their nose out of this. One of these days they will go too far and loose their precious tax exemption. Of course that would be one way to help clear up the deficit. Imagine all the Billions in taxes that the government could collect!

[rdg1234]

I don't understand why people aren't going more apeshit over this.

The "church" keeps, keeps, keeps talking, and talking,

and talking,

like it has a right to *dictate values to everyone*. As if you are all *subject to its rule*; as if it can *instruct everyone what to do*.

I'm starting to feel like we're in the twilight zone here. Why are people not standing up to this *much* more vociferously?

[Kyra]

So, is it *just* the Catholic church that has the power to regulate marriage?

My church has accepted gay and lesbian relationships fully on the same level with heterosexual ones for a long time now. The only thing is, they're stuck calling them "unions" because---guess what---our STATE has not deigned to legalize same-sex marriages.

I wonder which side these bishops would take on that argument?

In all seriousness, I was much happier in many ways before I learned that a bishop was anything other than a piece on a chessboard.

[rdg1234]

I apologize; it has now been explained to me why no one cares about these things the "church" keeps doing.

I still declare personally that their slightest authority ever to explain, adumbrate, or suggest any tenet of morality *to me personally* has ended ... forever.

For the rest of my natural life.

I will never forget for the rest of my life that I saw them doing these things, committing such atrocities in the name of "god." I know I won't ever forget.

[Equality for ALL]

screw the church and the hyprocitic CULT that they organized in the name of christianity. I despise the pope and that ugly dress they all wear... they need to get their own anti-women and overtly pedophile house in order before oppressing others. Religion is all about WAR in the world...

the bible is a book of FAITH, not FACT !!

SCREW YOU POPE AND BISHOPS AND PRIESTS...

[Spider]

Our quest has absolutely nothing to do with religious ceremonies.

Gay people have been marrying in gay and gay/friendly churches for decades. We don't need any more churches signing up to perform gay wedding ceremonies; we have plenty already.

Its the *courthouses* that sell marriage licenses. Churches have nothing to do with that.

Its *courthouse marriage* we are trying to get legalized; as performed by Judges and Justices of the Peace. Courthouse marriage has absolutely nothing to do with churches in any way, shape, or form.

[Duped since birth]

"...asking Catholics to pray that lawmakers in New Jersey not allow same-sex marriage in that state."

No harm done here - if they are encouraging people to pray that gay marriage does not pass - let them pray. We know how effective that is. Like trying to pray away the gay. Or praying for that winning lottery ticket.

At least they are not (yet) asking for donations to air dishonest, misleading ads.

[BEE33]

Duped since birth wrote:

"...asking Catholics to pray that lawmakers in New Jersey not allow same-sex marriage in that state."
No harm done here - if they are encouraging people to pray that gay marriage does not pass - let them pray. We know how effective that is. Like trying to pray away the gay. Or praying for that winning lottery ticket.
At least they are not (yet) asking for donations to air dishonest, misleading ads.

But they HAVE been funding dishonest, misleading ads. Where do you suppose they got those funds?

[Spider]

BEE33 wrote:

<quoted text>But they HAVE been funding dishonest, misleading ads. Where do you suppose they got those funds?

Since the general public pays the church's taxes so they can operate tax-free; the church has all of that extra money to burn running anti-gay ads.

They get their funds from us, the general public.

[FrankieM]

You'd think with the recent revelations of the massive and revolting Irish Catholic Church's pedophilia that they would realize that they don't have a moral leg to stand on... let alone a soapbox to preach from.

[BEE33]

FrankieM wrote:

You'd think with the recent revelations of the massive and revolting Irish Catholic Church's pedophilia that they would realize that they don't have a moral leg to stand on... let alone a soapbox to preach from.

It's new to the public, not the leadership of the RCC. They've known for close to two millenia what a corrupt and fraudulent scam they were running. The pity is that many of their dupes, I mean their faithful are still swayed by the fake authority that their priests have been selling them all their lives.

[Paulathesurfmom]

The Church Hierarchy are called shepherds and the19 the rest are called the flock for a good reason… Why do shepherds, ultimately, keep a flock of sheep?… To shear them, to eat them, and sometimes, to f- them.

[EQLTY4ALL]

START INVADING THE NOM web sites and all those conservative web sites!!! start making some noise!!!

[Resist Ignorance]

"...because it is a permanent human institution that does not owe its existence to governments"

So, if the the RCC insists that marriage is not a government function but a religious one, then let the church provide :

Tax exemptions for heterosexual marriages,
hospital visitation for heterosexual marriages,
medical decisions for heterosexual marriages,
Social Security and retirement benefits for heterosexual marriages,
and all of the other 1138 benefits provided by the GOVERNMENT to heterosexual marriages!

Maybe the RCC should start issuing their own marriage licenses and officiating over divorce proceedings. G.W. Bush may have answered to the Vatican but, that does not mean the the rest of the U.S. has to or should.

The church has been pushing harder and harder every year recently. The only way to stem the tide is to tax their a$$ into the ground! I'm sorry. I cannot be polite about this. When the church becomes a PAC, they need to pay the piper!

[Notochurhgoverni ng]

nealcmh wrote:

The pope is not an official of the New Jersey Legislator. Neither are the Catholic Bishops. They need to keep their nose out of this. One of these days they will go too far and loose their precious tax exemption. Of course that would be one way to help clear up the deficit. Imagine all the Billions in taxes that the government could collect!

the church has gone over the boundary. A rightful judiciary review should be held and their tax exemption should be removed, PERIOD.

[Gryph]

Time to tax the churches that are getting into politics.

[HappilyCelibatei nChrist]

EQLTY4ALL wrote:

This is a prime example of when you let so called religion run amuck...they
think that now that there into our political system they've got power.
Look what they've been doing to Kennedy who supports Woman's right to chose.
If the GLBT community doesn't start doing something they will not stop at nothing to push us back 30 years and into the closet; and we'll have no one to blame but ourselves for bending over and taking there cross right up our A$$!!
We need to come together and stop the squabbling with in our own FAMILY and start getting into the preverbal LIONS DEN. Americans are clearly misguided in their so called idea of what Equality is and we should be the ones that wake them up to this fallacy.

Religion is not "running amuck". Christians are simply exercising their democratic and constitutional powers. You need to be pushed back 30 years and into the closet. There is no reason for your lifestyle choices to be in everyone's else's face. The closet can be a very cozy place.