Washington State Catholic Bishops Oppose Religious Freedom for Gays

With all the recent disingenuous blather about religious freedom coming from the child rapist protectors in the Catholic Church hierarchy, one would think they at least pretend to have some tiny shred of respect for the rights of others. But that's not the case in Washington State where a same sex marriage bill has been introduced into the state legislature. All of the Catholic bishops in Washington - who one would might better spend their time weeding out sexual predators from the clergy ranks - have unanimously come out in opposition to the bill. Indeed, the bishops are urging the sheeple among the laity - that continue to act as accessories to the molestation of children and youths via their funding of the Church hierarchy - to take action to stop the granting of CIVIL legal rights to same sex couples. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has coverage and here are highlights:

Washington's four Roman Catholic bishops have taken a foursquare stand against legalization of same-sex marriage, a cause rapidly gaining momentum in the State Legislature.

Catholics should contact their legislators and tell them to "defend the current definition of marriage" against legislation to legalize marriage between same-sex couples, the bishops declared in a strongly worded pastoral letter posted late Friday. . . . . The letter is signed by Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, Spokane Bishop Blase Cupich, Yakima Bishop Joseph J. Tyson, and Seattle Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo. It is published on the Archdiocese of Seattle web site.

"My first reaction, as a practicing Catholic, is that this is very hurtful," said State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, chief sponsor of marriage equality. Murray is a gay man in a 20-year committed relationship.

Earlier Friday, 23 senators introduced legislation to allow same-sex couples to receive marriage licenses. The marriage equality legislation was requested by Gov. Christine Gregoire, who is also a Catholic.

The reaction is hard to predict. Bishops often refer to their "flock," but American Catholics do not behavie like sheep. An ABC News/Washington Post poll last spring found that 63 percent of Catholics in the U.S. support civil marriage between same-sex couples.

As in New York, the legislation introduced in Olympia Friday would allow churches and clergy full rights in terms of who they choose to marry, and whether to allow marriage on church property. "As the bill is written, the church would never be forced to marry people of the same sex or divorced people," said Murray.

I am happy that 63% of Catholics support civil marriage equality. However, I don't understand how anyone of good conscience can be a Catholic in light of the sex abuse scandal and the documented cover ups that stretch all the way to the Vatican. Likewise, I don't understand why the Catholic laity cannot grasp that they are part of the problem as long as the continue to hand over money to the morally bankrupt bishops and Church hierarchy.