Newwark Archbishop Compares Gay Marriage to Incest and Attacks Pro-Gay Catholics

I've asked this question many times before: why does anyone who has not had a lobotomy or who has an IQ over a trainable retarded individual listen to anything the members of the child rapist protecting Catholic Church hierarchy?  The sex abuse scandal continues to flame around the globe and literally EVERY DAY new stories of molestations by Catholic clergy emerge and the Church continues to fight tooth and claw to deprive victims of meaningful compensation for the trauma and emotional damage they suffered.  So what do the foul princes of the Church do?  Unleash renewed and vile attacks on LGBT individuals and, now, pro-gay Catholics as well.  The latest nasty attack comes from John Myers, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey (who like his buddy Timothy Dolan in New York looks like he's never missed a meal and is living high on the hog).  Myers issued a 16 page tirade against gays and their allies within the Catholic Church and in the process cited discredited anti-gay "research."  Myers' full letter can be found here.  As I've said before, it is far past time that the IRS revoke the tax-exempt status of every Catholic diocese that has involved itself in influencing anti-gay legislation and/or supporting anti-gay political candidates. Here's an overview and a sampling from Meyers' diatribe via The New Civil Rights Movement:  

John Myers, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, has written a 16-page fear-mongering letter, called a “pastoral statement,” that compares gay marriage to incest, and suggests to his one million followers that marriage equality could lead to laws outlawing religious free speech or even imprisoning priests for preaching “God’s natural laws.” Myers also quotes the discredited anti-gay parenting “study” by Mark Regnerus as so-called proof “that the best possible environment for the healthy development of children is the presence and participation of the two biological parents in an intact family.”

“Newark Archbishop John J. Myers said the statement on gay marriage was not timed to coincide with the November election, now little more than a month away, and that he was not calling on Catholics to vote for a particular candidate,” The Record/North Jersey.com reports. “But he said they should examine the ‘full spectrum’ of each candidate, including how they stand on abortion and ‘a proper backing of marriage’.”

Most Churches are subject to IRS regulations prohibiting them from endorsing or otherwise supporting — or opposing any political candidate, or risk their tax-exempt status, a benefit that costs the American taxpayers $71 billion annually.

Parishioners in churches across the archdiocese, which covers Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Union counties, will be handed letters at church this weekend telling them about the statement and directing them to where it can be read.”    Coincidentially, one week from this Sunday, on October 7, is the Alliance Defense Fund’s annual “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” which radical right wing “pro-family” and religious groups flout the regulations by endorsing or opposing political candidates from the pulpit, and dare the IRS to investigate them or try to revoke their tax-eempt status.

“Myers acknowledged that a large number of Catholics seem to be at odds with church teaching, and that he wanted to reach out to them with his statement . . . .

The statement appeared to compare gay marriage to incest. “Even those who propose radically altering the definition of marriage would not advocate allowing two brothers or sisters or an uncle and his nephew to marry (say, for the tax benefits, or for hospital visiting privileges),” he wrote.

Myers also claims gay marriage will lead to the imprisonment of priests for anti-gay “religious” speech:  If our society enshrines in law a “civil” right to “marry” someone of one’s own sex, then any persons or groups that believe otherwise will be seriously disadvantaged in law and in fact..  .  .  .  How long would the state permit churches, schools or parents to teach their children that homosexual activity is contrary to the natural law if homosexual marriage were a civil right? Already in Canada and other democratic nations “hate speech” laws have been used to harass or even arrest clerics who preach the Biblical message about marriage.

As for pro-gay allies, Myers had this to say: It is my duty as your Archbishop to remind you that Catholics who do not accept the teaching of the Church on marriage and family (especially those who teach or act in private or public life contrary to the Church’s received tradition on marriage and family) by their own choice seriously harm their communion with Christ and His Church. I urge those not in communion with the Church regarding her teaching on marriage and family (or any other grave matter of faith) sincerely to re-examine their consciences, asking God for the grace of the Holy Spirit which “guide [us] to all truth” (John 16:13). If they continue to be unable to assent to or live the Church’s teaching in these matters, they must in all honesty and humility refrain from receiving Holy Communion until they can do so with integrity; to continue to receive Holy Communion while so dissenting would be objectively dishonest. 

I guess excommunication will be the next step in the Church's attacks on Catholics who support gay equality under the civil laws.  With those under 30 already leaving the Church in droves one can only hope that Myers' foul message will accelerate the exodus.