Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Catholic Group Demands that Knights of Columbus Cease Anti-Gay Campaign

Perhaps there is still some hope for the Catholic Church laity which typically ignores much of what the Vatican dictates but fails to ever actually speak out against the evil agenda of the Church hierarchy and its water carriers such as the Knights of Columbus.   The Knights raise millions of dollars annually to allegedly assist the poor and needy - the organization's founder wanted it to aid and protect widows and children left destitute when husbands/fathers died back in the bad old days of the Gilded Age yearned for by Republican plutocrats - yet this past election cycle squandered millions of dollars funding the National Organization for Marriage and other anti-gay groups.  As the Boston Globe reports, some Catholics are outraged and want the anti-gay campaign to stop.  Here are highlights:

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A Catholic advocacy group delivered a petition with about 7,500 signatures to the Knights of Columbus on Tuesday, asking the Catholic fraternal organization to stop using its money to oppose same-sex marriage.  Catholics United Education Fund submitted the petition to the Knights’ New Haven headquarters.
The liberal advocacy group, which was founded in 2004 and claims 45,000 members, says the Knights spent more than $600,000 opposing same-sex marriage in the last election cycle. The group says the effort drives younger Catholics away from the faith and the Knights should focus on serving the poor and vulnerable.
‘‘As a young Catholic, I want my church to focus on serving the marginalized, not fighting for far-right political issues,’’ said James Salt, executive director of Catholics United.

Catholics United, citing a report last month from a coalition of Catholics who support gay rights, said the Knights donated more than $600,000 this year for ballot initiatives in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state.

The Knights and its affiliated insurance company have spent more than $6 million since 2005 opposing same-sex marriage, according to the report cited by Catholics United.

If liberal Catholics really want to make change occur in the Church, they need to vote with their feet and/or cease ALL financial support to Church parishes and institutions.  The foul old men in Rome only react to two things: falling membership and falling contributions.  For those Catholics seeking an alternative to a institutional Church that aids and abets child rapists, I highly recommend the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which is gay accepting and accepts partnered gay clergy.  As for the Knights, stop all donations of any kind and tell them why your money is being donated elsewhere.

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