Catholic Church is okay with Murder

[libertylove4]

The legislature of the U.S. Territory of Guam has recently been debating a bill that would allow Same-Sex domestic Partnerships on the island. The bill has been proposed by an openly gay senator who has admitted to being a victim of Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse. The Archdiocese of Guam released a statement about the bill citing the usual condemnation of gays recruiting children and bringing about the end of Western Civilization. But the statement included one paragraph that has me, a catholic and a gay man, appalled and physically ill. The Archdiocese said quote,

"Islamic fundamentalists clearly understand the damage that homosexual behavior inflicts on a culture. This is why they repress such behavior by death...It may be brutal at times, but any culture that is able to produce wave after wave of suicide bombers...is a culture that at least knows how to value self sacrifice."

I cannot believe that the church I was raised in would condone the ruthless murder of thousands of innocent people. People murdered for being who God created them to be. This statement makes me reconsider my entire set of beliefs, and makes me wonder if after this I can continue being a Catholic. Let me know your thoughts on this egregious statement, which puts the Roman Catholic Church in line with Mormons, Fundamentalist Christians, and radical Muslims. The Pope has not yet released a statement about this comment from the Archdiocese in Guam.

Here is the original article:
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

[Genersis]

The Archdiocese said quote,

"Islamic fundamentalists clearly understand the damage that homosexual behavior inflicts on a culture. This is why they repress such behavior by death...It may be brutal at times, but any culture that is able to produce wave after wave of suicide bombers...is a culture that at least knows how to value self sacrifice."

:eek:

[libertylove4]

That was my reaction exactly.

[SeaOz]

in one form or another the chruch (Catholic) has been in favor of brutaly torturing and killing gays. this is nothing new, and considering the new pope was once a member of the hittler youth during WWII, i am not holding out any hope he will condemn the actions of the guam arch-diaocese. most likely he will say nothing, if we are lucky, however he could use the current world climate to apply pressure to the gov. in guam to squash the bill. take it from me, the world will never change fast enough for us.:mad:

[marshlander]

I am not a believer and I have scant respect for religious organisations. I dislike everything the Pope stands for, but when someone trots out yet again the "Hitler Youth" thing ... :mad: For many young people in Germany at that time it was dangerous not to belong. I should imagine that in some places it would have taken extraordinary reserves of character and insight to have resisted being a member. I have friends who are not, and never would have been, in tune with the Nazi agenda, but it was safer for them and their parents if they put on the uniform.

Whether Herr Ratzinger should ever have been elevated to the office of Cardinal is another matter altogether.

[Rychard the Lionheart]

Very scary news in deed.

A stronghold of the Catholic church as the figures show below.
Catholic Population: 101,000. Total Population: 133,000.

This was taken from the Catholic News Agency website today.

Hagatna, Guam, Oct 14, 2009 / 02:39 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM Cap., issued a pastoral letter on Oct. 14 stating that the Guam Legislature “will forfeit its moral authority to continue to govern this island” if it passes a bill providing homosexual unions with the same benefits as married couples.

“As a bishop of the Catholic Church, I cannot remain silent about the efforts being made in the Guam Legislature which are a complete contradiction of the teaching regarding marriage that the Church has received from the Lord,” said the archbishop, in reference to Bill 185, which would provide health and tax benefits to same-sex couples who enter into a domestic partnership.

In the letter, dated Oct. 7 but released on Wednesday, Archbishop Apuron said Bill 185 “redefines the meaning of marriage” and promotes a homosexual lifestyle. He described the legislation as “doubly destructive because it encourages a lifestyle that is intrinsically unhealthy.”

“Laws in favor of homosexual unions are contrary to right reason because they confer legal guarantees, analogous to those granted to marriage, to unions between persons of the same sex,” Apuron wrote.

He also explained that “every humanly-created law is legitimate only insofar as it is consistent with the natural moral law, recognized by right reason, and insofar as it respects the inalienable rights of every person.”

If the state passes the bill into law, Archbishop Apuron warned that it will fail in its “duty to promote and defend marriage as an institution essential to the common good.”

The Archbishop of Agaña –whose jurisdiction encompasses Guam and other U.S. Pacific islands—also addressed the issue of the separation of Church and State in his letter, saying that “the Catholic Church has the right and duty to address moral issues in the public square.” The First Amendment of the United States Constitution, he noted, “does no more than simply forbid the establishment of the state religion.”

Archbishop Apuron closed his letter by calling on “Catholics and all others of good will to join with me in making our voices heard in the deliberations of our legislature.” He also asked Catholics to sign a petition sponsored by the archdiocese “so that those senators who desire to do the right thing for Guam will know that they are not alone.”

Archbishop Apuron’s full letter is available at: http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/...letter.pdf

Was his statements his own views or the church?

Regarding the Hilter youth, most kids in Germany were forced to join. It was the parents job to say no, but believed Hilter's promises to make it a better world for Germans. Most germans wanted what Hilter promised and supported his rise to power,only later did they realise their mistake. Sadly many millions died because of this grave error in judgement by the people, I just hope this mistake is never repeated.

[marshlander]

That brainwashed archbishop has it wrong on so many levels!

Guam Legislature “will forfeit its moral authority to continue to govern this island” if it passes a bill providing homosexual unions with the same benefits as married couples

What is this "moral authority" other than a construct of convenience for when someone without an argument cannot make their case?
The Guam Legislature will forfeit nothing if it shucks off the prejudices of the church and performs an act of human decency and fairness.

“As a bishop of the Catholic Church, I cannot remain silent about the efforts being made in the Guam Legislature

To paraphrase someone else ... Yes you can!

... which are a complete contradiction of the teaching regarding marriage that the Church has received from the Lord,” ...

Rather too much taken for granted here. A significant number of people would deny the existance of "the Lord", while still more would question the right of an imaginary being to have any say at all in the matter.

Archbishop Apuron said Bill 185 “redefines the meaning of marriage” and promotes a homosexual lifestyle. He described the legislation as “doubly destructive because it encourages a lifestyle that is intrinsically unhealthy.”

Of course it redefines marriage. It's meant to!
What life "style" is that then, I wonder. One where people who love and care about each other in a loving adult relationship can record their commitment and offer their loved one the protection that the law offers everyone else? Presumably the life "style" in which children are scared witless through emotional, physical and sexual abuses of unimaginable horror and where even the ones who are spared the crimes of the worst of the bullying have drummed into them a lifetime of guilt is somehow "intrinsically" healthier?

Sometimes it's a pity there isn't an afterlife. People displaying his degree of humanity would have fun in hell.

[Rychard the Lionheart]

The Catholic church is doing it again, this time its Argentina.

This was taken from the Catholic News Agency website today.

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct 30, 2009 / 12:52 pm (CNA).- As the Argentinean Congress prepares to debate two bills that would legalize same-sex unions, the Institute for Marriage and Family of the Catholic University of Argentina warned that these measures would result in “the redefining of marriage and thus the changing of its essence, thus affecting the common good.”

The Institute stated that marriage “is founded on the free, permanent and exclusive bond between one man and one woman.” They continued, “the human right to be married belongs to all people, but only with regards to marriage contracted between man and woman, as the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights explicitly states.”

After reaffirming that traditional marriage “is an authentic good for society,” the Institute noted that “limiting marriage to the union between man and woman is not unjust discrimination.”

The Institute also warned that the bills would allow homosexuals the chance to adopt children, which would put the interests of adults above those of the child. “Scientific studies show the importance of the presence of father and mother in child rearing,” the organization added.

The Catholic church does not like same sex marriages,it would appear that they are now using experts from a Catholic sponsered university to make their case. Who sponsered the imput by the institute?

[Mr.Dude]

Its disturbing but Im almost not surprised. I also have something of a difficult time figuring out catholics because their social politics can range so much. On the one hand they seem generally more liberal than the protestants in America but in other places they are just as hardcore traditional etc. Like I know in Malta they still hang the sheet and everything but most of the catholics Ive met have been pretty chill while the Vatican seems by and large kind of a dickish seperate entity.

[Yosuke]

That's horrible! I really can't believe an official actually said that. I mean I'm sure the official church position will be a bit kinder (in appearances at least). But yeah...if I had been raised Catholic I'd have left long ago.

It's why I'm Episcopalian. Really I have an eclectic believe system, but the Episcopals really work for me I guess *shrugs*