The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it would be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn’t change a proposed same-sex marriage law. This threat could affect tens of thousands of people the Church helps with adoption, homelessness, and health care.
Does this strike anyone else as a little tone-deaf and not entirely in the spirit of goodness, angels, Christmas miracles, and all of that?
The Church’s complaint centers on a new city ordinance that would require religious organizations to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals.
The Church is threatening to end its financial and managerial assistance to tens of thousands of impoverished DC citizens (presumably its congregants) because Church officials may no longer be permitted to discriminate with impunity against a specific segment of the city’s population.
Again, doesn’t this strike you as just a little bit mean, regardless of how yucky they find gay people to be? Doesn’t the collateral damage from this decision (hungry children, closed homeless shelters, and a decrease in health services to older people) seem like less than a measured response?
A little harsh even?
The equivalent of fire-bombing an entire city to destroy one bullet factory?
And in the same week that the Church throws its hissy fit comes news of ten-year-old William Phillips, who has defied school policy by refusing to pledge allegiance to the flag as a means of protesting the illegality of gay marriage, stating, “I really don’t feel that there’s currently liberty and justice for all.”
How does one kid get it while so many do not?
