"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds

"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg

"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"

“If I hear ‘not allowed’ much oftener,” said Sam, “I’m going to get angry.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings

Friday, May 27, 2011

Morally Bankrupt

That would be the Catholic Diocese of Rockford:

Officials from the Rockford Diocese, which includes Aurora, Kane County and much of Kendall County, said they were forced to terminate state contracts worth $7.5 million after lawmakers failed to pass an amendment exempting religious groups from provisions of the state’s new civil unions law. . . .

Catholic Charities wanted to be allowed to refer unmarried or gay couples to other agencies, as it has for years.

Diocese officials said that allowing such adoptions or foster placements would violate teachings of the Catholic faith.

“The law of our land has always guaranteed its people freedom of religion,” diocese spokeswoman Penny Wiegert said. “Denying this exemption to faith-based agencies leads one to believe that our lawmakers prefer laws that guarantee freedom from religion.”


First off, the Diocese was not "forced" to terminate their state contracts -- they chose to do so rather than comply with civil law in return for tax money. And no one's forcing the Church to change its doctrine -- it's just being forbidden to enforce it on the state.

And notably absent in all this pouting is any concern for the welfare of the children, who I think would be much better off in homes with parents who really want them and are willing to work very hard at being good parents than left to the tender mercies of the Catholic hierarchy.

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