US groups denounce Vatican's gay edict

[Thom Little]

US gay rights advocates have denounced a Vatican edict banning anyone with homosexual tendencies from entering the Roman Catholic priesthood.

A Catholic group that campaigned for tolerance of homosexuals said, however, the instruction handed down by Pope Benedict XVI damaged the Church and would hamper the recruitment of new priests.

"It is demeaning not only to gay priests and seminarians, but to the entire Catholic community who deserve much more informed teaching from their leaders," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of the New Ways Ministry.

.......

"The Catholic Church is showing an aversion to both the teachings of Christ and science," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese.


http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/us-groups-denounce-vaticans-gay-edict/2005/11/24/1132703284305.html

[Erika]

1. An earlier poster said the Catholic Church now = the taliban

Ratzinger has taken a hard right turn again as they did when they backed Hitler and the Nazis. Hitler also hated and persecuted the gays.

[Kralizec]

2. I used to be a Catholic. Now I am glad I am one of the few who escaped.

REALLY, really, glad.

[Barkley]

7. Me too. I don't even miss it

They're deliberately confusing homosexuality with pediphilia (sp); it makes it sound like they're doing something about their problem...

The "crime" wasn't just the abuse of children but the systematic cover-up by the Church.

This latest edict does nothing to address that systematic disfunction.
If anything it tends to keep sex and sexuality more hidden.

[Boomer]

12. More than just a few

Believe me, you have PLENTY of company.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[buddysmellgood]

The Catholic church cannot afford to be turning anyone away who wants

to be a priest.

[Streetdoc270]

5. Who are we do deny those who God calls to the Priesthood

It should be plain as day to the priests in the Vatican. God calls those to His service. If God calls a gay man to the priesthood than how can we deny that calling?

[buddysmellgood]

6. or a woman. The church should be letting women be priests not banning

men.

[JVS]

8. That's not how the Vatican operates!

I think the official line of argument is "We are the One True Church with the Apostolic line going back to Peter and what we say goes. BTW we're always right too, so quitcherbitchin"

[buddysmellgood]

4. The Catholic church cannot afford to be turning anyone away who wants

to be a priest.

[cassiepriam]

9. Organized religion is bringing so much pain and bloodshed to the world.

If there is a God, would s/he want all of this evil to be happening?

[IndianaGreen]

10. Marx was right about religion being the drug of choice for the masses

Considering the bigotry and intolerance of the Vatican towards gays, women, and liberals in general, should we have 5 Catholics in the Supreme Court?

We already have 4 Catholics in SCOTUS (Scalis, Thomas, Kennedy, Roberts), we don't need another one!

[cassiepriam]

11. It is the american taliban. We will all be wearing burkas soon.

[Boomer]

13. We have a choice. Use it.

I had the freedom to walk away from the Catholic church, and I did.

There are many denominations -- such as the Unitarians -- that offer a humane and Christian approach to life and love. Beats me why anyone with a deep calling to serve would do so for masters who despise them.

[cassiepriam]

14. I left the church a long time ago, when they bashed birth control/abortion

I am done with man made religion.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Jesus would not have been welcomed by the Vatican or by Pat Robertson

What we got here are Christians, not followers of Jesus!

[Boomer]

17. All too true

Which is why I'm always amazed at this stubborn loyalty to the institutions proclaiming Christianity rather than to the spirit of the message itself.

Whatever people are seeking in the church seems to have less to do with spiritual philosophy and much more to do with worldly concerns of belonging or simply following orders.

It also reveals that people will follow the teachings of Christ if they think some authoritarian, omnipotent being says to do so, not because they have faith in the intrinsic qualities of good in the teachings themselves. The word must be declared sacred, rather than wise.

[ninkasi]

18. You're right, IG

Jesus himself would be persecuted by the very people who claim to be his followers. For far too many people world-wide, religion is nothing but a way to practice bigotry and hatred, by cloaking it as being divinely inspired.

As far as gays, since sexual preference is something the vast majority of people are born with, why would god...ANY god...hate his own creations? It's so sad, that what could be used as a force to unite people in love and compassion, instead unites to practice hatred and prejudice.

[twenty4blackbirds]

16. I'm surprised...

I'd thought they would ask the same 3-year stand down (refrain from practicing their sexual preference) of heterosexual candidates. Haven't seen anything about _that_.