Catholic bishop wants to enforce religious dogma on the public

Thomas Wenski is the bishop of the Orlando, Florida diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. It is not surprising that he is opposed to same-sex marriage. That is his right. Unfortunately, like most Roman Catholic prelates, he believes it is also his right to force his religious dogma upon all Americans.

Wenski claims that the decision of the California Supreme Court allowing same-sex marriages in that state was an "example of raw judicial activism." He says he is not bigoted or homophobic and that to oppose same-sex marriages in California and elsewhere is not to be "bigoted," or "homophobic." He doesn't explain what else it could be, however, other than false piety.

Redefining the legal definition of marriage, which he says is the result of the California ruling, means that "proponents of 'gay marriage' are in effect imposing their views and lifestyle on the larger populace..."

Exactly how do they do that? According to the bishop "the state's coercive power will punish those who refuse to embrace gay marriages."

Actually, the good bishop is full of horse-hockey! First of all, gays are not "imposing their views and lifestyle on the larger populace." Not one single person in California or Florida is required to engage in gay marriage or even like gay marriage! Nor is the "coercive power" of the state to be implemented against "those who refuse to embrace gay marriages."

It is true, that civil servants will be required to do their jobs, even if their duties conflict with their religious beliefs. But that's always been true. Many courthouse clerks across the country have been in fundamental religious disagreement with persons they have married. They will, in fact, be required to officiate same-sex marriages whether they agree with them or not. No biggie. Public service is bound by the Constitution, not religious doctrine!

Then the bishop goes off the deep-end. He claims "Public schools will be required to teach their [same-sex marriages] acceptability to children whether parents concur or not." More horse-hockey. Public schools should teach that discrimination is always wrong, no matter the reason, but no state is going to require its schools to teach anything about the acceptability or unacceptability of any marriage. Perhaps the bishop has confused public with parochial schools?

Even if that were true, all the bishops need to do is build more Roman Catholic schools for their little Catholics and the problem is solved. The bishop and his ilk can teach how homosexuals are sinful and bad people to their heart's content.

Furthermore, says the bishop, "Marriage has been primarily about the raising of children, who seem to be hardwired to be best raised by a father and a mother who are married to each other." Maybe. But these days, marriage is often not about the raising of children. Furthermore, with over 50% of all marriages ending in divorce, children are often left to be raised by one of the divorcing parents. The bishop also conveniently fails to mention our increasing propensity for serial marriages where children are raised by one or more step-parents during their growing-up years.

There is no evidence whatsoever that a same-sex couple cannot raise a child as well as a male/female couple. In fact, the evidence supports the idea that a same-sex couple can do just as well or better than the traditional father/mother combination. It's all about love, you see.

It is possible the bishop, being a bishop, is still confused about sexuality and refuses to accept the findings of science that homosexuality is not a choice. Homosexuality, to use his own phrase, is "hardwired," most scientists agree, at birth.

But then he comes to the crux of it. The Roman Catholic Church is the repository of "truth," and as such can determine which activities should be lawful in a society and which should not. "Truth is not constructed, but received and thus must reflect the reality of things." So the bishop quotes Genesis 1:27 as if that says it all, when it really doesn't say anything to people who are not biblical literalists and who live in the 21st century.

Objective truth (the truth "received" by the RC Church) is not invented, like the "truth" of the proponents of same-sex marriage, says the bishop. The latter truth would lead to tyranny, says the bishop.

Which means further that same-sex marriage will devalue all marriages "with terrible consequences to society."

Please! If there is any organization down through history that has ruled its people "tyrannically," it is the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, in every instance where the Roman Catholic Church gained political control, tyranny was the order of the day!

Today, this religious body, one of the most corrupt organizations on the face of the earth, with its claims of "received truth," is fighting same-sex marriage by raising the straw man called "devaluation" of all marriages.

Jesus, of course, said nothing about homosexuality. Essentially, the biblical justification for opposing homosexuality comes from the "Old" Testament. Again, how can a church justify using one verse from the Bible while ignoring a multitude of other verses? More importantly, why should a secular state base its laws upon ancient religious texts from one particular group--the ancient Israelites? Which raises another fascinating question: Why would a Roman Catholic bishop insist on following ancient Hebraic laws when he represents a Christian church for which St. Paul said, the "law" is no more?


For most people, same-sex marriage is a civil matter. No church has anything to say about it. Marriage is between two people who love each other. The church doesn't "marry" anybody, it merely "blesses" the covenant two people have made. And I don't want to hear about the "sacrament" stuff; that's merely more RC dogma. The "sacrament" is the covenant. Nor does the state "marry" anybody; it merely gives legal sanction to a covenant between two people.

It's about time the Roman Church (as well as all the other fundamentalist churches) stop trying to enforce their moribund and morbid religious dogmas on all the people of the United States!