It looks like the four dioceses in Massachusetts aren’t going to just roll over for gay marriage (so to speak). They are re-formulating their employee policies and may even fire gay employees who get married. I know some of you will say that gays shouldn’t be on the payroll in the first place. Two problems with that. First, there is nothing wrong with a chaste homosexual trying to live according to the Church’s teaching. Two, if the person doesn’t tell you he’s gay, how are you to know?
But, if they go out and get married, that’s a whole different story. That is not someone living according to the Church’s teaching on chastity and on marriage, and they will soon be demanding employee benefits coverage for their “spouse”. And for the Church to provide material, moral, or spiritual support for such perversity would be wrong.
Of course, it’s not a done deal. There are other proposals floating around, including one that would “let employees follow their own conscienes.” You know, why do we need a Church anymore? For some people, apparently the Church is redundant since all moral teaching comes from within, that whatever somone decides is de facto moral. To their minds, the will of God does not proceed from within the heart of the Church, but from within ourselves.
Another question is what semi-independent groups like Catholic Charities will do. In fact, Catholic Charities is neither Catholic nor a charity, but is instead a quasi-independent, government-funded social services agency that is more likely to abide by government regulations than by the Church’s teachings. They may be too afraid of losing their government grants than they are of incurring God’s wrath. And then they already provide children for adoption by gay couples (and sometimes prefer it), so banning gay marriage would seem to be a conflict for them.
And, in the end, this will be decided by the courts anyway. Some gay worker will file a complaint with the ultra-liberal Mass. Commission Against Discrimination, a court case will ensue, and the judges will eventually decide that separation of church and state doesn’t apply here, surprise, surprise.
All Christian churches must retain the right to not employ those who engage in unrepentant sinful behavior. This will be an eventual Supreme Court case.
Hopefully, it will be decided like the related Dale vs. Boy Scouts case - where the Boy Scouts retains the consitutional right of free association, and may deny membership to known homosexuals and atheists (and to do right by children).
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/17/04 at 10:27 AM
Catholic schools don’t NEED a Supreme Court case. They just need to be VERY VERY careful who they hire.
It is routine at many Catholic schools (I used to work for one), to hire any warm body because the pay is so low. They have got to be careful.
Sometimes (often) someone teaches religion classes who isn’t even Catholic. It’s one of the hidden causes of the ignorance that many catholic school kids have of their own religion.
Oh yes, you’ll hear people whining about fairness and all that. But I ask you—how fair is it that the church schools have to fight labor law just to get a few classes taught?
The church needs to have about 1/10 the brains of the usual insurance agency who checks the odds of things happening BEFORE they do them.
Don’t set yourself up for disaster is good advice!!
This comment isn’t exactly on topic but when something occurs to me while reading I just need to let it out! I can no longer in good conscience reassure a woman who has decided to give her baby up for adoption that the decision may be for the best when chances are that baby will adopted by homosexuals who apparently trump heterosexual married couples. I am seeing this happen where I live.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/19/04 at 07:44 AM
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Dioceses to fire married gay employees?
It looks like the four dioceses in Massachusetts aren’t going to just roll over for gay marriage (so to speak). They are re-formulating their employee policies and may even fire gay employees who get married. I know some of you will say that gays shouldn’t be on the payroll in the first place. Two problems with that. First, there is nothing wrong with a chaste homosexual trying to live according to the Church’s teaching. Two, if the person doesn’t tell you he’s gay, how are you to know?
But, if they go out and get married, that’s a whole different story. That is not someone living according to the Church’s teaching on chastity and on marriage, and they will soon be demanding employee benefits coverage for their “spouse”. And for the Church to provide material, moral, or spiritual support for such perversity would be wrong.
Of course, it’s not a done deal. There are other proposals floating around, including one that would “let employees follow their own conscienes.” You know, why do we need a Church anymore? For some people, apparently the Church is redundant since all moral teaching comes from within, that whatever somone decides is de facto moral. To their minds, the will of God does not proceed from within the heart of the Church, but from within ourselves.
Another question is what semi-independent groups like Catholic Charities will do. In fact, Catholic Charities is neither Catholic nor a charity, but is instead a quasi-independent, government-funded social services agency that is more likely to abide by government regulations than by the Church’s teachings. They may be too afraid of losing their government grants than they are of incurring God’s wrath. And then they already provide children for adoption by gay couples (and sometimes prefer it), so banning gay marriage would seem to be a conflict for them.
And, in the end, this will be decided by the courts anyway. Some gay worker will file a complaint with the ultra-liberal Mass. Commission Against Discrimination, a court case will ensue, and the judges will eventually decide that separation of church and state doesn’t apply here, surprise, surprise.
COMMENTS
All Christian churches must retain the right to not employ those who engage in unrepentant sinful behavior. This will be an eventual Supreme Court case.
Hopefully, it will be decided like the related Dale vs. Boy Scouts case - where the Boy Scouts retains the consitutional right of free association, and may deny membership to known homosexuals and atheists (and to do right by children).
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/17/04 at 10:27 AM
Catholic schools don’t NEED a Supreme Court case. They just need to be VERY VERY careful who they hire.
It is routine at many Catholic schools (I used to work for one), to hire any warm body because the pay is so low. They have got to be careful.
Sometimes (often) someone teaches religion classes who isn’t even Catholic. It’s one of the hidden causes of the ignorance that many catholic school kids have of their own religion.
Posted by michigancatholic on 06/17/04 at 05:22 PM
Oh yes, you’ll hear people whining about fairness and all that. But I ask you—how fair is it that the church schools have to fight labor law just to get a few classes taught?
The church needs to have about 1/10 the brains of the usual insurance agency who checks the odds of things happening BEFORE they do them.
Don’t set yourself up for disaster is good advice!!
Posted by michigancatholic on 06/17/04 at 05:42 PM
This comment isn’t exactly on topic but when something occurs to me while reading I just need to let it out! I can no longer in good conscience reassure a woman who has decided to give her baby up for adoption that the decision may be for the best when chances are that baby will adopted by homosexuals who apparently trump heterosexual married couples. I am seeing this happen where I live.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/19/04 at 07:44 AM
Comments are being moderated. After you submit your comment it could take up to a couple hours, but usually only a few minutes, before it will appear. Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions, you may contact Domenico Bettinelli.