Australia is looking into requiring Catholic priests to break the seal of confession in cases of serious sex offenses. The Irish government was discussing this very thing recently.
Obviously, this kind of thing is more than distressing to most Catholics. But governmental intrusion into Church affairs is nothing new.
But there’s been a lot of talk recently that Catholics should have no concerns whatsoever with marriage becoming a civil right because the separation of Church and state will protect us.
Ironically, those who scream loudest about the separation of church and state can sometimes be its most vociferous opponents. Fairfield University religious studies professor Paul Lakeland recently argued that one can be in favor of civil gay marriage while being against sacramental gay marriage. He said state sanctioned marriage has nothing to do with the sacrament of marriage and that the bishops have no more authority than you or me when they voice their opinion on civil marriage because they are speaking about a state issue.
Yet this very same professor also supported legislation in Connecticut that would have forcibly placed parish finances under the control of elected lay boards.
You see, separation of Church and state is not only a one-way street, it’s been weaponized and aimed directly at the Church.
December 5, 2012 at 11:59 pm
I suppose that not even many Catholics understand that no priest will grant absolution in such a case until the perp has turned himself in. Ignorant people think of the Sacrament as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
— Mack
December 6, 2012 at 2:05 am
being one that wasn't allowed to be married in the Catholic church, this is crying wolf. The church chooses who to marry, BUT, they should have no power over civil marriage. You SSM opponents will not brag about your positions to your grandkids in 20 years.
Who was the guy that got Rosa Parks arrested for not giving up her seat? Crickets… His family doesn't brag.
Rover
December 6, 2012 at 7:30 pm
The point made about the man who got Rosa Parks arrested is an interesting point. I agree that Church and state need to be separated, and that should mean it goes both ways. "Weaponized" is the perfect way to put it.
December 6, 2012 at 9:14 pm
The human beings' souls are made in the image of God. The rest, skin, hair color, height, weight are called accidents. So Rosa Parks was black by accident. SSM CHOOSE, use an act of the will, the free will, endowed to them by God, their Creator, to choose to violate the graciousness of God with ingratitude and disgrace. Civil rights are granted to all human beings. Those who choose to violate their nature and their nature's God, do so at their own risk, not to be aided and abetted by the state.
December 7, 2012 at 1:00 am
Rover, your side's not going to have grandkids.
And you atheists think you know so much science—well please, thinktank, tell me one species where family groups ever have same-sex alpha pairs.
If you don't understand why that's relevant, that's just you admitting you don't actually know what marriage is, from an ethological standpoint.
December 7, 2012 at 2:22 am
Thank you Sophia. Let's pray for these perfidious atheists. Atheists typically don't have children anyway. The worst murderers in history were atheists.