Comments on: Bishops renew opposition to gay marriage as it is not "faithful, exclusive or lasting"

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Don't waste time writing about the bishops. As they say, there's no fool like an old fool

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By: Del

Del — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:26:02 +0000

And we find us complementary. This church needs to get in touch with reality!

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By: Del

Del — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:23:10 +0000

My husband and I are happily married, going on thirteen wonderful years, legally married five years. Exclusive, Faithful and Long Lasting!

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By: Derek

Derek — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:30:41 +0000

"movements fighting for real democracy… Sinn Féin in Ireland"

Oh, you mean the political wing of the Provisional IRA? Sure, great people for democracy they are Bill. Here's a ferw additions to their slogans "Vote for us, or we'll knee-cap you!", or how about "We rob banks, so no donations necessary", or even "Sinn Fein do not discriminate: we kill everyone equally"

Get real.

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By: Bill Perdue, RainbowRED

Bill Perdue, RainbowRED — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:03:49 +0000

Roman catholic cultists and their cousins the anglicans are digging their own grave. These retards don’t realize that, in the EU and North America at least, public sentiment on the question of same sex marriage is slowly but surely swinging our way. Recent polls in the US and the Republic of Ireland clearly demonstrate this trend as does the Norwegians decision to validate same sex marriage, lesbian reproductive rights and GLBT adoption rights.

These cultists are like chickens with their heads cut off: they’re very dim and it takes them awhile to figure out they’re dead. Nevertheless, supported at every turn by conservatives and rightists, the cults remain a formidable enemy. Their combined political and religious influence in Europe, the Americas and elsewhere makes them the primary enemy of the GLBT communities. It’s their sermons, combined with reggae hate music and the bigotry of some muslim leaders that encourage skinheads and other goons in their murderous rampages.

For now the bishop’s bigotry is confined to propaganda and opposition to our democratic rights like same sex marriage, adoption, lesbian reproductive rights and stringent hate crime and hate speech laws. This is very much like the anti-Semitism these bigoted bishops and their conservative political supporters fanned against Jews in pre-Hitlerian Europe. What we have to keep in mind is that their bigotry, in periods of social unrest, can abruptly turn very dangerous as they seek groups to scapegoat. Ask the Jews. Ask African Americans.

The bishops don’t have the same power to kill us as the homicidal ayatollahs of Iran but they absolutely have the same intent to harm us. To thwart them we have to reach out and build alliances with other movements fighting for real democracy, the antiwar movement, trade unions, the feminist movement, national independence movements and the socialist movement. Labour parties and left leaning independence movements are among out best supporters. The PSOE in Spain, Sinn Féin in Ireland, Labour parties in many countries, and the Parti Socialiste in France are all examples of parties trying to reach out to the GLBT communities and who support our equality agenda

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By: Erroll Clements

Erroll Clements — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:29:28 +0000

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!The Catholic Church is anything but an example, how many cases have there been recently of priests fiddling with little children! They don't believe in contraception, meanwhile Aids is rife and being spread more and more by the churches ignorance. Life in the modern world is nothing but a constant battle with endless stress, surely every person is entitled to some happiness what ever it is and what ever their sex, colour, religion? A christian view the church should be taking, instead of being two faced bigots!

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By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:53:53 +0000

Oh dear! When is this old fool going to shut up going on and on about the same tired boring thing? He's like a stuck record. Don't they say the most vocal have something to hide?

As for not faithful or lasting. I don't know a lot of gay people as I'm not totally out but I know at least two couples who have been in a monogamous relationship for a number of years. One 25 the other 15….how many straight couples last that long?

And isn't Matt Lucas and partner the first 'gay divorce' since civil partnerships were made legal by the government? Not bad really!

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By: Peter Rivendell

Peter Rivendell — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:07:13 +0000

'Lasting' I think we're safe on – I wouldn't care to argue the other two…

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By: Cal

Cal — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:42:29 +0000

I've always found it hideously unjust how a religious institution sees fit to comment on the welcome advancements of a progressive society from the disproportionate perspective of some mad Abrahamic beardy-weardy. Either move with the times, or allow people to come to terms with the fact that there is no point to religion beyond basest opportunism and fear-mongering.

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By: Gerhard

Gerhard — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:56:02 +0000

Unfortunately lots of people care about what these people think. Lots of even gay catholic people. I am afraid there will be never any change in narrowmindedness and ignorance of the catholic church in this point…

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By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:50:02 +0000

My partner and I have been together for 17 years. Some friends of ours have been together over 20 years. That's better than lot of my heterosexual college friends have done. Probably 50% of them married and were divorced within 10 years or less after graduating and marrying.

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By: David S

David S — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:54:29 +0000

Does anybody care about what these people think anymore? Does it matter? Is it even worth even reporting on?

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By: Pete and Michael

Pete and Michael — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:54:06 +0000

Being in a monagamous relationship for 25 years, two and a half years of these in a Civil Partnership, we beg to differ!!
Peter and Michael

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By: Pete and Michael

Pete and Michael — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:51:08 +0000

Having been in a monogamous relationship for 25 years, civil partnership of nearly two and a half years, we beg to differ!
Peter and Michael

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By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:46:06 +0000

"It [marriage] is oriented towards the sharing of their lives and the support they will give each other, and also towards the creation of new human beings as the fruit of their love."

Well now Papa Ratzi….lets look at the last line of your statement. In your narrow definition of relationships, about which you have no moral authority to pronounce judgement based on your lack of personal experience….I will reiterate my recommendations to you and your cult as to how you should apply your version of marriage in keeping with that last line and official church dogma.

1. Institute a fertility test for all catholic hetero couples who want a religious marriage ceremony. If one or both fail, banish them to civil marriage in the local registrar's office of town hall

2. Ban all fertile hetero couples who have no intention of having children.

3. Refuse the sacraments to single parents, widows, widowers and those couples who have children but choose not to marry and in most cases you could also excommunicate them since they're ignoring church teaching and not playing by your distorted, antiquated rules devised by men, the majority of whom have no experience of relationships or intimacy. If I were religious and married, a catholic priest would be the last person I'd go to for guidance or advice on how to mend my my marriage, let alone improve it. Yours is a morally bankrupt institution.

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By: William - Dublin

William - Dublin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:01:17 +0000

Not "faithful, exclusive or lasting"????

How offensive and ill-informed these fools are. I would gladly pitch my relationship with my partner against any straight one on those three grounds! By their logic, straight marriage is faithful then? Really. Haven't hey seen the divorce figures? Don't they read about all the infidelity in "dear John" columns and newspapers? Don't they see charities full of women in "lasting" marriages with black eyes caused by the abuses of their "faithful" husbands?

If gay relationships work under this constant bile and STILL survive despite it, then I put to the bishops that we endure more then any straight relationship will ever have to. And that makes us that bit better, your "holiness".

I suppose its difficult for the catholic bishops to understand when its clear from their actions that they are never faithful to the children they abuse.

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