Chicago-Area Bishops Spent Money Fighting Maine Gay Marriage

Chicago Catholic News:

As Maine voters decided this past week to overturn their state's controversial same-sex marriage law, they had a little help from several Chicago-area bishops.

Read the whole story: Chicago Catholic News

Comments

[neurologymatters]

Marriage-one man, one woman-as many times as you want if you pay for an annullment.

[dans5843]

Why don't they concentrate on pedipile priests?

[jsgaetano]

The Chicago Archdiocese is the main reason I'm a non-practicing Catholic, and an undecided atheist.

So, um, congrats on that, guys, keep it up. Because I know for a fact I'm not the only one.

[CJ1]

Me, too!...and the Catholic nonprofit I worked for in chi-town is the main reason I left the midwest. Talk about cloaking immorality with religion..­.!

[scruffy51]

Pull their tax exempt status immediately. The IRS should start taking stunts like this by churches more seriously

[Cogs]

Opposing civil unions has nothing to do with protecting the sacrament of marriage. The bishops sent a message that they support discrimination.

[TMc73]

The Church (Catholic) or any other 'religion' has every right to deny the sacrament of marriage to same sex couples if they believe that to do so would be 'immoral'.

However their right to do so exists ONLY within the confines of their congregation and does not extend to that of the general public at large. To extend their influenece by donating money to legislative efforts to deny same sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples is unethical and violates the seperation of church and state.

There needs to be a focused drive in every state to create 'civil unions' which would extend the rights and priviliges of 'marriage' to both homo and heterosexual couples equally. If an individual Church decides that they want to choose and inforce bigotry and intolerence by not acknowledging same sex marriages (religious ceremonies) then that is their perogative. However, in doing so they would only expose themselves for what they really are...hypo­critical bigots.

[Crass Innuendo]

Retroactive and full taxation of all religious organisations now.

[Gatorgal]

I am so happy to know that the Chicago area has no social problems the local Catholic Bishops need to spend money on. So pleased the soup kitchens and homeless shelters have no need for $7000.

[VOTER]

BINGO!

[TMc73]

Exactly!

I have seen numerous news stories over the past few months that demand for assistance from local food pantries is way up while supplies are dwindling.

Leave it to the Church to run in the opposite direction when it comes to making the hard decision.

[niws]

Let them all ban gay marriage, then the churches will lose their tax exempt status for being an exclusive organization.

They may need bigger donation baskets to hand out soon.

[brklynivn]

Let's see if they'll fight equally hard for universal healthcare, you know something that is supposed to be a Catholic value...

[mostly amused]

Please report them to the IRS with this form:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf

[JStading]

Religious organizations have devolved in many cases into nothing more than aggressive PACs. There needs to be (but obviously will never be) two major reforms - first, whenever religious organizations bankroll political movements, there must be open disclosure. Essentially, apply the normal campaign finance laws (e.g. "This ad is brought to you by X Religious Group for Anti-Gay Laws") to religious organizations. Second, actually tax organizations that function like a PAC. Strike that - tax all religious organizations, I'm yet to understand why they get a pass.

[Hope not Hate]

The IRS needs to investigate and revoke their tax exempt status.

The fact that they are tax exempt nonprofit violates the separation of Church and State.