Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Vowed

I was listening to this This American Life episode while folding the never-ending pile of laundry and one of the stories was about a Catholic priest who ended up filling in for parishes that lost their monk or priest due to scandal. This inadvertent career path completely changed his life as he learned about the church's involved history of scandal cover-ups and how many of his fellow priests were unable or unwilling to uphold their vows of chastity.

And I got to thinking--the Catholic church should go ahead and shut the heck up with any official stance on gay marriage. If anyone wants to squawk about the sanctity of marriage, it shouldn't be an organization that supports and protects priests who can't uphold their own vows to God.

So potentially pledging your wedding vows in front of someone that doesn't honor his own vows doesn't threaten the sanctity of marriage, but 2 people of the same sex sharing a last name and some legal rights does?

The whole "sanctity of marriage" argument is asinine. The only threats to the sanctity of marriage come from the 2 people involved in that marriage. Marriage as an institution isn't doing so hot on its own accord, I doubt the gays will screw things up much more than everyone else already has.

And I'm giving the church a break on the horrors of the pedophilia-related scandals for this post (and this post only) because even if you generalize that into not being able to honor their own vow of chastity, the level of hypocrisy is absurd!

The Catholic church needs a makeover in a major way and some empathy, acceptance and compassion for others would go far.

12 comments:

Jennifer said...

I think gay people should definitely be allowed to get married. Why shouldn't they be "as lucky" as the rest of us? They should have to have kids, a mortgage, pay taxes, work their tails off, clean a toilet, feed a dog, all the joys everyone else has!!! And you're right, it's not like of "heterosexuals" have did such a wonderful bang up job of upholding the sanctity of marriage that a few more can't join the club!!!

Ellie Di said...

Have I told you lately how much I heart you? Cos it's a lot. <3

Lin said...

Nicely said, I agree.

MBen said...

That is my favorite sign ever! We went to my in-laws church briefly after my husband and I were first married, and I finally couldn't take it anymore, because every other week the pastor (not a Catholic church, but still...) would talk about how "the homosexuals" (and yes, he used air quotes!) were threatening marriage, morals, and all kinds of other crap.

S.T.M. said...

Amen sister!

Preppy Pink Crocodile said...

Did you hear the comment from one of the Pope's peeps the other day that the priest scandals had nothing to do with homosexuality and only to do with pedophilia. Sick! So where in the Bible does it say hurt people and judge people and hate people?

Hippie at Heart said...

I'm with EllieDi on this one, Have I told you lately that I love you? I could not have agreed with you more. It takes a lot to make my cold heart weepy but I teared up the other day when I read your post about Big Kid's principal. Still gives me chill bumps just thinking about it.

I am co-leader of my daughter's Girl Scout troop & we have a mom who is die-hard Catholic. There are no words to describe her level of religious crazy. She is so extreme that she doesn't let her boys play with regular boy toys, they have to play with Jesus action figures (who knew those existed?). I'm not going to get into the fact that her children are the rudest, most hateful, disrespectful children I've ever met but I will say this, she is pulling her daughter out of our Girl Scout troop because of the Planned Parenthood/UN scandal.

When she told me that she was pulling her out because of this & that she didn't like knowing that her money was going to an organization that supports this type of behavior I was stunned. Before I contain myself I asked "Well, are you going to stop going to the Catholic church as well because the money you give them goes to pay for the legal defense for child molesters & restitution for the victims?" She gave me some big run around without actually answering my question so I just walked away. I couldn't handle it anymore. Hypocrisy just gets under my skin.

And for the record, the only money that we give the actual Girl Scout organization is the $12 fee when we register. The rest of the money we collect goes directly to OUR troop. I offered to pay her daughter's registration fee so that HER money (they're millionaires, BTW) wouldn't go to "the devil" but she declined. Hypocritical bitch. She may think that her doing this shows what a staunch Catholic she is but I think it makes her look like a damn fool.

alexandra said...

you always seem to make the best points on this/similar topics. love that poster too! :)

Anonymous said...

Amen!

librarytigger said...

They can't deny them the right to get married and then complain about their "lifestyle". If anything, having to work so hard to get married would ADD some bonus points to the institution.

SkitzoLeezra said...

The current Catholic leadership is showing amazing arrogance with their lack of consideration, remorse or responsibility. Their self important hubris would be entertaining if it weren't so damned sad.

Martha said...

Okay, I've only recently found you, but I loved you instantly with your stories of crazy bus stop Mom.

Now? I love you even more. I couldn't have said it better myself.

No....I really couldn't have. I'm not a very good writer.

xoxox,
martha