nation
Unabomber submits update to Harvard alumni book
More in nation

politics
Obama birth certificate OK'd by Arizona official
More in politics

local
Police dog finds ailing man in Lewiston
More in local

maine
No charges for passenger who caused jet diversion
More in maine

Contrary to justice

Janice David
Letters |
Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 2:02 am

As a practicing Roman Catholic, it is personally painful to publicly take issue with my church. However, when my church takes a position that is so contrary to notions of fairness and justice, I must speak out.

At this weekend's masses, Catholics will be asked to contribute monetarily to defeat Question 1, Maine's Marriage Equality Act.

I urge all thinking, open-minded Catholics not to give in to what will surely amount to be an atmosphere of peer pressure as some of their neighbors in the pews respond to the bishop's appeal.

There are many Catholics who will not lend financial support to this wrongheaded cause and who wholeheartedly support Maine's marriage equality law (and the bishop is fully aware of that).

Janice David, Farmington

More from Letters

R. Baskett: Council's decision promotes civic engagement 1
J. Grover: Religious state of Maine
M. Jalbert: Taking earmarked money 1
M. Richard: It will be up to the voters
N. Willard: Support love, not hate 20
more

Stay informed — Get the news delivered for free in your inbox.

I'm interested in ...

In order to make comments, you must verify your account.

In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.

Login or create an account here.

Our policy prohibits comments that are:

  • Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
  • Excessively foul and/or vulgar
  • Inappropriately sexual
  • Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
  • Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
  • Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.

Advertisement

Displaying comments, from newest to oldest

Nancy1's picture

Janice, I applaud you for

By Nancy1, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 16:12

Janice, I applaud you for doing what you feel in your heart is right, even if it means going against what your church dictates. Your letter shows true compassion, honesty, and bravery. To me, those attributes are worth much more than unquestioning compliance.

wjnichols's picture

Janice, You may say that you

By wjnichols, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 14:27

Janice,
You may say that you are a practicing Catholic, but you are NOT a faithful Catholic. If you understood what the Church says about what marriage really is, then you would certainly see the difference between the two. Your letter just shows a lack of knowledge of what the Church teaches and why. Why don't you pick up a catechism and read the truth instead of jumping on the PC bandwagon?

John 28's picture

Thanks jdlsst for your

By John 28, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 13:03

Thanks jdlsst for your comment. Jesus represents LOVE for ALL of HIS children, born in HIS image. For so many years the catholic church has brain washed us with lies and continues to do so. They need to go back to teaching the love of God and the kindness and good will that his only son Jesus thought us.
I pity all of your so call Christians that are such hypocrites of God Children. That includes Malone and company! He needs to be sent to Madawaska like he sent the good Fr. Mike Seavy there. His anger only separates family and friends and the many who are leaving the church.

jalbrecht1's picture
verified

Catholic Church support for

By Jonathan Albrecht, verified user — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 10:33

Catholic Church support for any political election is clearly wrong in America.
Supposedly all you have to do is read what the bible says about marriage and you'll know to oppose gay maarriage. The Catholic Church's position on sexuality is preverse to no end. Its not bible based. How can you trust the bible anyway when its been re-written so many times. In fact the version used by many evangelicals is being re-written as we write to make it more gender neutral. The bible is simply the political statement by the church at that time. After every medieval heresy, the bible was re-written by the winners to justify killing the losers. Easy to do the church had all the bibles. Worse still during the Dark Ages the church was home to every abnormal sexual practice known. So the Church had to after the Reformation clean house and at least publicaly appear homophobic. If they didn't, you would have faced the same public Church scandal as the last 20 years. The money collected by the church would have decreased. The church no longer would have been able to host married priests. Churches would have been closed. So the church invented chastity and re-wrote the bible again to proclaim that Christ was chaste.
No, the bible informs us not the least on the subject of marriage or homosexuality or any other sexual practice.
Good letter
Jon Albrecht Dixfield

Old Bill's picture

Of course, if the Catholic

By Old Bill, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 17:13

Of course, if the Catholic Church were is favor of same-sex marriage, me. Albrecht would be praising it to no end. Evidently, a church is only "good" if it conforms to his Albrecht's own views. Otherwise, the Church is an evil entitly which should be wiped off the face of the Earth! And he rails about hypocracy! BTW, just how do you justify the statement, "Worse still, during the Dark Ages the church was home to every abnormal sexual practice known." How would you know? Were you there? Where / what is your evidence? Or you just engaging in some PC church-bashing?
"The democracy will cease to exist when the government takes from those who would work and gives to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson.

concerned KD's picture

Thank you jalbrecht1- YOU

By concerned KD, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 10:37

Thank you jalbrecht1- YOU sir have hit it right on the head!!! good post..

momof4's picture

Nice jobs, Gil and Chick.

By momof4, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 10:22

Nice jobs, Gil and Chick.

gdls1's picture

Thank you, Janice, for

By gdls1, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 10:06

Thank you, Janice, for refusing to financially support the Catholic Church's campaign of intolerance and homophobia. (I truly cannot imagine the man Jesus protesting the marriage of two people of the same sex.)

jchick's picture
verified

You hit the nail on the head

By John Chick, verified user — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 09:19

You hit the nail on the head Gil.

Those of you who claim to be Catholics and/or Christians, but are in favor of gay marriage, need to pick up your bible, dust it off and read what it has to say about marriage. If you don't believe what it says then you are not a Christian, period, end of discussion.

John A. Chick

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey (January 6, 1816)

Gil's picture

Perhaps Janice does not

By Gil, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 07:55

Perhaps Janice does not understand that homosexuality is an affront to the Catholic faith and as such, gay marriage (an oxymoron) is an issue that needs to be addressed. If she and others have no problems on a religious basis with gay marriage, then they are not Catholic, and should rethink their faith. NO, I'm not Catholic, not even religious, just pointing out the painfully obvious to the painfully obtuse. As to losing tax exempt status, the church can opine all they want on how they believe and what their parishioners should be doing, as long as they do not actively raise funds themselves they are in no danger of losing their status.
"In the history of the nation, there has never been a political party so ridiculous as today's Democrats. It's as if all the brain-damaged people in America got together and formed a voting bloc." Ann Coulter

concerned KD's picture

The painfully obvious thing

By concerned KD, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 10:15

The painfully obvious thing here is the fact that admittedly from the vatican 1/3 of catholic priests are GAY. But are still allowed to carry out they're duties to the diocese. The grimm reality is that the number is probably closer to 1/2. Also doesnt include the number of lesbian nuns. The catholic church is a complete hypocracy. Do as I say not as i do. As far as funding goes, the vatican has been securing money and valuables for centuries and are sitting on an estimated 30 billion. If they were half as pure and truthfull in theyre desire to cure and feed the world sick and hungry then they should follow JESUS'S example and use some of this wealth to do so. BUT that would mean they must PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH. As far as gay marriage goes I ask those catholics who oppose. If someone does not claim to be catholic and they happen to be gay and want to get married, HOW DOES THIS EFFECT YOU? Or ask yourself are you so intolerent of anything noncatholic that rational thought escapes you. If so then wait till its your son/daughter coming home and saying IM GAY. Or worse maybe your son/daughter wouldnt face your closed mind and they would just dissappear from your life so they dont have to face you disapproval.

premarital sex is an affront to the catholic faith but jesus saw it in his heart to love/accept/forgive Mary Magdeline.
Live by the example he set forth , not the word revised and manipulated by the church.

And yes I was raised catholic, but after witnessing the corruption and the lies told to the parish I have a hard time believing in the hypocracy. I follow the book and the example set forth by jesus. Thats enough for me, I know whats on the other side (near death experience) and I know there is a place for us all there.

Mac antSaior's picture
verified

Any church that uses it's

By Douglas Mac antSaior, verified user — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 07:29

Any church that uses it's facility to attempt to raise funds to affect a vote are in danger of losing tax-exempt status.

It is the undauntable thought, my friend. The one that says, "I'm right!" ~Bobby Sands

triumph's picture

Bravo!

By triumph, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 06:16

Bravo!

R_C_G's picture

-Way to stand up for your

By R_C_G, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 05:19

-Way to stand up for your beliefs, Janice, Way to go!

Brian's picture

Right, she's a hero for

By Brian, unverified — Thu, 09/10/2009 - 07:12

Right, she's a hero for "standing up for her beliefs"? Why, because you believe the same as her? Freedom of speech only applies to the politically correct I guess?. What a country!

Advertisement

business
Oxford Casino on track to open in early June
More in business

lifestyle
Otisfield luncheon to feature apron theme
More in lifestyle

opinion
Cutting census a bad idea from a sad Congress
More in opinion

sports
Softball: Hornet rally past Raiders
More in sports