SoulSense is an occasional feature here at Sensus Fidelium that acknowledges our desire to marry action and activism with contemplation. Listening and responding to our soul hunger strengthens our witness in a world waiting for justice.
LISTEN WITH THE EAR OF YOUR HEART (St. Benedict of Nissa)
There’s been a lot of advice lately for Cardinal Francis George of Chicago to listen. In the wake of his demeaning and demonizing suggestion that the gay community might be morphing into another KKK, folks within the Catholic church have been calling him to task: Cardinal, listen to the voices of LGBT Catholics in Chicagoland. Listen to their stories of exclusion. Listen to their stories of love. Listen, also, to voices from afar, like that of Frank Mugisha in Uganda, who gives the world courageous account of the violent, oppressive actions against LGBT persons in that country.
Will the Cardinal listen to the clarion call to listen? Some of us have a pretty cynical answer to that question, but any of us can only hope. In the meantime, we have every opportunity to practice what we preach. While we go about the crucial work of speaking our truth to power, we commit also to the work of fine-tuning our own ability to listen well – to the still, small voice of the Spirit within, to the voice of God as she speaks through the natural creation, to that same voice spoken through other persons.
It’s an art, listening. And most of us are pretty sloppy artists. But here’s a quick refresher, gleaned from a TED talk by author Julian Treasure. He offers a simple acronym for our daily challenge to listen well to persons with whom we're in conversation:
RASA – the Sanskrit word for “essence,” as in “the essence of good communication and relationship is the ability to truly listen.”
R = RECEIVE, as in ‘pay attention to the person’
A = APPRECIATE, as in ‘making little noises such as “mm, oh, ok, uh huh....”
S = SUMMARIZE: as in using the word ‘So, ...‘ Understanding is crucial.
A = ASK, as in ‘ask questions afterwards’
We ask our fellow Catholics to listen to the stories of their LGBT sisters and brothers.
We ask church leaders to listen.
And, hopefully, we’re asking ourselves to listen consciously, intentionally. To listen consciously is to begin living fully.
--Jim Smith, Coordinator of parish inreach, C4ME
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Courageous Conversations
Exciting challenges ahead by evidence of the previous post at Sensus Fidelium. In a Minnesota Public Radio feature, the Catholic siblings of a lesbian in a committed relationship weigh in on the upcoming marriage amendment vote. Here at Catholics for Marriage Equality, we're not too surprised that these siblings land differently, one from another. The family appears tightly knit, and the gay sister and her partner seem well accepted by all. But when it comes to supporting sis with a NO vote next November, the sibs offer a less clear picture, with one sibling ready with a bold NO, while others sit on the fence.
Proves we cannot take our loved ones and their opinions for granted. Challenges all of us to have those courageous conversations with parents, siblings, in-laws, adult nieces and nephews, and good friends. Encourages us to tell them why marriage matters to us as an inclusive institution, and how same-sex love equally and uniquely reveals the face of God.
Blessings on your courageous conversations!
– Posted by Jim Smith, coordinator of parish inreach, C4ME
Proves we cannot take our loved ones and their opinions for granted. Challenges all of us to have those courageous conversations with parents, siblings, in-laws, adult nieces and nephews, and good friends. Encourages us to tell them why marriage matters to us as an inclusive institution, and how same-sex love equally and uniquely reveals the face of God.
Blessings on your courageous conversations!
– Posted by Jim Smith, coordinator of parish inreach, C4ME
Friday, December 23, 2011
Catholic Family with Lesbian Sister Weighs Marriage Amendment
By Sasha Aslanian
Note: This story was first published December 23, 2011, by Minnesota Public Radio. To listen to this story, click here.
St. Paul, Minn. — In the 16 years since Eileen Scallen called to say she was bringing a girlfriend home for a school reunion, her five brothers and sisters have become accustomed to having a gay sibling.
Scallen had made a comfortable life for herself in San Francisco, and at 36 was a law professor. On a trip home to Minnesota, she met and fell in love with Marianne Norris, a former nun and the mother of two grown daughters and then a high school principal.
She later moved back to Minneapolis to live with Norris, who her siblings now consider one of the family.
But Scallen worries that their loyalty to her may only go so far. She fears they won't understand her opposition to proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. Accepting a gay sibling and her partner is one thing, but agreeing that they should have the right to marry — an idea Scallen said goes to the heart of her most important relationship — is a much bigger step.
"The fact that they might not honor that, and I might find out, is really painful," Scallen said.
Minnesota already has a law on the books defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Supporters of the amendment, which will be on the ballot in November, say that unless the state's constitution is changed, gay rights advocates will continue their push for a law that legalizes same-sex marriage.
Polls vs. family ties
According to a recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, in 2010, 46 percent of Catholics support gay marriage while 42 percent are opposed. Polls show that Minnesotans are evenly split on the issue, which likely will divide some families.
That's a concern that Scallen has long struggled with. In 1999, as she and Norris planned a commitment ceremony at Norris' home, they worried that Scallen's siblings might react.
"I was struggling because I knew my brothers and sisters were not ready," Scallen said. "They were not ready for that."
So the two women held a private ceremony, without their families. It was just the two of them, and a friend who witnessed the event.
"We wrote our own vows and we had our own ritual," Scallen recalled. "I sobbed through the whole thing, so I was grateful no one else was there. It was so emotional and so meaningful."
As meaningful as the ceremony was to them, it didn't give them the legal protections of marriage. They've drawn up wills and health directives to protect the one who outlives the other. But Scallen is quick to point out that they can't write up contracts to give themselves the rights a married couple has. They can't sue for wrongful death, or receive survivor's benefits from Social Security.
Their inability to marry led Morris to give up her teaching job at Hastings College of Law in San Francisco.
When the two met, Norris was near retirement in Minnesota and more financially vulnerable if she were uprooted.
"If we had been able to get married, I wouldn't have had to leave Hastings," said Scallen, now a law professor at William Mitchell College of Law. "I wouldn't have had to leave San Francisco because Marianne could have had my pension.
"If something had happened to me, she could have had my benefits and so it wouldn't have been a problem."
For Scallen, the issue is about whether they agree the couple's relationship should be entitled to the same legal status enjoyed by straight couples. Although she has talked to her brother and sisters about her relationship, she hasn't discussed the amendment with them and is not sure she can count on them to vote against it.
As Catholics who grew up in Annunciation parish in South Minneapolis in the 1950s and 60s, the Scallens were taught that homosexuality is a sin. All are practicing Catholics and aware that the church's leaders in Minnesota have made passage of the amendment a political priority.
But Scallen's siblings are wrestling with the issue.
Her oldest brother Tommy, an events promoter in downtown Minneapolis, is a practicing Catholic, but plans to vote against the marriage amendment
"I want my sister to be happy," he said. "If two people want to make this commitment and they're serious about it and they go ahead and do it, you know, so be it. Fine. Success! It's a tough road. I want to see people happy, don't want to dictate how they live their lives."
Sheila Gregory, the second oldest of the Scallen siblings, lives in Edina and isn't sure how she's going to vote.
Still, last fall, when Gregory received a DVD the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis mailed to Catholics urging them to vote to protect traditional marriage, she didn't watch it.
"I got it and I just thought, 'No, I'm not even going to look at it," Gregory said. "I figured it might upset me that the church has come down with such a harsh opinion. I mean these are people that just want to live their lives."
Next in the birth order is Patrick Scallen, another attorney in the family. He bought the Scallen ancestral home in Minneapolis from the family's late mother, and attends Annunciation Church, the parish where they all grew up.
Like Gregory, Patrick doesn't yet know how he'll vote on the amendment. He's struggling between what he's seen of his sister's relationship with Norris, and the position of Catholic leaders.
"If the church says, 'This is the way,' I generally want to believe that and toe the line," Patrick Scallen said. "But there are some issues, and this is probably one of them, that bear more thought."
The youngest sister, Maureen Scallen Failor, of Bloomington, describes herself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal.
"Will I vote? I honestly can't say one way," she said. "I'm almost a point to not vote just to make a statement that government has no place in this. That's kind of where my position is at."
Scallen Failor knows if she leaves the question blank, it will count as a no vote and support her sister's position. It would be her way of protesting the issue being on the ballot. Archbishop John Nienstedt has made passage of the marriage amendment a top political priority. Scallen Failor sees it differently.
"Right now I'm not really happy with the Catholic Church," she said. "However, that is where I find my God. So I kind of put the institution of the religion to the side."
Scallen Failor's twin, Tim Scallen, declined to comment. He said he preferred to keep his views private, but loves and supports his sister.
For those keeping a tally, Eileen Scallen has one sibling who will vote with her against the amendment. Two say they don't know which way they'll vote. And one might not even vote on the amendment.
But without hesitation, they all agree one thing: If their sister could marry her partner, they'd be there.
"With bells on," Scallen Failor said. "She was there for my wedding. She was my maid of honor. Absolutely."
(NOTE: To hear more Catholics sharing their perspective on the marriage amendment, click here for Catholics for Marriage Equality MN's video series.)
Image: Eileen Scallen and Marianne Norris. (MPR Photo/Sasha Aslanian)
Note: This story was first published December 23, 2011, by Minnesota Public Radio. To listen to this story, click here.
St. Paul, Minn. — In the 16 years since Eileen Scallen called to say she was bringing a girlfriend home for a school reunion, her five brothers and sisters have become accustomed to having a gay sibling.Scallen had made a comfortable life for herself in San Francisco, and at 36 was a law professor. On a trip home to Minnesota, she met and fell in love with Marianne Norris, a former nun and the mother of two grown daughters and then a high school principal.
She later moved back to Minneapolis to live with Norris, who her siblings now consider one of the family.
But Scallen worries that their loyalty to her may only go so far. She fears they won't understand her opposition to proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. Accepting a gay sibling and her partner is one thing, but agreeing that they should have the right to marry — an idea Scallen said goes to the heart of her most important relationship — is a much bigger step.
"The fact that they might not honor that, and I might find out, is really painful," Scallen said.
Minnesota already has a law on the books defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Supporters of the amendment, which will be on the ballot in November, say that unless the state's constitution is changed, gay rights advocates will continue their push for a law that legalizes same-sex marriage.
Polls vs. family ties
According to a recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, in 2010, 46 percent of Catholics support gay marriage while 42 percent are opposed. Polls show that Minnesotans are evenly split on the issue, which likely will divide some families.
That's a concern that Scallen has long struggled with. In 1999, as she and Norris planned a commitment ceremony at Norris' home, they worried that Scallen's siblings might react.
"I was struggling because I knew my brothers and sisters were not ready," Scallen said. "They were not ready for that."
So the two women held a private ceremony, without their families. It was just the two of them, and a friend who witnessed the event.
"We wrote our own vows and we had our own ritual," Scallen recalled. "I sobbed through the whole thing, so I was grateful no one else was there. It was so emotional and so meaningful."
As meaningful as the ceremony was to them, it didn't give them the legal protections of marriage. They've drawn up wills and health directives to protect the one who outlives the other. But Scallen is quick to point out that they can't write up contracts to give themselves the rights a married couple has. They can't sue for wrongful death, or receive survivor's benefits from Social Security.
Their inability to marry led Morris to give up her teaching job at Hastings College of Law in San Francisco.
When the two met, Norris was near retirement in Minnesota and more financially vulnerable if she were uprooted.
"If we had been able to get married, I wouldn't have had to leave Hastings," said Scallen, now a law professor at William Mitchell College of Law. "I wouldn't have had to leave San Francisco because Marianne could have had my pension.
"If something had happened to me, she could have had my benefits and so it wouldn't have been a problem."
For Scallen, the issue is about whether they agree the couple's relationship should be entitled to the same legal status enjoyed by straight couples. Although she has talked to her brother and sisters about her relationship, she hasn't discussed the amendment with them and is not sure she can count on them to vote against it.
As Catholics who grew up in Annunciation parish in South Minneapolis in the 1950s and 60s, the Scallens were taught that homosexuality is a sin. All are practicing Catholics and aware that the church's leaders in Minnesota have made passage of the amendment a political priority.
But Scallen's siblings are wrestling with the issue.
Her oldest brother Tommy, an events promoter in downtown Minneapolis, is a practicing Catholic, but plans to vote against the marriage amendment
"I want my sister to be happy," he said. "If two people want to make this commitment and they're serious about it and they go ahead and do it, you know, so be it. Fine. Success! It's a tough road. I want to see people happy, don't want to dictate how they live their lives."
Sheila Gregory, the second oldest of the Scallen siblings, lives in Edina and isn't sure how she's going to vote.
Still, last fall, when Gregory received a DVD the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis mailed to Catholics urging them to vote to protect traditional marriage, she didn't watch it.
"I got it and I just thought, 'No, I'm not even going to look at it," Gregory said. "I figured it might upset me that the church has come down with such a harsh opinion. I mean these are people that just want to live their lives."
Next in the birth order is Patrick Scallen, another attorney in the family. He bought the Scallen ancestral home in Minneapolis from the family's late mother, and attends Annunciation Church, the parish where they all grew up.
Like Gregory, Patrick doesn't yet know how he'll vote on the amendment. He's struggling between what he's seen of his sister's relationship with Norris, and the position of Catholic leaders.
"If the church says, 'This is the way,' I generally want to believe that and toe the line," Patrick Scallen said. "But there are some issues, and this is probably one of them, that bear more thought."
The youngest sister, Maureen Scallen Failor, of Bloomington, describes herself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal.
"Will I vote? I honestly can't say one way," she said. "I'm almost a point to not vote just to make a statement that government has no place in this. That's kind of where my position is at."
Scallen Failor knows if she leaves the question blank, it will count as a no vote and support her sister's position. It would be her way of protesting the issue being on the ballot. Archbishop John Nienstedt has made passage of the marriage amendment a top political priority. Scallen Failor sees it differently.
"Right now I'm not really happy with the Catholic Church," she said. "However, that is where I find my God. So I kind of put the institution of the religion to the side."
Scallen Failor's twin, Tim Scallen, declined to comment. He said he preferred to keep his views private, but loves and supports his sister.
For those keeping a tally, Eileen Scallen has one sibling who will vote with her against the amendment. Two say they don't know which way they'll vote. And one might not even vote on the amendment.
But without hesitation, they all agree one thing: If their sister could marry her partner, they'd be there.
"With bells on," Scallen Failor said. "She was there for my wedding. She was my maid of honor. Absolutely."
(NOTE: To hear more Catholics sharing their perspective on the marriage amendment, click here for Catholics for Marriage Equality MN's video series.)
Image: Eileen Scallen and Marianne Norris. (MPR Photo/Sasha Aslanian)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Quote of the Day
. . . While it is true that the Catholic hierarchy in [Maryland] opposed the [marriage equality and gender non-discrimination] bill, the Catholic people did not. A 2009 Greenberg, Quinlan, and Rossner poll revealed that a 49% plurality of Maryland Catholics favor legislative action that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, with only 42% opposed. Given that this poll is now almost three years old, and that support for marriage equality keeps increasing, especially among Catholics, the statistic of support from that poll has most likely increased.
. . . And while the press identified African-American opposition to the bill as a reason for its downfall, this explanation does not do justice to the amazing amount of support for marriage equality among African-Americans. If you have any doubt about this, visit the website of the Maryland Black Family Alliance.
The same problem plagues both Catholics and African-Americans: while some leaders of these communities are vocally and stridently opposed to marriage equality, the grassroots folks are strongly supportive. . . .
– Francis DeBernardo
Bondings 2.0
December 22, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Talking Marriage Equality this Holiday Season
Following is how OutFront MN's Organizing and Policy Director Chris Stinson introduces and explains the Holiday Conversation Kit.
________________________________
Thousands of pro-equality champions are heading home for the holidays. If you're not exactly looking forward to the conversation turning to the anti-marriage amendment you are not alone.
But this is an opportunity that we can't afford to miss. The single most important action you can take is to start a conversation about why marriage matters to you. How else will your friends and family know that defeating the constitutional amendment is important to someone they love?
We know it can be difficult, but it's worthwhile. That's why we've prepared some materials if you feel like you could use some help:
Download our holiday conversation kit and commit to talk with 10 friends and family about why marriage matters in Minnesota this Holiday Season.
Also, if you haven't already read our booklet Speaking from Faith for Marriage Equality, I really recommend it if you anticipate having a discussion with relatives for whom faith or religion is very important.
These conversations make a big difference: people who've talked to someone they know and trust about marriage equality are much more likely to support marriage for same-sex couples.
Not all Minnesotans have thought about how harmful a constitutional amendment banning marriage for same-sex couples might be for our state. We can't afford a Minnesota where our marriages may never be recognized: where you and the love of your life could be treated as strangers even after 5, 10, or 25 years of commitment to each other.
Defeating the amendment will not only be a huge achievement for marriage equality and all the couples and families it would have impacted, it will energize all other areas of work being done to bring full equality to Minnesota. Similarly, if we fail, the road to full equality for LGBT Minnesotans becomes much longer and more difficult.
Will you start a conversation with your family and friends?
– Chris Stinson
Organizing and Policy Director
OutFront Minnesota
Recommended Off-site Link:
Mary Bednarowski on the Power of Our Stories – Michael Bayly (The Wild Reed, April 19, 2007).
Saturday, December 17, 2011
A Prayer for Archbishop Nienstedt
___________________________________
Heavenly Creator,
You have called us into many kinds of loving relationships, among which is that of marriage, a relationship limited to this mortal plane of existence, but not limited in its power to join two people together.
You have called us into many kinds of loving relationships, among which is that of marriage, a relationship limited to this mortal plane of existence, but not limited in its power to join two people together.
Help us to grow in those relationships that are life-giving in many ways, that animate our hearts and minds as well as parent our next generations, for these relationships bring us closer to you as well as each other.
God, we ask that you bring peace to the hearts of those who are troubled about the love that some people have for one another. Calm our defensiveness with your comforting Spirit, and enlarge our vision, for we can but see through a glass, darkly, the miracles of love you have empowered among us.
We pray through the strong name of Jesus, in whom is the life and light of all humankind. Amen.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
C4ME-MN in the News
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN is one of a number of groups highlighted in the December 10 St. Cloud Times article by Brandon Largent. The focus of this article is on how people of faith are organizing on both sides of the "marriage amendment" issue.
Largent's article is reprinted in its entirety below.
With a vote now less than a year away on amending Minnesota’s constitution to define marriage as heterosexual only, organizations on both sides of the debate are rallying people of faith to hit the polls.
The marriage amendment, if passed in November, would define marriage as between one man and one woman.
Minnesota for Marriage, a coalition of faith leaders from the Minnesota Family Council, Minnesota Catholic Conference, National Organization for Marriage and other organizations, is identifying voters to get them out to vote in 2012, Minnesota for Marriage Director of Communications Chuck Darrell said.
“There is a growing movement to silence people of faith,” Darrell said.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference is reaching out to Catholic district bishops and down into the parishes across the state, setting up church captains to encourage people to vote “yes” on the marriage amendment, Darrell said.
“Churches not only have a constitutional right, but a duty to speak out on these issues in the public square,” Darrell said.
Protestant and evangelical factions also are reaching out to churches through pastors and activists, Darrell said.
The coalition manned booths at last summer’s Minnesota State Fair and the Christian Community Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Nov. 12, Darrell said.
Organizations poised against the amendment also are reaching out to people of faith statewide.
OutFront Minnesota, a Minnesota organization fighting for gay equality, has a faith-organizing group looking to find more churches throughout the state that oppose the constitutional amendment, OutFront Minnesota Operations Director Adam Robbins said.
The faith organizers are looking to host training programs to help people learn how to tell their stories about why marriage for same-sex couples matters to them, OutFront Minnesota Faith Organizer Javen Swanson said.
“The people who want the amendment to pass use mostly faith-based arguments, but we know that there are lots of people of faith who are against the amendment,” Swanson said. “The public needs to know that people of faith aren’t all against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people.”
On Nov. 8, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul hosted the first of such training programs, with 230 people of different faiths participating. They were led by Lutherans Concerned/North America, a Lutheran-based organization working toward GLBT rights within the Lutheran church, the program’s executive director, Emily Eastwood, said.
“It’s a grassroots effort to say that this amendment does not make sense for Minnesotans or Lutherans,” Eastwood said.
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN, a Roman Catholic group that advocates marriage equality for all, also is working to rally people of faith against the amendment.
“The Catholic support of marriage equality is one of the highest of all religions,” Catholics for Marriage Equality MN Executive Coordinator Michael Bayly said.
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN recently released a series of video vignettes of couples and their outlooks on faith and marriage that premiered in September at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis and has been released online.
“If you look at what the Catholic people think, it’s very different from what the bishops are saying,” Bayly said.
Almost three-quarters of Catholics support allowing gay and lesbian people to marry — with 43 percent favoring outright marriage and 31 percent preferring civil unions, according to a Public Religion Research Institute report.
“Right now, Minnesota is poised to be the first state ever to defeat this constitutional amendment, but we can’t be complacent,” Swanson said. “If we won it, we would be very close, so we have our work cut out for us.”
Branden Largent is a student in the University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Murphy News Service is a student-based journalism project at the university.
Largent's article is reprinted in its entirety below.
____________________________________________
Sides Rally Faithful in Marriage Vote
By Brandon Largent
St. Cloud Times
December 10, 2011
With a vote now less than a year away on amending Minnesota’s constitution to define marriage as heterosexual only, organizations on both sides of the debate are rallying people of faith to hit the polls.
The marriage amendment, if passed in November, would define marriage as between one man and one woman.
Minnesota for Marriage, a coalition of faith leaders from the Minnesota Family Council, Minnesota Catholic Conference, National Organization for Marriage and other organizations, is identifying voters to get them out to vote in 2012, Minnesota for Marriage Director of Communications Chuck Darrell said.
“There is a growing movement to silence people of faith,” Darrell said.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference is reaching out to Catholic district bishops and down into the parishes across the state, setting up church captains to encourage people to vote “yes” on the marriage amendment, Darrell said.
“Churches not only have a constitutional right, but a duty to speak out on these issues in the public square,” Darrell said.
Protestant and evangelical factions also are reaching out to churches through pastors and activists, Darrell said.
The coalition manned booths at last summer’s Minnesota State Fair and the Christian Community Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Nov. 12, Darrell said.
Organizations poised against the amendment also are reaching out to people of faith statewide.
OutFront Minnesota, a Minnesota organization fighting for gay equality, has a faith-organizing group looking to find more churches throughout the state that oppose the constitutional amendment, OutFront Minnesota Operations Director Adam Robbins said.
The faith organizers are looking to host training programs to help people learn how to tell their stories about why marriage for same-sex couples matters to them, OutFront Minnesota Faith Organizer Javen Swanson said.
“The people who want the amendment to pass use mostly faith-based arguments, but we know that there are lots of people of faith who are against the amendment,” Swanson said. “The public needs to know that people of faith aren’t all against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people.”
On Nov. 8, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul hosted the first of such training programs, with 230 people of different faiths participating. They were led by Lutherans Concerned/North America, a Lutheran-based organization working toward GLBT rights within the Lutheran church, the program’s executive director, Emily Eastwood, said.
“It’s a grassroots effort to say that this amendment does not make sense for Minnesotans or Lutherans,” Eastwood said.
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN, a Roman Catholic group that advocates marriage equality for all, also is working to rally people of faith against the amendment.
“The Catholic support of marriage equality is one of the highest of all religions,” Catholics for Marriage Equality MN Executive Coordinator Michael Bayly said.
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN recently released a series of video vignettes of couples and their outlooks on faith and marriage that premiered in September at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis and has been released online.
“If you look at what the Catholic people think, it’s very different from what the bishops are saying,” Bayly said.
Almost three-quarters of Catholics support allowing gay and lesbian people to marry — with 43 percent favoring outright marriage and 31 percent preferring civil unions, according to a Public Religion Research Institute report.
“Right now, Minnesota is poised to be the first state ever to defeat this constitutional amendment, but we can’t be complacent,” Swanson said. “If we won it, we would be very close, so we have our work cut out for us.”
Branden Largent is a student in the University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Murphy News Service is a student-based journalism project at the university.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A Few Questions . . .
In the December 13 edition of the Star Tribune, Paul Bridgland of Marshall, MN, poses a number of important and insightful questions in response to a supporter of the Catholic hierarchy's pro-marriage amendment activism. Bridgland's letter is reprinted below.
___________________________________
The Dec. 10 Letter of the Day claimed that the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment would protect the "civil right of children ... to grow up raised by their biological mother and father."
This is a common assertion among amendment supporters. A variation is "every child should be raised by both a father and a mother."
To those claiming to protect the children, I ask the following:
1. Will adoption be illegal under the amendment, since adopted children are denied their "civil right ... to grow up raised by their biological mother and father"?
2. Will a single parent be granted a "grace period" to locate and establish an appropriate two-parent household before the state steps in to restore the civil rights of their children?
3. Will the biological father and mother of every minor child in Minnesota be required to establish a shared household in which their children are raised, regardless of the marital status of the parents? Will the fathers of children by more than one mother be required to establish a separate household with each mother, or one large communal home? What about mothers with children by more than one father?
4. If producing children is an essential part of marriage, will fertility tests be required as part of the marriage license application process?
If you think these questions are absurd, I agree. But so is the claim that the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment has anything at all to do with protecting the interests of children.
The only reason for making that claim is because "I care about children" is easier to say than "I don't think gays should have the same rights I have."
– Paul Bridgland
Monday, December 12, 2011
Archbishop Just One of Many Catholic Voices in Gay Marriage Debate
By Michael Bayly
Not all Catholics support Archbishop John Nienstedt's and the Minnesota Catholic Conference of Bishops’ aggressive support of the proposed “marriage amendment” to the Minnesota State Constitution. Indeed, according to recent findings of the Public Religion Research Center, “Catholics are more supportive of legal recognitions of same-sex relationships than members of any other Christian tradition and Americans overall.”
Unlike the bishops, U.S. Catholics recognize and respect that in a pluralistic society such as ours, the Roman Catholic hierarchy should not be expending time and resources imposing its understanding of sexuality and marriage onto wider society. This is especially true when one acknowledges that the bishops’ understanding of these realities is out-of-step with the collective wisdom of the Catholic people. On issues relating to the intimate lives of heterosexuals (such as contraception) and homosexuals (civil marriage rights) the Catholic faithful have clearly moved beyond the hierarchy’s limited understanding of sexuality.
My sense is that the Catholic faithful are not, in theory, opposed to the bishops making statements on important social issues. After all, in the Catholic tradition the bishops collectively comprise one of the church’s three sources (or magisteria) of truth. However, the teachings they articulate must be reasonable. In other words, they must be informed by and in constant dialogue with the church’s other two sources of truth, namely the insights of Catholic theologians and the wisdom of the Catholic people (the sensus fidelium). Yet on issues relating to sexuality, the bishops tragically abandoned such dialogue years ago. As a result, official church pronouncements on sexuality are woefully impoverished and disturbingly fixated on specific sex acts rather than on the relational quality of consensual adult partnering. The bishops have forgotten that truth (including the truth of human sexuality) is discovered through time, and that tradition (including the tradition of marriage) evolves. Thankfully, the Catholic people have not forgotten these liberating hallmarks of our living Catholic faith. Accordingly, we not only respectfully listen to and consider what the hierarchy says, but also seek out the wisdom of theologians and our own and others’ lived experiences. All need to be prayerfully considered if we are to make an informed and authentically Catholic response.
It is also important to remember that in the past, when the bishops have weighed in on social issues such as racism and immigrant rights, they did so in order to reduce discrimination and expand the circle of acceptance and inclusion in our society. This is not the case with their activism around marriage equality. Indeed, they are advocating the exact opposite: discrimination and exclusion. For many Catholics this is a blatant and grievous betrayal – not only of Catholicism’s rich social justice tradition, but of the very way of being Catholic in the world. This “way” reflects the way of Jesus and is always seeking to discern and celebrate God’s presence in the lives and experiences of all. Many Catholics want their bishops to embody this way and to stand boldly for the principles of justice, compassion, equality, and inclusion. Yet when it comes to gay people, gay lives, and gay relationships, the bishops have chosen not to embody these Gospel principles in their words and actions. For many Catholics this is both painful and scandalous.
No doubt some parishes will follow the Archbishop’s recent directive and establish committees to rally support for the “marriage amendment.” They are free to do so. I hope, however, that they and others will take the time to be open to other Catholic perspectives on this issue. A good place to start is with the video series recently produced by Catholics for Marriage Equality MN and premiered last month at the Riverview Theater. It features local gay and lesbian Catholics and their loved ones sharing their perspectives on faith, family and marriage. This and other helpful resources can be viewed at www.c4me.org.
Michael Bayly is the executive coordinator of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN.
Not all Catholics support Archbishop John Nienstedt's and the Minnesota Catholic Conference of Bishops’ aggressive support of the proposed “marriage amendment” to the Minnesota State Constitution. Indeed, according to recent findings of the Public Religion Research Center, “Catholics are more supportive of legal recognitions of same-sex relationships than members of any other Christian tradition and Americans overall.”
Unlike the bishops, U.S. Catholics recognize and respect that in a pluralistic society such as ours, the Roman Catholic hierarchy should not be expending time and resources imposing its understanding of sexuality and marriage onto wider society. This is especially true when one acknowledges that the bishops’ understanding of these realities is out-of-step with the collective wisdom of the Catholic people. On issues relating to the intimate lives of heterosexuals (such as contraception) and homosexuals (civil marriage rights) the Catholic faithful have clearly moved beyond the hierarchy’s limited understanding of sexuality.
My sense is that the Catholic faithful are not, in theory, opposed to the bishops making statements on important social issues. After all, in the Catholic tradition the bishops collectively comprise one of the church’s three sources (or magisteria) of truth. However, the teachings they articulate must be reasonable. In other words, they must be informed by and in constant dialogue with the church’s other two sources of truth, namely the insights of Catholic theologians and the wisdom of the Catholic people (the sensus fidelium). Yet on issues relating to sexuality, the bishops tragically abandoned such dialogue years ago. As a result, official church pronouncements on sexuality are woefully impoverished and disturbingly fixated on specific sex acts rather than on the relational quality of consensual adult partnering. The bishops have forgotten that truth (including the truth of human sexuality) is discovered through time, and that tradition (including the tradition of marriage) evolves. Thankfully, the Catholic people have not forgotten these liberating hallmarks of our living Catholic faith. Accordingly, we not only respectfully listen to and consider what the hierarchy says, but also seek out the wisdom of theologians and our own and others’ lived experiences. All need to be prayerfully considered if we are to make an informed and authentically Catholic response.
It is also important to remember that in the past, when the bishops have weighed in on social issues such as racism and immigrant rights, they did so in order to reduce discrimination and expand the circle of acceptance and inclusion in our society. This is not the case with their activism around marriage equality. Indeed, they are advocating the exact opposite: discrimination and exclusion. For many Catholics this is a blatant and grievous betrayal – not only of Catholicism’s rich social justice tradition, but of the very way of being Catholic in the world. This “way” reflects the way of Jesus and is always seeking to discern and celebrate God’s presence in the lives and experiences of all. Many Catholics want their bishops to embody this way and to stand boldly for the principles of justice, compassion, equality, and inclusion. Yet when it comes to gay people, gay lives, and gay relationships, the bishops have chosen not to embody these Gospel principles in their words and actions. For many Catholics this is both painful and scandalous.
No doubt some parishes will follow the Archbishop’s recent directive and establish committees to rally support for the “marriage amendment.” They are free to do so. I hope, however, that they and others will take the time to be open to other Catholic perspectives on this issue. A good place to start is with the video series recently produced by Catholics for Marriage Equality MN and premiered last month at the Riverview Theater. It features local gay and lesbian Catholics and their loved ones sharing their perspectives on faith, family and marriage. This and other helpful resources can be viewed at www.c4me.org.
Michael Bayly is the executive coordinator of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A Catholic Statement of Support for Marriage Equality
Background: Catholics for Marriage Equality MN is a grassroots initiative launched by lay Catholic individuals and groups in response to the clerical hierarchy’s campaign to deny civil marriage rights to lesbian and gay people. The initiative seeks to support, educate and mobilize Catholics in the advancement of freedom and equality for LGBT people at the federal, state, and local levels.
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN was officially launched with the hosting of an educational forum entitled “Why You Can Be Catholic and Support Gay Marriage.” Drawing approximately 400 people, this forum was held October 21, 2010, at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis and featured author and moral theologian Daniel Maguire from Marquette University. Maguire highlighted and discussed the support for same-sex marriage that can be found in all the world religions, including Roman Catholicism.
That same month C4ME-MN issued a statement outlining various reasons for supporting civil marriage equality for same-sex couples. These reasons relate to points of ethics, constitutional law, social justice, and Catholic moral teaching. The statement reflects C4ME-MN's recognition of marriage equality as a social justice issue, as a matter of fairness, and as a contributor to individual flourishing, the stabilization of relationships, and the common good of society.
We invite you to read and reflect upon this statement and, if you feel so moved, to support it by signing your name to it at the C4ME-MN website, here.
As Catholics of the State of Minnesota, we support civil marriage equality for the following reasons:
Point of Social Justice
In their 1997 pastoral statement, Always Our Children, the Catholic bishops of the United States write: "Respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities. The teachings of the Catholic Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them.” These are powerful words, rooted in Jesus’ call for social justice. As such they supersede certain teachings of the Church that reflect a medieval and inadequate understanding of human sexuality – teachings that, accordingly, are unresponsive to the presence and movement of the Spirit in the lives of LGBT people. Furthermore, we believe that civil marriage is one of those “fundamental human rights” referred to by the U.S. Catholic bishops.
Of any religious group in the U.S., American Catholics are among the strongest supporters of equality for LGBT people. We recognize that this support is intrinsic to Catholicism as it is a support drawn from the rich tradition of Catholic social justice teachings, grounded in the Gospel message of love.
Point of Constitutional Law
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that a State shall not “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The State of Minnesota currently protects heterosexual unions with many legal benefits. There are no good reasons for denying the same protections to homosexual unions. Constitutional democracy is a democracy in which principles of justice are accepted by the people to regulate the vote of a majority in depriving a minority of rights.
Civil marriage should not be denied to anyone based on sexual orientation. Just as civil divorce would not be denied by the state because some churches do not believe in divorce and remarriage, civil marriage also should not be denied based on religious beliefs concerning sexual orientation.
No house of worship should have to perform a marriage ceremony against its will, and never because of the intrusion and/or compulsion of government. Guided by the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom, government should not try to define persons suitable for marriage in houses of worship.
Point of Catholic Moral Teaching
The Catholic teaching of Probabilism holds that when there is a debate on a moral issue (in this case homosexuality and same-sex unions), where there are good reasons and good authorities on both sides of the debate, Catholics are free to make up their own minds. The magisterium of the Catholic hierarchy notwithstanding, there is debate among theologians and the faithful, the sensus fidelium, on the issue of homosexual unions. We do not believe that homosexual sex is per se a sin. We believe heterosexism (prejudice against people who are homosexual) is a sin. “It is a serious sin because it violates justice, truth, and love. It also distorts the true meaning of sex and thus also harms everyone, including heterosexuals.” (Maguire, Daniel. "A Catholic Defense of Same-Sex Marriage.")
Point of Ethics
When a significant number of U.S. citizens do not hold with Catholic ethical teaching on a specific issue, it is a violation of justice for a voting majority of Catholics to enact laws based on their own ethics. Catholics would suffer if a voting majority of other religious bodies enacted laws requiring behavior or denying benefits based on their religious ethics. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the common ethic of people in a religiously pluralistic society.”
You can now show your support for marriage equality by signing your name to C4ME-MN's Statement of Support. To do so, click here.
Catholics for Marriage Equality MN was officially launched with the hosting of an educational forum entitled “Why You Can Be Catholic and Support Gay Marriage.” Drawing approximately 400 people, this forum was held October 21, 2010, at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis and featured author and moral theologian Daniel Maguire from Marquette University. Maguire highlighted and discussed the support for same-sex marriage that can be found in all the world religions, including Roman Catholicism.
That same month C4ME-MN issued a statement outlining various reasons for supporting civil marriage equality for same-sex couples. These reasons relate to points of ethics, constitutional law, social justice, and Catholic moral teaching. The statement reflects C4ME-MN's recognition of marriage equality as a social justice issue, as a matter of fairness, and as a contributor to individual flourishing, the stabilization of relationships, and the common good of society.
We invite you to read and reflect upon this statement and, if you feel so moved, to support it by signing your name to it at the C4ME-MN website, here.
_______________________________________
As Catholics of the State of Minnesota, we support civil marriage equality for the following reasons:
Point of Social Justice
In their 1997 pastoral statement, Always Our Children, the Catholic bishops of the United States write: "Respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities. The teachings of the Catholic Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them.” These are powerful words, rooted in Jesus’ call for social justice. As such they supersede certain teachings of the Church that reflect a medieval and inadequate understanding of human sexuality – teachings that, accordingly, are unresponsive to the presence and movement of the Spirit in the lives of LGBT people. Furthermore, we believe that civil marriage is one of those “fundamental human rights” referred to by the U.S. Catholic bishops.
Of any religious group in the U.S., American Catholics are among the strongest supporters of equality for LGBT people. We recognize that this support is intrinsic to Catholicism as it is a support drawn from the rich tradition of Catholic social justice teachings, grounded in the Gospel message of love.
Point of Constitutional Law
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that a State shall not “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The State of Minnesota currently protects heterosexual unions with many legal benefits. There are no good reasons for denying the same protections to homosexual unions. Constitutional democracy is a democracy in which principles of justice are accepted by the people to regulate the vote of a majority in depriving a minority of rights.
Civil marriage should not be denied to anyone based on sexual orientation. Just as civil divorce would not be denied by the state because some churches do not believe in divorce and remarriage, civil marriage also should not be denied based on religious beliefs concerning sexual orientation.
No house of worship should have to perform a marriage ceremony against its will, and never because of the intrusion and/or compulsion of government. Guided by the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom, government should not try to define persons suitable for marriage in houses of worship.
Point of Catholic Moral Teaching
The Catholic teaching of Probabilism holds that when there is a debate on a moral issue (in this case homosexuality and same-sex unions), where there are good reasons and good authorities on both sides of the debate, Catholics are free to make up their own minds. The magisterium of the Catholic hierarchy notwithstanding, there is debate among theologians and the faithful, the sensus fidelium, on the issue of homosexual unions. We do not believe that homosexual sex is per se a sin. We believe heterosexism (prejudice against people who are homosexual) is a sin. “It is a serious sin because it violates justice, truth, and love. It also distorts the true meaning of sex and thus also harms everyone, including heterosexuals.” (Maguire, Daniel. "A Catholic Defense of Same-Sex Marriage.")
Point of Ethics
When a significant number of U.S. citizens do not hold with Catholic ethical teaching on a specific issue, it is a violation of justice for a voting majority of Catholics to enact laws based on their own ethics. Catholics would suffer if a voting majority of other religious bodies enacted laws requiring behavior or denying benefits based on their religious ethics. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the common ethic of people in a religiously pluralistic society.”
You can now show your support for marriage equality by signing your name to C4ME-MN's Statement of Support. To do so, click here.
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