Time to Shake the Dust of New York Off Catholicism's Feet
Timothy Birdnow
"He said to the apostles, "When you travel, don't take a walking stick. Also, don't carry a bag, food, or money. Take for your trip only the clothes you are wearing. When you go into a house, stay there until it is time to leave. If the people in the town will not welcome you, go outside the town and shake their dust off of your feet. This will be a warning to them."
Luke9: 3-5
The state of New York has made it plain that the representatives of Christ are not welcome.
New York has enacted homosexual marriage, a thing anathema to Christian doctrine. This presents a terrible dilemma for Christian churches in general and Catholic churches in particular; how to be true to their beliefs and yet stay within the law? This is no idol question; if gay marriage is legal, will they be compelled to celebrate Christian marriages of same-sex partners? Will their organizations be forced to grant "married" status to homosexual employees or volunteers in violation of Church teaching? How can they possibly stay within the parameters of the law and still maintain their faith?
By declaring homosexual unions as marriages, New York has placed the full force of law behind what is, essentially, a lifestyle choice, one that is at odds with the word of God. This is different than other legal challenges to religion, because it cannot simply be ignored. For example, a Christian photographer was prosecuted in New Mexico for refusing to take a job photographing a "committment ceremony" of a gay couple. http://ncregister.com/site/article/13866 Granted, this is a secular business and not a protected religious organization, but the facts remain; the move is toward compulsory normalization of homosexual practices, and will religions be considered protected at the "expense" of marriage? Any protections written into the law for religious exemptions will be subject to judicial review, and there is a likelihood those protections will be overturned by judicial fiat. Making gay unions "marriage" opens up a pandora's box.
One need only look at abortion; the government is increasingly hostile to Christian doctors who refuse to perform abortions, and is in fact making them committ murder. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021803251.html
Ditto contraceptives, which, in a California law forced Catholic schools, hospitals, and organizations to provide contraceptives in violation of Church teaching. The lawsuit was decided 6 to 1 by the California Supreme Court, and SCOTUS refused to hear the case. According to Terrence Jeffrey:
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/terence-jeffrey/2011/06/29/next-step-persecuting-churches/
"The California Supreme Court's decision was bold and simple. It conceded that the California law demanded that the Catholic Church act against its own teachings.
"We do not doubt Catholic Charities' assertion that to offer insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives to its employees would be religiously unacceptable," said the court.
But it concluded that the state's interest in eliminating "gender discrimination" trumped the Catholic Church's freedom of religion.
"Assuming for the sake of argument the (law) substantially burdens a religious belief or practice, the law nevertheless serves a compelling state interest and is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest," said the court. "The (law) serves the compelling state interest of eliminating gender discrimination."
Catholic Charities appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court refused to take the case up, letting California's law stand."
End excerpt.
How can the Church resist the incoming pink tide?
There is only one way.
Shake the dust of those states from their feet and move on.
Yes, the Churches - and particularly the Catholic churches - should move out of those states lock, stock, and barrel. Any state that passes such a law should be declared anathema, and the Churches should leave.
Now, I know the argument; what good is accomplished by leaving? There are people who disagree with the laws, good people who need the sacraments. There are people who could be persuaded, too. But that is precisely what Jesus DID NOT do; He ordered His disciples to move on where they were rejected. The Churches simply will have to pull out of any state that fundamentally violates their First Amendment rights, or that sets the stage for such defilement. The Catholic Church should sell off their property and in New York and leave.
The liberals would be delighted at first; losing this "reactionary" influence and getting rid of a tax-exempt organization. But many productive citizens would leave New York rather than be cut off from their faith. Many will travel to neighboring states to attend mass, and will doubtlessly spend money in those states rather than New York. The afternoon Sunday breakfast rush will be over for many restaurants, for example.
There really isn't much choice for the Churches. They cannot continue to compromise their core beliefs. it's time to shake those feet!
And the Churches should preach in every church at every Mass against this. There should be formal excommunications. The time has come to do what the Apostles did; resist. Either that, or Christianity will die in America. It really is that simple a choice.
"He said to the apostles, "When you travel, don't take a walking stick. Also, don't carry a bag, food, or money. Take for your trip only the clothes you are wearing. When you go into a house, stay there until it is time to leave. If the people in the town will not welcome you, go outside the town and shake their dust off of your feet. This will be a warning to them."
Luke9: 3-5
The state of New York has made it plain that the representatives of Christ are not welcome.
New York has enacted homosexual marriage, a thing anathema to Christian doctrine. This presents a terrible dilemma for Christian churches in general and Catholic churches in particular; how to be true to their beliefs and yet stay within the law? This is no idol question; if gay marriage is legal, will they be compelled to celebrate Christian marriages of same-sex partners? Will their organizations be forced to grant "married" status to homosexual employees or volunteers in violation of Church teaching? How can they possibly stay within the parameters of the law and still maintain their faith?
By declaring homosexual unions as marriages, New York has placed the full force of law behind what is, essentially, a lifestyle choice, one that is at odds with the word of God. This is different than other legal challenges to religion, because it cannot simply be ignored. For example, a Christian photographer was prosecuted in New Mexico for refusing to take a job photographing a "committment ceremony" of a gay couple. http://ncregister.com/site/article/13866 Granted, this is a secular business and not a protected religious organization, but the facts remain; the move is toward compulsory normalization of homosexual practices, and will religions be considered protected at the "expense" of marriage? Any protections written into the law for religious exemptions will be subject to judicial review, and there is a likelihood those protections will be overturned by judicial fiat. Making gay unions "marriage" opens up a pandora's box.
One need only look at abortion; the government is increasingly hostile to Christian doctors who refuse to perform abortions, and is in fact making them committ murder. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/18/AR2011021803251.html
Ditto contraceptives, which, in a California law forced Catholic schools, hospitals, and organizations to provide contraceptives in violation of Church teaching. The lawsuit was decided 6 to 1 by the California Supreme Court, and SCOTUS refused to hear the case. According to Terrence Jeffrey:
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/terence-jeffrey/2011/06/29/next-step-persecuting-churches/
"The California Supreme Court's decision was bold and simple. It conceded that the California law demanded that the Catholic Church act against its own teachings.
"We do not doubt Catholic Charities' assertion that to offer insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives to its employees would be religiously unacceptable," said the court.
But it concluded that the state's interest in eliminating "gender discrimination" trumped the Catholic Church's freedom of religion.
"Assuming for the sake of argument the (law) substantially burdens a religious belief or practice, the law nevertheless serves a compelling state interest and is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest," said the court. "The (law) serves the compelling state interest of eliminating gender discrimination."
Catholic Charities appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court refused to take the case up, letting California's law stand."
End excerpt.
How can the Church resist the incoming pink tide?
There is only one way.
Shake the dust of those states from their feet and move on.
Yes, the Churches - and particularly the Catholic churches - should move out of those states lock, stock, and barrel. Any state that passes such a law should be declared anathema, and the Churches should leave.
Now, I know the argument; what good is accomplished by leaving? There are people who disagree with the laws, good people who need the sacraments. There are people who could be persuaded, too. But that is precisely what Jesus DID NOT do; He ordered His disciples to move on where they were rejected. The Churches simply will have to pull out of any state that fundamentally violates their First Amendment rights, or that sets the stage for such defilement. The Catholic Church should sell off their property and in New York and leave.
The liberals would be delighted at first; losing this "reactionary" influence and getting rid of a tax-exempt organization. But many productive citizens would leave New York rather than be cut off from their faith. Many will travel to neighboring states to attend mass, and will doubtlessly spend money in those states rather than New York. The afternoon Sunday breakfast rush will be over for many restaurants, for example.
There really isn't much choice for the Churches. They cannot continue to compromise their core beliefs. it's time to shake those feet!
And the Churches should preach in every church at every Mass against this. There should be formal excommunications. The time has come to do what the Apostles did; resist. Either that, or Christianity will die in America. It really is that simple a choice.
posted by Timothy Birdnow | 6:15 AM
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