Catholic Church Gives Washington D.C. Ultimatum Over Same-Sex Marriage, Threatens to Halt Social Services

The Catholic Archdiocese of  Washington is acting very childish by threatening that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law. This threat could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care. The bill, which is heading for a vote before the D.C. Council next month, states that religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings, but they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Church officials are reportedly fearful that they could be forced to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, have said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

Sorry, but the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination. This amounts to nothing more than strong-arming by the church. If I were a council member waiting to cast a vote, I would vote to end the relationship with the church than let them dictate what the city needs to do. It's all about money for the church, not principle. Why hold the social services for the homeless hostage just because you just can't accept the reality that gays and lesbians deserve rights too? Since they are taking such a vocal position on political issues, then their tax exempt status needs to be taken away. Let them pay taxes to the government then.

Catholic Charities, the church's social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington's homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers.  "All of those services will be adversely impacted if the exemption language remains so narrow," Jane G. Belford, chancellor of the Washington Archdiocese, wrote to the council this week. Source: Washington Post

The council is expected to pass the same-sex marriage bill next month, but the measure continues to face strong opposition from a number of groups that are pushing for a referendum on the issue. If the Mormon Church can change its views on same sex rights, then surely the Catholic Church can do the same.

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