by Steve Timmer

Jun 12, 2012, 9:30 AM

In the end, it’s a matter of individual conscience

On Sunday, June 10th, there was a meeting of Catholics to discuss opposition to the marriage discrimination amendment slated to be on the ballot in November, a measure heavily promoted by the Catholic Church. There were some remarks by Father Bob Pierson that were captured in this video, and they are worth listening to. You can find a transcript of his remarks here.

Among Father Bob’s observations were these:

A young theologian by the name of Joseph Ratzinger, whom many of you know now as Pope Benedict XVI, put it this way in 1967:

“Over the pope as expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical authority, there stands one’s own conscience which must be obeyed before all else, even if necessary against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority.”

Father Bob’s conscience tells him to vote no. And he tells you why, compellingly, in the video.

Much more compellingly that the writer of this letter in the Strib.

Here’s another of his comments in the video:

We have heard it said that if committed, same-sex couples can marry, “then the church will have to recognize those marriages in its social service programming in housing, health care, and education.” This is true, to the extent that the church accepts government funding for social service programs—the same rules that everyone else must follow. Would we want other religious groups to discriminate against us based on their beliefs while using government tax dollars?  I don’t think so.

This gets to the question I’ve always had about the Catholic Church’s claim that it would violate their religious freedom to permit same sex marriage: what about my religious freedom, or that of others who would be willing to let same sex marriages take place in their church?

Isn’t the Catholic Church just trying to discriminate against us?