Same-sex marriage, Catholicism and civil rights

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9:45 a.m. EDT, April 19, 2012

It's shocking that the letter writer supporting same-sex marriage ("Catholics should know better than to oppose gay marriage," April 18) is Catholic. Was he asleep when his religion teacher said that the purpose of marriage is the procreation of children and that Christ made marriage a sacrament at the Wedding Feast of Cana?

This is why the church opposes same-sex marriage. It has nothing to do with denying anyone their civil rights. It has everything to do with saving an institution which dates back to the beginning of the human race.

Everyone has the right to marry the person of their choosing, but no one has the right to alter what marriage is. Marriage is more than just a word.

Mary F. Kollner, Baltimore

Comments (20)

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Katja1 at 4:41 PM April 26, 2012

The purpose of civil marriage is to establish a particular contractual relationship between two people. Civil marriage is not a sacrament or in any way a religious institution - non-Catholics may certainly marry legally in this country, even atheists.

You are entitled to believe that some marriages are better than others, and your Church is entitled to decide which marriages it will recognize religiously and which it will not. What you are not entitled to do is to bar someone else's civil contractual marriage because it does not abide by your religious dogma, or to treat some consenting adult citizens' legal contracts as more valid than others.

And you do not help, benefit, or defend my marriage by attacking those of my friends, or by fighting to have my marriage "defined" by its most animalistic and physical aspects - genitals and breeding. You do not strengthen marriage by legally privileging Gingrich's or Limbaugh's or Trump's latest trophy acquisition, or the latest Kardashian publicity stunt, over the long-term devotion of gay couples who have stayed loving and faithful to each other despite everything society could do to attack their union and themselves.

cornetmustich at 6:40 PM April 19, 2012

Catholic Christians don't own civil marriages or women's bodies in America, so just take a hike with your religion and gods.

Cheers, Joe Mustich, CT USA

CT Justice of the Peace.

St_Augustine_FL at 2:42 PM April 19, 2012

Wow Mary, it's obvious that you aren't a catholic. First of all, marriage was NOT made a sacrement of the church until the 12th century (roughly 1,000 years AFTER Christ). Second, I fail to understand why everyone has to follow the catholic religion. Since the constitution guarantees no established religion, why should laws be made that enforce catholic beliefs? Finally, it should have occured to you that many, many people who either can not or will not procreate get married every day. If in fact, marriage was for the purpose of procreation, why are those who have pruposeully been sterilized allowed to marry? Obviously marriage in this country is NOT about procreation and, as far as I know, no marriage law in the country requires it. What is shocking, Mary, is the lack of thought you put into your letter.

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