Good Christ...
Jan. 3rd, 2005 03:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ebonlockhttp://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-twodads2jan02,0,3188265.story?coll=la-home-local
In a clash that pits Catholic teachings against shifting values of American society, a group of parishioners and parents has accused Orange County church leaders of defying Pope John Paul II by allowing a gay couple to enroll their two boys in a diocese school.
Eighteen people signed a letter last month demanding that St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa accept only families that sign a pledge to live by Catholic doctrine — a move that effectively would kick the boys out of school. The church regards homosexual acts as sinful, and in 2003 the pontiff condemned marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.
[...]
But Father Martin Benzoni, who oversees the 550-student elementary and middle school, last week rejected the group's demands. He released a new policy stating that a child's education comes first and that a family's background "does not constitute an absolute obstacle to enrollment in the school."
[...]
But several other conservative and liberal Catholic leaders backed the school, saying that regardless of the church's views on homosexuality and same-sex unions, it would be wrong to punish the children.
"To single out these kids because of their gay parents would be invidious," said William Donohue, president of the conservative Catholic League. "You cannot burden the innocent."
[...]
But Father Gerald M. Horan, superintendent of schools run by the Diocese of Orange, rejected the idea of a parental covenant. If the school barred gay parents from enrolling their children, they would also have to ban children of parents who violate other church teachings, including those who are divorced, use birth control or weren't married in the church, he said.
[...]
It's unclear how many parents at the school are aware of the debate or how many object to the boys' enrollment. But one mother said she and several other parents support the school's decision.
"It's a shame that a minority of loonies chooses to hate instead of love," said Katie Flores, whose daughter is a classmate of the boys. "Let he [who is] without sin cast the first stone."
In a clash that pits Catholic teachings against shifting values of American society, a group of parishioners and parents has accused Orange County church leaders of defying Pope John Paul II by allowing a gay couple to enroll their two boys in a diocese school.
Eighteen people signed a letter last month demanding that St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa accept only families that sign a pledge to live by Catholic doctrine — a move that effectively would kick the boys out of school. The church regards homosexual acts as sinful, and in 2003 the pontiff condemned marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.
[...]
But Father Martin Benzoni, who oversees the 550-student elementary and middle school, last week rejected the group's demands. He released a new policy stating that a child's education comes first and that a family's background "does not constitute an absolute obstacle to enrollment in the school."
[...]
But several other conservative and liberal Catholic leaders backed the school, saying that regardless of the church's views on homosexuality and same-sex unions, it would be wrong to punish the children.
"To single out these kids because of their gay parents would be invidious," said William Donohue, president of the conservative Catholic League. "You cannot burden the innocent."
[...]
But Father Gerald M. Horan, superintendent of schools run by the Diocese of Orange, rejected the idea of a parental covenant. If the school barred gay parents from enrolling their children, they would also have to ban children of parents who violate other church teachings, including those who are divorced, use birth control or weren't married in the church, he said.
[...]
It's unclear how many parents at the school are aware of the debate or how many object to the boys' enrollment. But one mother said she and several other parents support the school's decision.
"It's a shame that a minority of loonies chooses to hate instead of love," said Katie Flores, whose daughter is a classmate of the boys. "Let he [who is] without sin cast the first stone."
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-04 12:38 am (UTC)Well I wasn't completely indignant about it, which is why I posted that the school administrators and many of the parents were strongly against the idea of booting two perfectly innocent kids out of a school because their parents were gay. Overall, as much as I think the parents group are a bunch of bigots who deserve to have their hatred and stupidity returned to them threefold, I applaud the school for doing the right thing.
Yeah maybe the Catholic Church is a corrupt, irredeemable entity, but I don't think that all Catholics are. Of course my exposure to Catholics is entirely of the Eastern Orthodox variety, in my family anyway. So I'm a bit skewed.
And honestly, what the fuck are homos doing putting their children in an atmosphere where they are guaranteed to be ridiculed, shunned and beaten because of who their parents are? I think the fault also lies in the gay parents of these boys.
I would disagree with you here, but I don't know what the thinking was on the parents' part. Did they enroll them to make a point? Did they enroll them because they had attended the school themselves and knew it would provide a quality education? Did they grow up Catholic and want their kids to go to a Catholic school? I honestly don't know, but I'd be willing to place money on a bet that neither parent ever wanted any harm to come to their kids.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-04 04:48 am (UTC)