Letter to the Editor: Catholics at Mass will be asked for political contributions

1 min read

As a practicing Roman Catholic it is personally painful to publicly take issue with my church. However, when my church takes a position that is so contrary to notions of fairness and justice, I must speak out.

At this weekend’s Masses, Catholics will be asked to contribute monetarily to pass Question #1, a repeal of Maine’s Marriage Equality Law.

I urge all thinking, open-minded Catholics not to give in to what will surely amount to an atmosphere of peer pressure as some of their neighbors in the pews respond to the Bishop’s appeal.

Know that there are many of us, Catholics like yourselves, who will not lend financial support to this wrongheaded cause. Be confident (and the Bishop is fully aware of this) that there are many Catholics in Maine who wholeheartedly support Maine’s Marriage Equality Law.

Yours truly,
Janice David
Farmington

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

13 Comments

  1. I have to chuckle at the humor in this letter. “I am a Catholic, but I don’t agree with the Catholic church.”

    Doesn’t that make one not a Catholic?

  2. Janice, I applaud you for doing what you feel in your heart is right, even if it means going against what your church dictates. Your letter shows true compassion, honesty, and bravery. To me, those attributes are worth much more than unquestioning compliance.

  3. Janice – NO on #1 will keep the law passed by the legislature on the books. If you are for equal rights, as am I, please vote NO on 1.

  4. Thank you Janice!

    Your words encourage the many people in Maine that believe we can rise above intolerance of others.

    Moreover, it’d be nice if folks would realize that Maine’s Marriage Equality Law actually does not legally affect any religious belief they may hold. The law is clear. It does not force anyone to change their religious beliefs. Instead, Maine’s Marriage Equality Law actually affirms one’s religious freedom while providing equal rights to marry under the law. (Don’t take my word for it…read it yourself at http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_124th/chappdfs/PUBLIC82.pdf)

    Religion and marriage may mean the same thing to some of us, but the fact of the matter is that it is actually the State of Maine that provides marriage licenses which legalizes a couple’s marriage. Even though I was married to my wife in the West Gorham Union Church, it wasn’t legally recognized until I drove down Route 25 and filed the paperwork at the Gorham town office to actually be married under the law. All this law does is extend the same legal courtesy to those couples who may not fit the mold of Ozzie and Harriet.

    There’s a reason for the separation of church and state. That’s exactly what this law mandates.

  5. Disagreeing with a bishop is not the same as disagreeing with the church. Will, you put words in Janice’s mouth she didn’t write. Janice, I applaud your stance and I thank you for speaking out.

  6. Will, by your definition, Dorothy Day (the founder of the Catholic Worker) was not Catholic. One of these days, she may be made a saint.

  7. The Catholic church is against gay marriage, hence the Bishop’s stand against gay marriage. She says right in her letter that her church takes a position that she finds contrary to fairness, not her bishop. Please do not put words in Janice’s mouth.

  8. Also, the Catholic church is not asking for donations, the Yes on 1 campaign is. Kippy, you’ll have to clarify your comments about Dorothy Day for me.

  9. Janice, I notice all the approval for your stance contrary to Catholic teaching. Moral relativism is always politically correct and popular. Being a practicing Catholic does not make one a faithful Catholic. Thankfully, there are many more faithful Catholics in Maine who will vote Yes on #1.

  10. It is the boshop who is telling the churches to take up a collection. Following the church despite the teachings of Jesus is an interesting stance to take, but is it defensible?

  11. I am not a Catholic, and I intend to vote YES on Question 1, but I regret the focus on money by the people who get the most media attention on this issue (Marc Mutty of the R.C. Diocese of Portland, and Baptist pastor Bob Emrich). I keep getting their fund appeals, but no information on what happens to the money people send them. I strongly suspect that the number of people who vote Yes on 1 will not depend on the number of $$ that Marc Mutty collects.

    I have written a pamphlet (“There is no Right to be Agreed with”) explaining why the new law should be rejected. In it I keep out of the religion area entirely. I would be glad to send a copy to anyone who requests it from me (299 High St., Farmington 04938; e-mail licia@qhpress.org).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.