Catholic Church withdraws charity

[Aught3]

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday 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, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, 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.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."

Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.

In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.

http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/11/catholic-church-withdraws-charity-thousands-gay-marriage-bill/

Should we be forcing charitable organisations to conform to policies that contradict their moral teachings? Or is it about time that these international organisations were treated the same way as any other business?

In my view this action by the Catholic church seems to erode one of the strongest claims for religion, namely that it encourages its adherents to do charitable work. It's not really charity if it comes as part of a package of coercion and threats, at best religious charity is a bribe used to force people into accepting their absurd preachments.

 

[Dusty341]

Just another example of how the Catholic Church is NOT a force of good in the world. As if that weren't obvious enough.

 

[borrofburi]

Take away their tax exempt status. They can discriminate if they're taxed.

 

[xman]

Typical. Good riddance. Make room for some honest charity work to fill the gap.

 

[WolfAU]

Should we be forcing charitable organisations to conform to policies that contradict their moral teachings? Or is it about time that these international organisations were treated the same way as any other business?

My attitude is that a charity, to be considered a charity must be secular, if its a "religious charity", it is forced to choose which it is, if it stays religious than its a "religious advocacy group" (and thus, get no tax breaks), and if it remains a charity its a secular charity.

This is absolutely unacceptable behaviour from the church and is another glaring example that they are not interested in doing good. I hope atheism milks this hypocrisy for all its worth and shows that the church is a disgrace.

 

[nemesiss]

Can someone say "Blackmail" ?

i say, to put that bill in play and wait for a while...
if there is financial problems.. atleast they can simply answered "hey, the church stopped donating because they didn't like the cities policy."

if people become enraged at the church, the church will be forced to donate to save face...

 

[Giliell]

Can someone say "Blackmail" ?

Funny, that was exactly the first word that came to my mind....

Oh, btw, when the pope forced the official catholic charities to stop counselling women thinking about abortions (because you need to proove that you went to a counsellor before you can have one), because that would somehow make them complicent in the abortion, a bunch of roman-catholic women founded a non-official charity that does the job now.

 

[Mapp]

Excellent, purge these disingenuous, dishonest bastards. If they're going to use charitable giving as an ultimatum to bludgeon the city, then they were never doing honest charity to begin with.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday 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, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, 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.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."

Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.

In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.

http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/11/catholic-church-withdraws-charity-thousands-gay-marriage-bill/

Should we be forcing charitable organisations to conform to policies that contradict their moral teachings? Or is it about time that these international organisations were treated the same way as any other business?

In my view this action by the Catholic church seems to erode one of the strongest claims for religion, namely that it encourages its adherents to do charitable work. It's not really charity if it comes as part of a package of coercion and threats, at best religious charity is a bribe used to force people into accepting their absurd preachments.

If that's their attitude, then they should surrender their tax-exempt status.

 

[DontHurtTheIntersect]

Stay classy, Catholic Church!

 

[DrunkCat]

Take away their tax exempt status. They can discriminate if they're taxed.

Typical. Good riddance. Make room for some honest charity work to fill the gap.

That basically sums this thread up.

 

[Skantaq]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/23/catholic-priest-florida-steals-funds

This is old-ish news (2006) from the parish-school I went to for most of my life. I thought you all would find it interesting and that it has a place in this thread.

 

[monitoradiation]

"If the city requires this, we can't do it," Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. "The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that's really a problem."

There's nothing wrong with expressing a religious opinion in a secular society, and I think we should let the church express it. But I don't think they're paying taxes, so I'm not sure they even have the right to complain about how the city runs its social services.

You know what they should do? Tax the church, and then they can MAYBE have an opinion that we should even consider. And even then, it's not going to be taken since it's not a fair, secular reason.