From the Family Research Council:
FRC's Pierre Bynum and Peter Sprigg joined my friend, Bishop Harry
Jackson, at the D.C. City Council meeting this morning, at which the
Council voted overwhelmingly (11-2) to allow homosexual unions, inching
the District closer to issuing same-sex "marriage" licenses by next
year. Some Council members proudly recounted the various steps, from
repeal of sodomy laws to adoption of domestic partnerships, which led
to this day--unintentionally confirming "slippery slope" arguments
against incremental "homosexual rights" legislation. Councilman Jack
Evans even cited "condom distribution" and "needle exchange" among
these pioneering policies--ironically demonstrating the very health
risks which make homosexual conduct something to be discouraged, not
celebrated. Final passage of the bill is scheduled for December 15, and
Mayor Adrian Fenty has pledged to sign it. The legislation would then
head to Congress, where House members would have 30 days to overturn
it. While Congress considers its options, the coalition at Stand4MarriageDC
is attacking the bill from another angle--the courtroom. Bishop Harry
Jackson and his team have filed suit against the D.C. Board of
Elections for blocking a ballot initiative on marriage.
Considering the objections of the Catholic Church, the City Council
will have to decide how much it's willing to sacrifice to advance the
homosexual community's agenda. Unless the Council makes significant
changes to the bill by adding religious exemptions, the Catholic
Archdiocese of D.C. has said it will no longer contract with the city
for certain services--particularly if its charities would be forced to
extend employee benefits to same-sex "spouses." Catholic Charities
currently operates more than 60 programs for D.C.'s underprivileged.
That translates to 68,000 people served each year--a third of which are
homeless! As Ryan Messmore pointed out in a great op-ed in yesterday's Examiner,
Catholic Charities would be put in the position of violating the law or
its faith. Still, none of this seems to matter to the City Council,
which is more than willing to hurt anyone in its morally-relative
path--including D.C.'s neediest.
Me: The Ryan Messmore's op-ed mentioned above is worth a special note. If the City in time wants to reject Catholic Charities services, people need to recognize that the following programs could be in jeopardy:
The group operates 63 programs for D.C. residents in need. It is the
largest nongovernmental social services provider in the nation's
capital. These services include:
9,600 homeless men, women and children (one-third of the D.C. homeless population) who turn to it for shelter and food;
200 children who benefit from its foster care, adoption and child abuse prevention programs;
223 children who are rescued from abusive situations and abandonment;
30 pregnant and parenting teens and their children who are given safety and specialized care; and
1,000-plus prison inmates who receive mentoring, information referrals and re-entry support.
That's a high price to pay to appease the homosexual lobby. Read more here.