Carrying luggage takes a wide stance, ctd.

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Carrying luggage takes a wide stance

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Another Small Step for Gay Rights

President Obama issued a memo to the Department of Health and Human Services directing them to create an exception to the relatives-only policy for gay couples.   The exception comes in handy for same-sex couples in states where gay marriage is not legally recognized.  

Obama requested that the regulation make clear that any hospital receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding, which includes the vast majority of U.S. hospitals, must allow patients to decide who can visit them and prohibit discrimination based on a variety of characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

This is another feather in the cap for the gay community, as the memo follows on the heels of Obama's repeal of DADT.  While it doesn't solve all of the problems related to the ban on gay marriage that exist in most states, it's another solid step in affording equality to all.   Kudos. 

Good Christians?

 Sure they are.   And our courts, sadly, are helping them:

The father of a US Marine killed in Iraq in 2006 has been ordered to pay 16,000 dollars to [the Westboro Baptist Church] who organized an anti-gay protest during his son's funeral, an attorney has said.

Depending on your perspective, these asshats may be better than some calling the shots in the Catholic hierarchy right now. 

Nonetheless, my stomach does an extra-special turn whenever I read a story about their "Free Speech" protests at funerals of servicemen and women.  I get that it's all done for the shock factor and buzz generation, yet it's still sickening to me that the soldiers who's funerals they're using as a prop for their piddly cause died while protecting their right to such a protest.

I've got an idea, why not take some of the energy to Vatican City?  If these lunatics are so enraged about homosexuality, shouldn't they be all the more fired up over the Holy See and his army of pedophiles?

Here we go again...

A Catholic School in Boulder, Colorado has denied re-admission of two children because their parents are a lesbian couple, triggering protests from families of other enrolled children and the GLBT community.   The Archdiocese callously defends the decision, citing unjust pressure on the staff to reconcile the couple's orientation with the teachings of the church.  A quick perusal of the local news comment boards shows a stark contrast of positions on the issue.  Some of which are nauseatingly bigoted and comically misinformed:

nativecolorado wrote:

9news: You should be ashamed for even giving this story the time of day...what a total farce! To make it the lead story the past day or so is a disgrace! Your bias is shameful!

This is America and the last time I checked a free country. Free to worship your religion...so a news flash to all of you intolerant and hate filled homosexual and liberal people: You preach tolerance yet are completely intolerant of those that follow the teaching of the Catholic Church!  Get a life!

That is what public schools are for...to indoctrinate children with your intolerance! The Catholic school has EVERY right to make this decision! Why do you think private and charter schools are so popular? It always amazes me how quick people are to attack the Catholic Church and spew hatred and lies about it.

.I'd like to see these people try this with a Muslim or Jewish organization…

I can assure you 9news would not have covered the story and would have been afraid to do so.

That there exist in this world people who believe it's the gays and liberals who are the ones being intolerant on this issue is almost mind-numbing.   But I digress.  

One has to wonder, first, why this couple would bother to send their kids to this school in the first place, knowing what we do about the church at large.  One argument made on this front says that if the church is allowed to enjoy tax exemptions from the city and state then they also need to stifle their own discriminatory practices that lie in contrast with the laws of said city and state.  I can agree with that, though I'd prefer that such exemptions were abolished completely, paving way for a true separation of church and state, but that's a separate issue. 

The bigger question is how many of the other kids enrolled at this school were born out of wedlock?  Have single parents who are living in sin?   Have divorced and remarried parents? We already know the school accepts children from different faiths.   These families would also be in defiance of the morally upstanding teachings of the Catholic Church, right?   

Says Archbishop Chaput: Nope:

It’s also true that some of our schools exist as a service outreach in largely non-Catholic communities.  Many of our schools also accept students of other faiths and no faith, and from single parent and divorced parent families.  These students are always welcome so long as their parents support the Catholic mission of the school and do not offer a serious counter-witness to that mission in their actions.

The hypocrisy is astounding.

Catholic Charities: Gays Ruin Benefits for Everyone

On February 1st, the Washington DC Catholic Charities moved to end their foster care programs in a retaliation against the city's new law allowing gay marriage.   Sullivan has commented on the issue at length, asking the question: will Catholic Charities cut benefits for any employees who have divorced and remarried under DC law?  Well, here's your answer, Andrew:

Catholic Charities President and CEO Edward Orzechowski sent a memo out to employees yesterday informing them that spouses’ who have already been enrolled in the health plan would continue to receive care under a grandfather clause, but that new employees or newly married employees would no longer be eligible to obtain coverage for their spouses through Catholic Charities.
The change goes into effect today. The District of Columbia will begin granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples beginning on March 4.

I don't think I'll ever understand how the church reconciles Jesus' teachings of goodwill towards your fellow man with their draconian stance on gay rights.  This latest move to is the political equivalent of the Diocese taking its ball and going home.  Just goes to show, when you think bar is set low, the Catholics somehow manage to go even lower.