Catholics, what are your thoughts on this mornings Bishops letter?

[ImproperlyAcquainted]

The one from Vincent Nicholls and Peter Smith regarding marriage, specifically homosexual marriage.

I want to respond but after rambling on for 3 pages I'n not really sure of my point anymore.

If I were gay, I would want nothing to do with it. Marriage would feel totally alien to me.

How can you possibly know that, as you aren't gay? There are gay people who don't conform to the way you think they should feel about this. Get over it. As you think its a colossal waste of time discussing it, perhaps you should set us all a good example and quit?

If I were gay, I would want nothing to do with it. Marriage would feel totally alien to me.

And if I were gay, I would want something to do with it. So we can cancel each other out, and the government can look instead at the hundreds of thousands of people who actually ARE gay and who DO want something to do with it. And listen to them, not us.

Northey no offence but you do realise that as a catholic person you are supposed to encourage celibacy in your gay friends, don't you? I mean that is what your religion advocates. Not MY view, just passing on the catholic message about homosexuality.

There is no way that they can be biological parents of both children, though, and I do think you are missing the fundamental point that marriage is-and always has been-about heterosexual relationships and that to change things is going to upset an awful lot of people and their views are important, too.

Ironic, though, me being an atheist that is ANTI gay marriage and you being a catholic that is for it. Talk about topsy turvy.

I'm also supposed to encourage it in myself, but hey ho.

It's not at all uncommon in heterosexual marriages these days for only one partner to be the biological parent of the children, you know. Should they not have got maried either?

There are straight couples who adopt, there are plenty of couples where only one of the partners is the biological parent. So there is nothing abnormal about gay people parenting in these ways. They might conform a bit less closely to stereotypical role models but then again there's plenty of children in single-parent households with only a mother or a father so again, nothing out of the ordinary.

Migsy, maybe that conclusion will keep your mother off your back?

@Isindebetter This thread was a good one, but wamster was only voicing the views that have been frequently spouted by a great number of posters on other threads about catholicism. It is a realistic reflectio of the kind of prejudice catholics face every day, and will continue to around this issue.

It owuld havwe been nice to have explored catholics waverign feelings aournd their faith more, without being subjected to such single minded, uninformed, theologically dodgy vitrol though

what on earth's wrong with a civil partnership ? folk can still have a big wedding just the same if they want .The definition of marriage is between a women and a man : why does the meaning of the language have to be changed? this is the same type of thinking that says dont have public nativity scenes in case someone gets offended I.E. pretentious rubbish............and it may lead to clerics being unable to refuse to conduct a same sex wedding in their own church should they be unsure about it[surely there are lots of clerics who will gladly bless the couple anyway ?]

Isindebetter Although I do not altogether agree with Wamster I think her(?) views are perfectly valid. There is no point in a discussion unless there are oppositional propositions.

demisemiquaver The thing that is wrong with a Civil Partnership is that it is not a marriage. It is Marriage "Lite". Why should people be told they are not good enough to be married? Have you ever felt that you are not being given full rights....say compared to a man? The first women who went to University (after fighting hard to get there) were given Certificates that weren't real degrees...a pat on the head to shut them up.....I guess so that the men didn't feel their degrees were diminished by...horror...a WOMAN having one. Ring any bells?

61% of all Christians? lots of polls on all sorts of stuff ask like 100 folk..... therefore many polls are unrepresentative.
To want to change the very definition of a word seems extreme to me surely civil partnerships are valued equally to marriage?............ being different surely doesn't imply inequality? Not accepting that we're all different seems a shaky road to go down.

Catholicism is not a democracy. Catholicism is a strictly hierarchal institution that has its head the Pope who is God's representative on earth. THAT is the basis of Catholicism.

The Pope has declared gay marriage to be wrong within the Catholic faith, therefore, within the catholic faith gay marriage is wrong.

That ain't pedantry-that's accuracy and logic.

We are all different, no doubt about it but we do not all need separate terms for things. "Being different surely doesn't imply inequality"...you are frightening me in how much you echoing the excuses used by the white minority in the struggle against Apartheid. Don't tell me, You don't have a problem with Gay people, you just think they are different...but equal of course!!!

And its not prejudice at all. I really resent that comment. All I've done here is assume that catholics actually listen to their leader. Clearly, some don't.

sorry leningrad.....I see it's now the MAJORITY of Christians...... how you can possibly know what they all think one way or another,beats me........
Also, re 'forcing' religions to accept something,I'm sure you wouldn't countenance that yourself,but that so could easily happen in the future.
Look how people get 'shouted down' here for example for having a diff opinion from most active posters. Before you know it,there'll only be one 'allowed' opinion .
If Civil Partnerships lack equal weight in the Law,surely the Law should be changed for that ,rather than a definition of a word in the English language
[and btw I'm sure I wouldn't agree with all the contents of the Bishop's letter either, but in a free religion that's ok surely because freedom of speech is allowed].

Wamster I ought to have specified that I was responding to demisemiquaver. Actually if the Catholic or any other church refuse to conduct same sex marriages then as far as I am concerned that is their belief and they are entitled to it. But outside of the church it will happen. This consultation is not about whether it should happen but how and it is long overdue IMO.

Sorry, Elabella1401, I was responding to those who called me pedantic and wrong about the Catholic church's stance on marriage.
I am clearly right when I say that the Pope is against gay marriage; but some catholics here say I'm wrong. It beggars belief.

ELABELLA that is SUCH AN OFFENSIVE AND IDIOTIC COMMENT: you have just demonstrated such an offensive, arrogant attitude to anyone who dares to disagree with you ,and that's really scary........totalitarian in fact

btw that's re the comment comparing me to APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA...........WTF!.........

It is my opinion and I am entitled to it...as you are entitled to yours. Perhaps I have held a mirror up and you don't like what you see?