Kids off hook in drive to end gay marriage

[kweerwolf]

The Boston archdiocese and the Massachusetts Catholic Conference scrambled yesterday to distance themselves from a controversial effort to employ children in an anti-gay marriage petition drive.

Archdiocesan students ``will not and should not be asked to bring home the marriage petition,'' said Terrence C. Donilon, spokesman for Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley. ``We made a decision here that we needed to take the message directly to parishioners, parents and people of voting age, and not include schools.''

The statement came amid mounting criticism after a Herald article revealed yesterday the church planned to send copies of the petition home with every Catholic school student in the state's four dioceses.

Charles Martel, a psychotherapist and project coordinator for Roman Catholics for the Freedom to Marry, called the tactic ``disturbing.'' ``It's one thing for adults to make a decision about this issue, but to involve children as a conduit for this type of information is completely inappropriate and a terrible use of education,'' said Martel, a parishioner at St. Ignatius parish in Chestnut Hill.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=105056

Well, heck! How else are you gonna teach them to be bigots if you don't start 'em young?

[Fenris]

1. Charles Martel? Alive?

Hee hee hee. Sorry, I just find that funny. :rofl:

[flamingyouth]

2. His nickname was the same as Tom DeLay's - "the hammer"

A bizarre coincidence. :D

[Fenris]

4. Tom Martel!

Although it pains me to associate the hero of Tours with a corrupt exterminator. x(

[TruePatriate]

3. This is a very Controversial Subject to Begin with.

But to send this to the children is the most disturbing reckless thing you can do and once again goes to show how low the neo conservatives will go even if it hurts the precious minds of our children. We have no business bringing our Children in this messy debate. Children should be left to be children and enjoy life for what it has to offer.

True Patriate

[kweerwolf]

5. So true, TruePatriot

... and BTW, welcome to DU!

[Occulus]

6. They're feeling justified in doing it because

they think gay people are "after" their children to "convert" them. I have no idea where that idea came from but I've heard it over and over again through the years.

[TaleWgnDg]

10. . . . talk about twisted !!!

.

It's a tad bit twisted. Very. To think that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston would use children to disseminate stuff about which the clerics do not want us to teach in public school, i.e., sex education. Yet, here the Roman Catholic clerics are using children to disseminate anti-gay marriage information!

This is hypocrisy! Hypocrisy for their own self-serving.

Well? Tis no surprise. None. The Roman Catholic Church is not new to self-serving hypocrisy. Because the Romans Catholic clergy were -- for years and years -- abusing children and passing the abusers from child to child to child to child to child. Knowingly and willingly. It's well-documented both in court records and in newspaper investigative journalism. When will the Church "get it" in order to cease and desist? It's been more than two thousand years and waiting . . . the clock's ticking away!

BTW, it's these religious institutions that George Walker Bush via his Executive Orders is granting federal tax-payer monies . . . laundering money through "faith-based initiatives" (for votes) because George *believes* that these institutions are better institutions to meet the "social needs in America" than is government!! (pdf format, Adobe required) . . . YIKES!

Welcome to DU, TruePatriate

.

[MountainLaurel]

7. This isn't surprising

The Church has often used children in its political efforts, in the name of obeying God's will, going back to the Children's Crusade in the Middle Ages. Hell, I remember an article about one of the local Catholic schools that gave kids extra credit in religion class for protesting at the women's clinic.

[TaleWgnDg]

9. Where do you think Hitler got his idea for his "Hitler Youth?" . . . n/t

[Southpaw Bookworm]

12. Interesting point, TaleWgn

And it makes PapaRatzi's selection as pope even more relevant.

I have to admit, WWII era German history isn't my strong suit, but I've been reading some interesting items about the period and what led millions of Germans to be complicit to genocide.

[Meldread]

8. If they did this...

...I would have hoped that the children would have ripped them up right as they were handed out.

[davidinalameda]

11. why should you expect anything different

the Church is going all out to get rid of gay marriage

I'm not surprised at their use of children--they've been using children for centuries, why should the Church change now

[sakabatou]

13. self delete

[sakabatou]

14. Sickening

Using children for ones on political agenda/propaganda for this matter is sick, IMO.