Opinion: A case study of anti-Catholic, anti-family bigotry

How a Minnesota news network tries to redefine the Catholic faith

The most recent nauseating attack on Christian orthodoxy is an article published by The Minnesota Independent, a liberal rag from an otherwise fine state, titled "Catholics say anti-gay marriage campaign not political, gay groups disagree."  In it the writer makes a number of fallacious and nonfactual claims, presumptions, and attacks on the Catholic Church.  In fact, the desperation of the article gives me hope.  When journalists abandon integrity to attack the Catholic Church, I know that they must be feeling our pressure and influence on American culture.

WASHINGTON DC (Catholic Online) - As a writer and blogger, I hate pounding away at negative stories and constantly having to sound the trumpet when our Christian faith and heritage is attacked.  But when I see something happen that I know to be wrong, it's hard to just pass over it as if nothing has happened.

The most recent nauseating attack on Christian orthodoxy is an article published by The Minnesota Independent, a liberal rag from an otherwise fine state, titled "Catholics say anti-gay marriage campaign not political, gay groups disagree." 

In it the writer makes a number of fallacious and nonfactual claims, presumptions, and attacks on the Catholic Church.  In fact, the desperation of the article gives me hope.  When journalists abandon integrity to attack the Catholic Church, I know that they must be feeling our pressure and influence on American culture.

In the article, the writer does not actually address the issue raised in the title as the primary subject of the article.  From the title, "Catholics say anti-gay marriage campaign not political, gay groups disagree," we would presume that the article will centrally address whether or not the Catholic Church in Minnesota is tackling marriage in a "political" manner. 

But the heart and soul of the article focuses on the false presumption that Archbishop John Nienstedt's marriage campaign, "Preserving Marriage in Minnesota," is anti-gay or specifically about his opposition to same-sex marriage.  While the threat of so-called same-sex "marriage" may have prompted the timing of this campaign, the Catholic position regarding homosexuality has been constant and firm-not political.

Recently, Deacon Keith Fournier, Editor in Chief of Catholic Online, gave an excellent response to the false claim that we are "anti-gay."  To say that the Catholic Church is anti-gay falsely implies that the Catholic Church does not love gay people as much as anyone else.  After a thorough understanding of Catholic teaching, one knows that the Catholic Church loves the person enough that we wish them to reject sin and come closer to God; that includes rejecting homosexual behaviors.

Deacon Fournier wrote, "A DVD entitled 'Preserving Marriage in Minnesota' is being sent to all Catholics this week to assist them in informing their political participation based upon the truth concerning Marriage as revealed in the Natural Law, confirmed by Revelation and consistently taught by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.  On Catechetical Sunday, September 19, 2010, this courageous Bishop urged the faithful to support a constitutional amendment to protect marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman ordered toward love and the bearing and raising of children."

The Minnesota Independent, along with other groups with a radically pro-gay agenda, frames the Catholic Church as anti-gay, rather than pro-family.  They project the Catholic Church as being against equal rights, when, in fact, the Catholic Church supports Natural Law.  Natural Law does not make exceptional rights for groups that lie outside of the natural order and reason. 

Simply put, we cannot create rights wherever we want.  In fact, even referring to the proposition of "gay marriage," which is the primary legal issue at hand, is a presumption of possibility.  We should correct ourselves whenever we use the phrase "gay marriage", because a more accurate label for this fictitious union is "so-called gay 'marriage.'"

The article goes on to reference a TV ad by the National Organization for Marriage and the Minnesota Family Council, which mentioned that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King would have opposed so-called same-sex "marriage" had it ever arisen during his lifetime.  The writer says that this claim is "at odds" with the statements of his late widow, Coretta Scott King. 

Dr. King's wife did, in fact, make claims that would imply Dr. King's endorsement of legalizing so-called same-sex "marriage."  But upon reviewing the reference quotes, it becomes clear that Coretta King used Dr. King's verbiage and message for her own purposes, at least on this issue. 

She uses quotes attributed to Dr. King as a precursor for a completely separate issue.  Dr. King never openly supported homosexual behavior, and yet The Minnesota Independent attempts implant a presumption that some prominent, respected Christians accept a normalization of homosexuality where it simply does not exist. 

Lastly, the article highlights a gay activist named Monica Meyer who believes the Catholic Church's sole role is as a charitable worker.  In a move of poor journalism, the writer did not find it necessary to point out that the Catholic Church does not do good works independent of our faith in God.  The Church is empowered by the Holy Spirit and given a Divine disposition toward the poor that secular groups cannot understand. 

Meyer points out that that the Catholic Church is spending $1.6 million dollars on the campaign that could be going to serve those who she sees as the truly needy.  Again, the writer misrepresents the facts by not connecting the dots.  The Catholic Church in Minnesota is not funding the campaign: an anonymous donor is.  Even if the Catholic Church did sponsor the campaign, whose business is it to determine how the Catholic Church should spend its money? 

As if to totally abandon journalistic integrity, and once again revealing the writers agenda, the article finishes with a quote from Meyer that I suppose was intended to make us think shamefully about the Catholic Church: "How many meals could $1.6 million have provided?"  Let me finish with a quote of my own: "Meals defeat the purpose, if you are left spiritually starving."

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Billy Atwell contributes to Catholic Online, and blogs for The Point and the Manhattan Declaration. As a young lay Catholic and two-time cancer survivor he offers commentary on faith, culture, and politics. You can find all of his writings at For the Greater Glory.

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