The New York State Senate defeated a bill that would have redefined marriage in New York State in a bipartisan 38-24 vote. Below is a new release from the New York State Catholic Conference:
New York State Catholic Conference Executive Director Richard E. Barnes made the following statement today regarding the defeat of a bill in the New York State Senate by a vote of 38-24 that would have allowed people of the same sex to “marry” each other:
“On behalf of the Bishops of New York State, we are extremely pleased and grateful that the New York State Senate in a bipartisan vote rejected the concept that marriage can be anything other than the union of one man and one woman.
“While the Catholic Church rejects unjust discrimination against homosexual men and women, there is no question that marriage by its nature is the union of one man and one woman. Advocates for same-sex ‘marriage’ have attempted to portray their cause as inevitable. However, it has become clear that Americans continue to understand marriage the way it has always been understood, and New York is not different in that regard. This is a victory for the basic building block of our society.”
The Catholic Conference represents New York State’s Bishops in matters of public policy.
George Latimer’s Explanation of his Positive Vote
Last year when State Assemblyman George Latimer was asked why he voted for same sex marriage as a Catholic he claimed he was voting the way his constituents wanted him to vote. He may face serious problems now as a Catholic because the Bishops have made it clear Catholic politicians must follow the dictates of their religion.
Serious Problems!!!!
Please stop it. What’s going to happen? The bishops will pound George with their bibles? get over it – move on and get on the bandwagon for change. Same sex marriage will be back on the agenda soon. Your ideas of hate and fear will not.
What I hope happens
is that we elect somebody who really represents us. Latimer is a career politician and a joke at that. What has he ever done for us?
Senator Suzi Oppenheimer’s Tells Why She Favors Gay Marriage
In this article you will note that Senator Suzi Oppenheimer’s views are put into perspective. Before the vote Senator Diaz enumerated how the states that allow gay marriage did not have the people vote on the issue. He urged that this issue be voted upon by all the people in the state.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009, National Review
N.Y. Senate Rejects Gay Marriage 38–24 [Maggie Gallagher]
By an unexpectedly lopsided margin, the New York Senate voted thumbs down to gay marriage in New York, 38 no to 24 yes. Every Republican senator voted against it, as did one-quarter of Democrats.
This is a huge victory. As Brian Brown, NOM’s executive director, just said, this win “puts the nail in the coffin of the idea that gay-marriage advocates can persuade a majority of Americans their cause is just.” (Full disclosure: The National Organization for Marriage spent $600,000 in advertising, automated calling, and other voter outreach over the last few months in New York alone.)
The debate was also lopsided: a remarkable display of self-indulgence, tone-deafness and hubris on the part of gay-marriage advocates. Many senators suggested people who see marriage as a male-female union are like slave owners or segregationists. They compared themselves to Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and even Nelson Mandela. Sen. Suzie Oppenheimer upped the ante by suggesting the hate and intolerance of those of us who think marriage is the union of husband and wife is akin to the Nazism that killed her husband’s family.
This kind of disrespectful treatment of diverse views on gay marriage really needs to stop. Now. Today.
Contrast Senator Oppenheimer’s Statement to Huckabee’s views
HUCKABEE: For us to stand there that day and to see Barack Obama taking the stage, to realize 50 years ago, he couldn’t have served coffee in the White House and now he’ll be the resident of the White House, we have to be happy as Americans.
BEHAR: You’re very passionate about that.
HUCKABEE: I am.
BEHAR: Do you feel that way about gay rights, too?
HUCKABEE: It’s a different set of rights. People who are homosexuals should have every right in terms of their civil rights, to be employed, to do anything they want. But that’s not really the issue. I know you talked about it and I think you got into it a little bit early on. But when we’re talking about a redefinition of an institution, that’s different than individual civil rights. We’re never going to convince each other.
BEHAR: Well, segregation was an institution,
***********8
STATEMENT OF SENATOR SUZI OPPENHEIMER
ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY
There is a concept in my religious faith called tikkun olam, which commands us to “repair the world.” In my view, the New York Senate missed an opportunity to repair a part of the world when it failed to pass the marriage equality bill this week. As I stated on the Senate floor, marriage equality is not about religion, nor about morality. It is about civil rights. It is about equal rights. It is about the sharing of privileges and responsibilities afforded other committed couples in civil marriages recognized by New York State. These rights include those of survivorship, access to health insurance and pension benefits, the ability to make medical decisions for a loved one, custodial and property rights and a host of other legal protections.
Viewed in its most positive light, our democracy was strengthened by our ability to debate marriage equality and bring it to a vote before the full Senate. But we will not enjoy true democracy until we have equal rights and protections for all couples. I am reminded of that cardinal rule “to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” My husband and I enjoy the many rights secured to us as a married couple. I believe that other committed couples deserve the same protections. Marriage equality is not just for the gay and lesbian community; it is for all of us a measure of our shared humanity. And so the fight will go on, the struggle will continue until we ultimately prevail.
Gay marriage issue is total misrepresentation of the real issue
Gay marriage opponents are portrayed as bigoted homophobes or religious zealots (some are), while proponents are enlightened humanists when it comes to the gay marriage issue, however, I feel neither is true because neither deals with the reality of the issue.
People confuse “rights” with “rewards” or “benefits”. Society rewards its members when they behave in ways that society has determined beneficial for the whole.
Some benefits come in the form of financial rewards such as tax write-offs. Deduction for mortgage interest and property taxes because a homeowner is supposed to be a more stable member of society, deductions for charity because society wants people to donate to the less fortunate, lower marriage rate because married people are more stable and society wants the family structure to consist of married people with children for which there is also a tax deduction for. Family health insurance was born out of a period when the vast majority of men went to work and women stayed home and raised the kids. The jobs had to provide family coverage.
So what is the gay marriage issue really based upon? It’s based on an opinion that gay marriage should get the exact same “rewards” that society bestows upon Man/Woman marriage even though it is not what society wants to promote or reward. Gay unions will get most benefits that traditional marriage gets such as tax write-offs for home ownership, if they adopt they’ll get tax deductions for the children, but what they really want is the big financial rewards. Health insurance and the ability to pass on assets at death, tax free to your spouse and any other FINANCIAL benefit.
So how should the gay community proceed with this issue? The easy and disingenuous way is to play the discrimination card as they’ve been doing with little success, the real and I believe more effective method would be to create a discourse on the benefits gay marriage would have for society and how those benefits should be rewarded. It could be quite possible that gay marriage holds more benefits than traditional marriage and therefore would get more rewards. Most gay couples don’t have children and don’t add to our already out of control population. They may adopt at a higher rate, taking children that other couples might not take etc..etc.. On the negative side, 2 men or 2 women can both work and get health coverage so family coverage would not apply…(relax, just brainstorming) I personally believe that if the gay community stops trying to push gay marriage as an exact duplicate of straight marriage with just a gender difference they’ll get much farther. The arguments that not all straight couples can procreate etc.. don’t work because it’s the ideal that society is trying to put forth and reward.
Stop Catholic Hypocricy
This setback is unfortunate and expected given the vile and moronic nature of the debate spearheaded by State Senator Ruben Diaz. His prehistoric arguments are insulting and reminds us of the Inquisition where the Catholic Church killed millions. Let’s remind ourselves that the Catholic Church has killed millions for the sake of your catholic god. The Crusades, the extermination of millions of native americans, the silence while Hitler killed millions of jews and gypsies, the pedophilia that exists in all churches, yet it is condoned and protected, the creation of children while supposedly they are to maintain a life of celebacy? How hypocritical! How bombastic. Now you gang up on people who make the best families, who love each other, who wish to have the same equal protection of property rigths as anyone else. The catholic church is losing membership throughout the world and not enough men wish to tolerate a life as a priest (thank god!). One day very soon, catholics will find their churches empty and they will wonder why there is no one to shake hands with or say, peace with you.
Denying the right to marry to homosexuals is a violation of religious freedom. Remember, there is supposed to be a separation of Church and State in the US and civil and religious marriages are two separate institutions.
All couples, homosexual or not, should be able to enjoy the benefits of marriage. Why should a couple be denied joint ownership, medical decision-making, etc, just because of their sexual preference?
Nowadays, homosexuality is an accepted lifestyle with a proven biological cause.
To deny marriage to same sex couples is discrimination to a minority.
Allowing same sex marriage will not hurt society or anyone individually.
Marriage is a union between two people who love each other.
Remember that biblical comments about gay & lesbians are vague and fictitious. The Bible is a great piece of literature that has been edited and re-edited over millenia to suit conquerors and dictators. It’s original meaning and purpose were lost long ago. Remember that Jesus never married and hung out with many other single men. Was Jesus gay?
You’re confused- here’s an analogy for you
You’re wrong on every issue. Firstly, the religious attack is uncalled for, property rights and medical decisions can be fully addressed via legal contracts and the rest of your post is basically biased ramblings. It is this type of argument that will get you nowhere. Here’s an analogy for you.
You feel strongly that senior citizens deserve special benefits so you work long and hard getting them special tax deductions, reduced medicine costs, reduced transportation costs, and all sorts of other benefits society feels they’d like to give senior citizens…and after you get all these bills to pass, you sue the gov’t for age discrimination so you can get them too. That’s the gay marriage issue. Convince society what benefits gay marriage offers on it’s own and you will get much farther than just trying to ride the coattails of traditional marriage. You’re just trying to sneak in the back door. (pun intended).
Stop Catholic Hypocricy
This setback is unfortunate and expected given the vile and moronic nature of the debate spearheaded by State Senator Ruben Diaz. His prehistoric arguments are insulting and reminds us of the Inquisition where the Catholic Church killed millions. Let’s remind ourselves that the Catholic Church has killed millions for the sake of your catholic god. The Crusades, the extermination of millions of native americans, the silence while Hitler killed millions of jews and gypsies, the pedophilia that exists in all churches, yet it is condoned and protected, the creation of children while supposedly they are to maintain a life of celebacy? How hypocritical! How bombastic. Now you gang up on people who make the best families, who love each other, who wish to have the same equal protection of property rigths as anyone else. The catholic church is losing membership throughout the world and not enough men wish to tolerate a life as a priest (thank god!). One day very soon, catholics will find their churches empty and they will wonder why there is no one to shake hands with or say, peace with you.
Denying the right to marry to homosexuals is a violation of religious freedom. Remember, there is supposed to be a separation of Church and State in the US and civil and religious marriages are two separate institutions.
All couples, homosexual or not, should be able to enjoy the benefits of marriage. Why should a couple be denied joint ownership, medical decision-making, etc, just because of their sexual preference?
Nowadays, homosexuality is an accepted lifestyle with a proven biological cause.
To deny marriage to same sex couples is discrimination to a minority.
Allowing same sex marriage will not hurt society or anyone individually.
Marriage is a union between two people who love each other.
Remember that biblical comments about gay & lesbians are vague and fictitious. The Bible is a great piece of literature that has been edited and re-edited over millenia to suit conquerors and dictators. It’s original meaning and purpose were lost long ago. Remember that Jesus never married and hung out with many other single men. Was Jesus gay?
Don’t pervert the Catholic Religion
Your comments about the Bible and Jesus and not true. Catholics believe their Bible contains the true words of Christ and know Jesus was God. Distorting the truth does not make your statements correct. Marriage in the Catholic religion is between a man and a woman and its prime purpose is procreation.
Perversion is being catholic
You have no idea what history has taught us about perversion. Read the horrific impact that catholicism has done to men and women in the Americas, in Africa and elsewhere. Can you truly believe that there is one god? There are many. Your catholic god has massacre millions for gold, power and the maintenance of a male social order. Women are exluded; people of color were and continue to be excluded. Jesus Christ was a good historical figure who would be truly amazed at how perverse and distorted his presumed message has been misapplied. His teachings of goodness, tolerance and peace have been perverted by a catholic hierarchy that is immersed in crime and wickedness. You have a pope who has a nazi background, yet you refused to acknowledge this. God is nothing more than the great faith we feel.