The Los Angeles Times deserves a nod for standing against the faith-biased bigotry of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington threatened to shoot itself in the foot by refusing to take money to perform charitable work in the district unless LGBT citizens were denied the right to enter into civil marriages. According to the Times editorial: “The Council of the District of Columbia is right to stand firm against the Catholic Church on the issue of same-sex marriage.”
There are times when the aims of government and religious organizations are in sync: bringing food to the hungry, beds to the homeless and medical care to the sick. At other times, their aims veer apart. That’s fine, but at such times, government must not be diverted from its own course. The District of Columbia Council is expected to approve same-sex marriage next month. If it does, those marriages must receive the same recognition as all other marriages, at least in matters under the city’s jurisdiction. The council cannot dictate how a religious organization spends its private money, but it has an obligation to set rules for the use of public funds.
It’s gratifying to see the Times take a well-deserved swipe at the self-described fierce advocate for gay and lesbian rights, who, once elected, decided his administration and party would be better served by kissing the asses of right-wing religionists rather than by delivering on promises made to those who supported and funded his 2008 campaign:
So far, the District of Columbia Council is showing more backbone on this issue than the Obama administration. Barack Obama promised during his presidential campaign that he would end the practice of allowing faith-based groups receiving federal money to discriminate in hiring — for example, by not employing people who hold other religious beliefs.
The Times closes by essentially reminding the Vatican’s men in dresses on the ground in DC that they’re not the only game in town:
In contrast, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray said the city would find another contractor if the Catholic Church severed its ties. That was the right response, and we hope it rang loud enough for Obama to hear.
