Seattle Bishops Ask Churches to Collect Signatures for Anti-Marriage Amendment

The National Organization for Marriage posted an article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer which reports that that city’s Catholic bishops have asked priests to deploy their parishes to collect the signatures needed to ensure that Referendum 74, which would repeal the state’s marriage equality law, makes it onto the ballot in November.

According to the article, proponents of marriage discrimination have until June 6 to collect the 120,000+ valid voter signatures that would force a referendum on marriage equality. The Catholic Church intends to help with that political effort:

The two bishops of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, in a letter to the faithful, say they will deploy parishes to collect signatures for Referendum 74 . . .

While asking that signatures not be collected on Easter Sunday, the bishops described the issue as “critically important” and said information on the signature drive is being sent to pastors throughout the Western Washington diocese.

The letter is signed by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain and Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo. Sartain testified against marriage equality at a Washington State Senate hearing earlier this year.

In their letter, the bishops specifically deny that refusing marriage to same-sex couples equates to discrimination — an argument made by Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Catholic, in arguing for marriage equality.

“Treating different things differently is not unjust discrimination,” the bishops claim. “Marriage can only be between a man and a woman because of its unique ends, purpose and place in society. The word ‘marriage’ isn’t simply a label that can be attached to different types of relationships.

“Instead ‘marriage’ reflects a deep reality — the reality of the unique, fruitful, lifelong union that is only possible between a man and a woman. There is nothing else like it, and it can’t be defined or made into something that it isn’t.”

This is just the latest example of blatant political meddling on the part of America’s Catholic bishops, who continue violating our nation’s tax laws with impunity. How long will this be allowed to go on? When will the IRS finally enforce its own rules and tax political churches?