That Is Where I Draw the Line - Pope Benedict XVI's Pronouncement

"What the Vatican says and what the followers say are not always congruent..."

We obviously cannot.

The Pronouncement

It was Monday, January 9, 2012, during the Annual World Day of Peace Message; Pope Benedict XVI addressed his deepest sentiments before Vatican diplomats from nearly 180 countries stressing education needs setting especially in understanding family as based on the marriage of a man and a woman.

He continued,

This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself.

He further affirmed,

The family unit is fundamental for the educational process and for the development both of individuals and States; hence there is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue. It is in the family that we become open to the world and to life.

Following Pope Benedict XVI’s pronouncement that gay marriage is a threat to humanity’s future, representatives of affected groups have voiced conflicting opinions on the matter.

The words uttered by the Pope crafted mushrooms of opinion throughout the world, specifically to the Philippines, a country known to have several of religious beliefs.

"This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself," the Pope quoted.

What others think about the issue

Ladlad chairman emeritus Danton Remoto disagreed, saying that families are no longer just made up of a man, woman and child. He qouted "Kasi ang pamilya sa kanila, male female na may anak. Puwede rin namang male-male, female-female na mag ampon… Mas malawak na siya ngayon,”

"Ayaw nila ng same sex marriage, huwag naman nilang ipagdamot sa ibang Christian denomination ang same sex wedding or same sex marriage for that matter," said MCC Rev. Ceejay Agbayani in an interview on Unang Balita on Wednesday.

Really now?

“What about your pedophiles pope? What about them? What about the soldiers in Iraq with brain trauma and those who became war freaks? What about the battered women? What about the un-humane killings of animals? What about North Korea's brainwashing system? What about forced marriages and drunken marriages? What about the ever popular 1-day marriage? When will you make a strong stand against these real problems? You're aiming at the wrong group of people.” – Anonymous 

“What institutionalized marriage as a sacrament and as a legally binding contract in the eyes of the law is LOVE - love between human beings who agree to live life together.  LOVE IS GENERIC- it is never restricted to straight people alone!  LOVE belongs to humanity regardless of gender or sexual preferences.  It is UNCONSCIONABLE to deny human beings the right to marry using gender as a main impediment.  LOVE takes primary precedence versus gender in the act of marriage.  You do not marry just because one has a male genitalia while the other has the opposite?  You marry because you are in love!  I am embarrassed at those who reduce the beautiful concept of marriage to a mere congruency of sexual organs rather than the coalescence of loving hearts!” – Moral Caffeine

"Calling it marriage is a threat to humanity, because it's not a marriage"     

As the article pointed out, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland and Argentina recognize same sex marriages (many more countries recognize same-sex relationships as a compromise and quite a few expect this to be changed to 'marriage' within the next decade) so to say it's not a marriage is untrue, it's just not a marriage in your narrow mind.

And finally, I think Gay marriage is far more preferable to the sexual antics of Catholic priests, with 30% secretly Gay and an unknown but substantial number being pedophiles! – Sam Duel

"What the Vatican says and what the followers say are not always congruent..." 

******

We are all entitled to our purposes and decisions.

Regardless, we are not forever alone, right fellow 9gaggers and readers?

-seems legit to me