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cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 11:57 AM Jul 2012

Catholic Church Blatantly Discriminates Against Gay Couple In Property Sale

The Catholic Church has been caught both lying and openly discriminating against a gay couple in Massachusetts. James Fairbanks and Alain Beret were planning to purchase a mansion and surrounding property from the Diocese of Worcester in Northbridge, MA, in hopes of renovating it into a banquet hall, and the deal was negotiated. Last month, the pair was notified they’d have to renegotiate because of additional costs for a sprinkler system, so they made a new offer that should have satisfied everyone, but the diocese suddenly backed out to pursue “other plans.”

Monsignor Thomas Sullivan, who overseas property sales for the diocese explained that Fairbanks and Beret “couldn’t come up with the money,” but he accidentally included an email to the broker with a very different explanation:

I just went down the hall and discussed it with the bishop. Because of the potentiality of gay marriages there, something you shared with us yesterday, we are not interested in going forward with these buyers. I think they’re shaky anyway. So, just tell them that we will not accept their revised plan and the Diocese is making new plans for the property. You find the language.


Beret and Fairbanks never declared that they were married, but even if they were not gay, the potentiality for same-sex marriages to take place at the mansion would be no different. Massachusetts law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, and Beret says he will fight: “For the sake of my dignity, I’m not walking away.”

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/26/593861/catholic-church-discrimination/?mobile=nc
19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Catholic Church Blatantly Discriminates Against Gay Couple In Property Sale (Original Post) cleanhippie Jul 2012 OP
... xchrom Jul 2012 #1
And yet, even here, where Liberals and Progressive congregate... cleanhippie Jul 2012 #2
It wouldn't surprise me to see a few skepticscott Jul 2012 #6
Lovely...just lovely. MineralMan Jul 2012 #3
NTS in 3... 2... 1... 2ndAmForComputers Jul 2012 #4
That is against the law in the state of MA Marrah_G Jul 2012 #5
If believers Greatest I am Jul 2012 #7
That's a pretty broad rush statement. cbayer Jul 2012 #8
Ok. All those who believe in Jesus. Greatest I am Aug 2012 #16
Not when it contradicts their god's morals.... Humanist_Activist Aug 2012 #19
As an atheist and strong supporter of secularism, I still find that a bit of a broadbrush statement LeftishBrit Jul 2012 #9
Look above. Greatest I am Aug 2012 #17
I certainly care about morals, which is why I renounced the Catholic church a long time ago ButterflyBlood Jul 2012 #10
Those who do will follow you. Greatest I am Aug 2012 #18
They've always been discriminatory Bradical79 Jul 2012 #11
Yes x 1000 n/t Plantaganet Jul 2012 #12
Gays ok in old church Greatest I am Jul 2012 #13
Which means that... Plantaganet Aug 2012 #14
That Greatest I am Aug 2012 #15

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
2. And yet, even here, where Liberals and Progressive congregate...
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 01:12 PM
Jul 2012

we have members who continue to support and defend this terrible organization.

 

skepticscott

(13,029 posts)
6. It wouldn't surprise me to see a few
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 09:09 PM
Jul 2012

chiming in to this thread, and lying like a carpet when they do.

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
3. Lovely...just lovely.
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 02:59 PM
Jul 2012

Way to go, folks. More evidence that the leadership of that church don't actually believe their own religion. If they actually did, they'd be frightened to death about the consequences of their actions.

I hope the prospective buyers win their case. They should follow up on this, especially given MA laws and the disclosure by the Bishop in that email. No-brainer.

Greatest I am

(235 posts)
7. If believers
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 12:52 PM
Jul 2012

If believers were interested in morals instead of 3, 000 yr. old gogma and tradition, they would demand that the church does the right thing.

Believers do not care about their morals.

Regards
DL

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
8. That's a pretty broad rush statement.
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 12:54 PM
Jul 2012

Last edited Mon Jul 30, 2012, 01:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Do you really think that all believers have no regard for morals?

Greatest I am

(235 posts)
16. Ok. All those who believe in Jesus.
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 03:13 PM
Aug 2012

Anyone who believes that God would have his son murdered to forghive sin instead of God finding a moral way and trying to use Jesus as their scapegoat into heaven are immoral as they are saying that God will accept bribes and that it is good to punish the innocent instead of the guilty.

That is immoral.

How manyt Christians are not trying to profit from Jesus' murder by God?

It was God's plan from the beginning to have Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. This can be demonstrated by the fact that the bible says that Jesus "was crucified from the foundations of the Earth," that is to say, God planned to crucify Jesus as atonement for sin before he even created human beings or God damned sin.

If God had not intended humans to sin from the beginning, why did he build into the Creation this "solution" for sin? Why create a solution for a problem you do not anticipate?

God knew that the moment he said "don't eat from that tree," the die was cast. The eating was inevitable. Eve was merely following the plan.

This then begs the question.

What kind of God would plan and execute the murder of his own son when there was absolutely no need to?

Only an insane God. That’s who.

The cornerstone of Christianity is human sacrifice, thus showing it‘s immorality.

One of Christianity's highest form of immorality is what they have done to women.
They have denied them equality and subjugated them to men.

&feature=related

&feature=related

&feature=related

Regards
DL
 

Humanist_Activist

(7,670 posts)
19. Not when it contradicts their god's morals....
Sun Aug 5, 2012, 08:44 AM
Aug 2012

Their god is given greater consideration than EVERYTHING else, including morals, decency, and people.

LeftishBrit

(41,192 posts)
9. As an atheist and strong supporter of secularism, I still find that a bit of a broadbrush statement
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 01:42 PM
Jul 2012

'Believers do not care about their morals'.

SOME believers do not care about their morals. To say it about all believers is just like saying it about all atheists, or about a specific religious group.

Greatest I am

(235 posts)
17. Look above.
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 03:16 PM
Aug 2012

I just replied to this same remark above. Please have a look and see if you agree with the logic.

Regards
DL

ButterflyBlood

(12,644 posts)
10. I certainly care about morals, which is why I renounced the Catholic church a long time ago
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 01:48 PM
Jul 2012

I don't care about its 2000 year old dogma and tradition either.

Greatest I am

(235 posts)
18. Those who do will follow you.
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 03:17 PM
Aug 2012

It was God's plan from the beginning to have Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. This can be demonstrated by the fact that the bible says that Jesus "was crucified from the foundations of the Earth," that is to say, God planned to crucify Jesus as atonement for sin before he even created human beings or God damned sin.

If God had not intended humans to sin from the beginning, why did he build into the Creation this "solution" for sin? Why create a solution for a problem you do not anticipate?

God knew that the moment he said "don't eat from that tree," the die was cast. The eating was inevitable. Eve was merely following the plan.

This then begs the question.

What kind of God would plan and execute the murder of his own son when there was absolutely no need to?

Only an insane God. That’s who.

The cornerstone of Christianity is human sacrifice, thus showing it‘s immorality.

One of Christianity's highest form of immorality is what they have done to women.
They have denied them equality and subjugated them to men.

&feature=related

&feature=related

&feature=related

Regards
DL
 

Bradical79

(4,490 posts)
11. They've always been discriminatory
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 04:20 PM
Jul 2012

For nearly 2000 years the church has been lying and discriminating against homosexuals. It's a fundamentally bigoted organization from its earliest years. While I am glad at the number of Catholics who reject the more discriminatory teachings of their religion these days, I'm not sure I understand any moral justification of continuing to give the church their time and money.

Greatest I am

(235 posts)
13. Gays ok in old church
Mon Jul 30, 2012, 09:23 PM
Jul 2012

No argument with those against church discrimination.

http://christianity-revealed.com/cr/files/whensamesexmarriagewasachristianrite.html

Let me add this link and ask if any have further ancient documentation strengthening the ideas shown?

Regards
DL

Plantaganet

(241 posts)
14. Which means that...
Wed Aug 1, 2012, 11:38 AM
Aug 2012

...at some point, rather than standing up for gays, they sold us out.

Which also means that they'll do so again.

Greatest I am

(235 posts)
15. That
Fri Aug 3, 2012, 03:06 PM
Aug 2012

Most likely. Depending on fashion and styles of the day.

We should remember that ---- by the numbers, women have fared much worse.

Regards
DL

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