Just what we've come to expect

A Catholic bishop in northeastern Pennsylvania got his panties in a twist because of last night’s scheduled appearance of Keith Boykin at Misericordia University. You see, Boykin is a gay-rights advocate, and Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino says Boykin’s beliefs are “disturbingly opposed to Catholic moral teaching.” Boykin was scheduled to discuss Proposition 8, the ballot measure that banned gay marriages in California, at least temporarily. He was brought to the college by the Misericordia Diversity Institute, which, according to the Associated Press, is “dedicated to promoting multicultural understanding and eliminating discrimination.” The school issued a statement saying it is committed to its Catholic mission, but also to its academic mission of exploring ideas “critically and freely.” Good for Misericordia. I have a couple of questions for Bishop Martino: Are the church’s teachings so weak that the church fears students will abandon them solely because they are exposed to an opposing viewpoint? Do you advocate not even trying to gain a better understanding of those who are different from you, or do you favor ignoring those people and hoping they go away? For your sake, bishop, I hope it’s not the latter, because pretty much as long as there have been humans on Earth, there have been gay humans. You say that Boykin’s beliefs are “disturbingly opposed to Catholic moral teaching.” I would say that the church's "teachings" are disturbingly opposed to reality and equality, and that they’re not the least bit moral. Gays and lesbians aren’t going anywhere, Bishop Martino, but your church’s shameful "teachings" certainly should.