Andrew Sullivan Not Greatest Advocate For Gay Marriage - Catholics Debate

Thomas Peters went to the "Catholics" for Equality event at Georgetown last night. See his post At Cath4Equal Panel: Mockery, Ignorance and Lies

This was a "“Catholic Family Conversation on LGBT Issues” with Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage on one side and the famed Andrew Sullivan on the other.

We learn among other things:
The low-point of the evening (or high-point, if you were waiting for one outrageous statement to be topped by another) was when Andrew claimed, in response to a question I posed, that Jesus didn’t care much about families, that Jesus abandoned his own family, in fact, and that homosexual persons care more about marriage and family than Jesus did.

Well that is just something else to say the least.

I actually think it gets worse as we see it appears that Andrew does not know what he is talking about on a number of issues.

Peters says the hopefully the Video will be released soon so you can see for yourself.

Let me say I don't think Andrew is really this dumb and ignorant. It is hard to imagine after decades of engaging this issue he could be so ignorant.

I think a lot of this presentation is working the crowd there by throwing out things that are hot button issues that will get the largely pro gay marriage crowd riled up!!

What does the clergy sexual abuse scandal and the doctrine of infallibility have to do with anything? TO quote Andrew:

I came out as gay because of my Catholic faith. I don’t believe in infallibility.

What? First I there has never been an "infallible" statement issued by the Pope on gay marriage or for that matter any matters related to homosexual matters that I am aware.

Now the CHURCH has in it's ordinary teaching authority has spoken on gay marriage and other matters related to people same sex attraction.

I am not sure where Andrew went with this if anywhere. However the fact is the Pope and no doubt his successors do not think they have the power the change the teaching of the Catholic Church on these matters by some statement of the Pope.

I have a hard time believing Andrew is this ignorant but well maybe he is .

I have actually heard much better presentation by the people that advocate the position Andrew is attempting to do. I disagree with it and I find it faulty but at least it was position that was honest and clear.

A example would be the recent Episcopal's Church "Same-Sex Relationships in the Life of the Church" which was drafted by the Theology Committee of the House of Bishops. This was not an statement on marriage by the Episcopal Church. However it was however an important panel of eight who were evenly divided between traditionalists and liberals that brought forth each others arguments they presented to the Episcopal Bishops.

Now I very much disagree with the liberals in that document. I have examined that document before and nloged on it. However it did bring out the best arguments that both sides had. It dealt with issues that I supect Andrew Sullivan might not have the expertise to bring up. Many of those issues brought up by the "traditionalist" have to be answered and examined. That does not happen by giving pop theology and bringing in unrelated points in order to score points with the crowd.

On a side note there is another problem. What about the Eastern Orthodox? They are the second lung of the Church. One of the highest priorities of the Catholic Church is reunion with them. Needless to say a change in Church doctrine regarding all these matters would put that as an impossibility? Does Andrew even think to discuss the Orthodox viewpoint? Does he engage Eastern Orthodox sources?

I have often said and I continue to say it. If gay marriage advocates were serious they would be involved in high level discussions with the Orthodox. Because needless to say the Church would consider no revolutionary change without making sure they were for it.

One cannot in a Catholic context proceed on this issue and advocate such a fundamental change without dealing with all that. Yet on the Catholic side of gay marriage advocates that seems off their radar.