The Condescending Comments from San Francisco's Archbishop on Proposition 8

The Archbishop of San Francisco's Catholic Archdiocese, George Niederauer, has finally issued a public statement in the wake of Proposition 8, defending his role in mobilizing religious voters to support the ban on gay marriage.  The statement, entitled "Moving Forward Together," calls on both sides of the gay marriage debate to tone down rhetoric and try to find common cause among one another.

It's a nice idea.  But coming from Bishop Niederauer, who was tremendously outspoken in his distaste for the civil rights of LGBT people, the statement smacks of the sort of condescension reserved for catching a child stealing an Oreo from the cookie jar.

Here's some facts about Bishop Niederauer.

1. In the lead-up to the vote on Proposition 8, Bishop Niederauer taped video messages for the Web site marriagematterstokids.org, arguing that gay marriage is a significant threat to children.
2. Bishop Niederauer supported the distribution of fliers at local churches that argued that gay marriage would be a threat to children.
3. Bishop Niederauer sent an email from his Diocesan office saying (word for word): "If the Supreme Court ruling stands public schools may have to teach children that there is no difference between traditional marriage and 'gay' marriage."
4. Bishop Niederauer placed a phone call to some old friends in his previous diocese, Salt Lake City, to ask them to get involved in the fight to pass Proposition 8 at the ballot box.  Those old friends happened to be the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, and they responded with a hefty $22 million outpouring of funds to support Proposition 8.
5. Bishop Niederauer promised to give Jewish and Mormon groups cover if they joined a coalition of religious groups to condemn gay marriage and work to pass Proposition 8.

So let me get this straight -- Bishop Niederauer REPEATEDLY tells his parishioners and Catholics throughout California that gay people are a threat to children.  He works to get the Mormon Church involved in the efforts to campaign for Proposition 8.  And he promises to provide cover to religious groups willing to condemn gay marriage.

And the Bishop now wants to tone down the rhetoric?

Hell no, buddy.

To use the Bishop's own words, "tolerance, respect and trust are always two-way streets."  But you know what, Bishop Niederauer?  You don't go around earning my tolerance, respect and trust by telling your parishioners that I'm a threat to their children, and that I don't deserve the same civil rights as
heterosexual couples.  That message isn't pastoral.  It's bigoted.

And to use Bishop Niederauer's words one more time: "We churchgoers need to speak and act out of the truth that all people are God's children and are unconditionally loved by God."  If you really believe that, Bishop Niederauer, then please justify how that very statement is consistent with your work to pass Proposition 8.  Please tell me how that statement justifies the announcement by the Catholic Conference of California the day after the election that "saluted" voters for rescinding gay marriage.

If all of God's children are unconditionally loved by God, then what's the problem with all of God's children being granted the same marriage rights?