The USCCB: "No one should be an object of scorn, hatred, or violence for any reason, including sexual inclination."

Representing the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, there was a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions from Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, Archbishop William E. Lori, and Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone:

"Catholic teaching states that all people are created in the image and likeness of God and thus possess an innate human dignity that must be acknowledged and respected, by other persons and by law. No one should be an object of scorn, hatred, or violence for any reason, including sexual inclination. The Church affords special concern and pastoral attention to those who experience a homosexual inclination and stands committed to avoid 'every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard.' CCC, no. 2358....

"While the Church is ardently opposed to all unjust discrimination on the grounds of sexual inclination, whether homosexual or heterosexual, it does teach that all sexual acts outside of a marriage between one man and one woman are morally wrong and do not serve the good of the person or society....

"ENDA [i.e., S. 815, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013], if enacted, could be used to punish as discrimination what the Catholic Church teaches....

"We are also concerned that ENDA may be invoked by federal courts to support the claim that, as a matter of federal constitutional right, marriage must be redefined to include two persons of the same sex....

"The bill’s treatment of 'gender identity' ...would have an adverse effect on privacy and associational rights of others. The bill also lacks an exemption for a 'bona fide occupational qualification' (BFOQ), for those cases where it is neither unjust nor inappropriate to consider an applicant’s sexual inclination."

Heretofore, some legislators have opposed a federal marriage amendment, claiming marriage to only be a "state" issue.  Just a short time ago, they were able to cite how each time that marriage came to a vote of the citizens, the traditional definition of marriage stood firm.  That is no longer the case.   Congressman Time Huelskamp has introduced H.J. RES. 51, supporting a an amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

Please ask Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (mikefitzpatrickpa08@live.com) to join Rep Michele Bachmann, and Rep Chris Smith, as well as fellow Pennsylvanians Rep Mike Kelly [PA-3] and Rep Joe Pitts [PA-16], as one of the 51 co-sponsors of  H.J. RES. 51.

On the state level, Governor Corbett's office has announced that it WILL Pennsylvania's Defense of Marriage Act.  The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference has a web page to facilitate supportive messages to Governor Corbett, "to say you support marriage and the defense of Pennsylvania’s DOMA." Go to https://www.votervoice.net/PACC/Campaigns/32995/Respond.  Governor Corbett can also be contacted at 717 787 2500 or governor@pa.gov.