If you're looking
for some insight into how Catholic leaders think about
LGBT issues and their grasp of basic scientific facts regarding
HIV/AIDS, take a gander at a brief article titled
"Instances of Harry Knox's Anti-Catholic
Bigotry"
published by Catholic Online in May.
Knox runs the Human
Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program and is also
one of two openly gay men President Barack Obama appointed to a
25-person advisory council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships. In
a letter to the president
, Catholic leaders urged Obama to dismiss Knox for his
"numerous vile and dishonest attacks against the Church
and the Holy Father ... As Catholics, we call on you to remove
Mr. Knox from his position and to formally disassociate
yourself from his militant anti-Catholicism."
Catholic
groups were apparently infuriated by
Knox's response to Pope Benedict XVI's erroneous
remarks that condom use exacerbates the spread of AIDS.
Here's part of what
Catholic Online
found objectionable:
• "On March 17,
two weeks before his appointment to the advisory council, Knox
published a statement on the Human Rights Campaign Web site in
reaction to Pope Benedict XVI's remarks concerning condoms and
AIDS in Africa. The statement partly reads: 'The Pope's
statement that condoms don't help control the spread of HIV,
but rather condoms increase infection rates, is hurting people
in the name of Jesus. On a continent where millions of people
are infected with HIV, it is morally reprehensible to spread
such blatant falsehoods. The pope's rejection of scientifically
proven prevention methods is forcing Catholics in Africa to
choose between their faith and the health of their entire
community. Jesus was about helping the marginalized and
downtrodden, not harming them further.'"
And another
instance the outlet cites as Knox's anti-Catholic
bigotry:
• "In reaction to
the Vatican's refusal to sign a U.N. agreement that called for
decriminalizing homosexuality and equating all sexual
orientations, Knox and the HRC signed a statement with other
pro-homosexual groups that read, in part: 'As faith leaders
we were shocked by Vatican opposition to this proposed
initiative .By refusing to sign a basic statement opposing
inhumane treatment of LGBT people, the Vatican is sending a
message that violence and human rights abuses against LGBT
people are acceptable. Many are speaking out against this
immoral stance in the name of religion.'"
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