Georgia's bishops urging faithful
to support anti-gay marriage amendment
BY AP from savannahnow.com from the Web, October 21, 2004
SAVANNAH -- Georgia's Roman Catholic bishops are asking their faithful to support a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.
The Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland, bishop of Diocese of Savannah, and the Most Rev. John F. Donoghue, archbishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, wrote a joint letter that directs parishioners in the state to vote "yes" on Amendment No. 1 on Nov. 2.
That amendment would recognize marriage as a union between only a man and a woman.
Under state law, gay marriage is already illegal. But state lawmakers placed the amendment on the ballot to prevent a state court judge from overturning that law.
"Marriage between a man and a woman is a fundamental relationship and creates the most basic building block of society," the bishops wrote.
It is also "the best environment for the procreation and nurturing of children," the bishops said.
Savannah gay rights activist Kevin Clark said he was saddened by their stance.
Christ "taught love, inclusion and equality," said Clark, who directs the Savannah chapter of the statewide antidiscrimination group, Georgia Equality.
Voters in 10 other states will also vote Nov. 2 on the issue of same-sex marriage.
Savannah political consultant Dave Simons called the bishops' strong statement "a rarity," but this year, he added, many religious leaders
-- from white Southern Baptist parishes as well as black churches -- have strongly supported marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Boland leads more than 75,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Savannah. Archbishop Bishop Donoghue heads the Atlanta-based diocese of some 367,472 Catholics.
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