Bishop Tobin on board of group opposing same-sex marriage
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PROVIDENCE, RI -- The $5,000 radio ad campaign aimed at killing a same-sex marriage proposal up for a State House hearing tomorrow is being guided by the local affiliate of a national advocacy group whose local board of advisors includes the Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence. While this should not be a surprise given Bishop Tobin's out-spoken stance over the years against same-sex marriage, his spokesman, Michael Guilfoyle, had said last week that: "Members of [the National Organization for Marriage] have met with various diocesan officials, however, there is no formal relationship between NOM and the Diocese of Providence. (It is possible, however, that NOM is working with individuals who identify themselves as Catholic and perhaps some parish priests who support traditional marriage.)'' Bishop Tobin's involvement was brought to light by Christopher Plante, of Warwick, who describes himself as the volunteer "person on the ground'' in Rhode Island for the national opposition group that takes credit for helping to defeat a same-sex marriage initiative in California. The group's original June 30, 2008 filing with the Rhode Island Board of Elections identifies Maria C. Parker, who for years was the chief legislative lobbyist and spokeswoman on abortion-related issues for the Diocese of Providence, as the contact person for NOM Rhode Island. But Parker, in an interview earlier this week, said she is no longer involved with the organization. Plante identified the members of NOM's local board of advisors as: former state Sen. David Carlin, Michael Casey, Joseph Cavanagh Jr., Stephen Ciolfi, the Rev. John C. Codega, Michelle Cretella, Daniel Harrop, Ralph Miech, Scott T. Spear and Bishop Tobin. Asked for clarification, Guilfoyle responded: "In August of 2008, the Bishop agreed to lend his name to the NOM board. While he does not attend meetings, nor participate in strategy development, he fully supports the efforts of NOM to preserve marriage in Rhode Island. While both organizations support marriage, there exists no structural relationship between NOM and the diocese, rather two separate entities that share a common goal.''
In one of several articles and columns on the subject in the Rhode Island Catholic, he wrote: "Okay, I admit it; the sky hasn't fallen in Massachusetts, even after several years of gay marriage. But I don't think the sky would fall if Massachusetts legalized prostitution, polygamy or incest either. "The first problem is that the concept of gay marriage or even civil unions implies the legalization of and public support of immoral sexual activity. The State shouldn't be placed in that position, and as a citizen of the State I don't want it imposed on me and my conscience.... If two consenting adults want to engage in immoral sexual behavior in their own bedroom, that's their business; the final judgment of their behavior will come from God. But don't ask me as a citizen of the State to ratify their behavior by legalizing it.'' Rhode Island is sandwiched between the only two states that currently allow same-sex marriage: Massachusetts and Connecticut, while Vermont, New Jersey and New Hampshire allow civil unions. In August, the Marriage Equality Rhode Island Education Fund, a nonprofit 501(c) 3, announced its own board of directors: Susan Heroux, chairwoman; Rich Hite, vice chairman; the Rev. Linda Shevlin, secretary; C. Kelly Smith, treasurer; and Joyce Anderle, Patrick Crowley, Eugene Dyszlewski, Stephen Hartley, Karen Loewy, Kevin Nelson, Peter Quesnel and Tiffany Rauch-Dickson. "In spite of some religious folk on our right that are in favor of discrimination, God is not in favor of discrimination," said the Rev. Dyszlewski of Riverside Congregational Church, at a demonstration in August. "I am pleased to personally take a religious position that same-gender marriage is God's will. God does not make mistakes. God makes all people to be equal." Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have already been deluged with a stack letters and e-mails, an inch thick. 
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Whenever any person comes up with "is God's will" as Rev.Dyszewski as proof they are on God's side in any argument, I get a little nervous. In fact, more than little nervous. How does anyone figure they know what God's will is?
I think Rev.Dyszeski and others in that same category, ought to stick to reading the Bible, and not interpreting/slanting it to booster their own bias.
I don't believe it is discrimination to oppose same sex marriage. These deviants, after all, can marry. They just have to marry someone of the opposite sex. It wasn't Adam and Tom, it was Adam and Eve. That is the way God's word reads. You and other perverts can try and change that, but that's the way it is.
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David,
So let me get this straight...
you are fearful and nervous when someone claims to speak for God...
...and then you go ahead and speak for God.
Brilliant fella. I see you're familir with the old testament; you're also aware that eating shellfish was a mortal sin too? Certainly we should be banning that as well.
And...dare we imagine...a gay wedding where they were serving SHELLFISH!!!!!!!
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