Thick Headed

The Roman Catholic hierarchy has proved once again how far removed they are from the realities of modern life in America. Wishing for a return to the good old days when people obediently followed the path that the church laid out for them is like hoping that sex abuse scandals will disappear from America's consciousness. The church just doesn't seem to get it. Forever banging into the concrete wall of reality in front of them, they seem to be incapable of making adjustments to an extremely rigid and ancient mode of thinking. Humanity is changing and the marching evolution of lifestyles, living arrangements, and relationships will never be stopped. American society is becoming more accepting of gay relationships and marriages every day and continued denial of that reality will eventually doom Catholicism (and other religious holdouts) to the dustbin of failed religions. The Archdiocese of Boston is currently embroiled in a controversy that may not be of their making, rather it may be one forced upon them due to the Vatican's ban on gay adoptions.

The decision by the state's Catholic bishops to seek to exclude gays and lesbians from adopting through Catholic social service agencies could imperil millions of dollars in donations from corporations and philanthropies that have their own nondiscrimination policies to abide by.

''It's definitely a concern," said Jeff Bellows, a spokesman for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, which was the largest private donor to Catholic Charities of Boston last year with a gift of $1.2 million. ''We have an antidiscrimination policy in accordance with the law and to protect the freedom of all citizens, especially the most vulnerable."

If the bishops halt gay adoptions by Catholic Charities, the United Way board will seriously review continued funding, said Bellows. Like many of today's philanthropic groups, United Way requires affiliated agencies to sign pacts that they will be open to accepting everyone regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, among other factors.

Eight board members of the 42-member board of Catholic Charities, including some of the city's top business and media leaders, resigned last week to protest the bishops' plans. They were among those who voted unanimously last December to continue gay adoptions, saying many gays and lesbians have proven to be exemplary parents who took in some of the toughest foster children.

Dr. Albert Bundy, 54, a Boston radiologist who calls himself a practicing Catholic, said he has decided to halt his contributions to Catholic Charities, which totaled a few thousand dollars in the last few decades. He said he had believed Catholic Charities was an independent agency helping the needy, but the latest decision demonstrated to him that the agency is controlled by the archdiocese, which he described as ''out of touch" with the realities of today's complex society. Gay people, he said, have shown themselves to be good parents, particularly to some of the neediest children.

''Everyone agrees that it's best to be raised by a mother and father. But many children already are not raised by both parents," he said. ''The ideal situation does not always exist," he said.

Posted on The Human Stain