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Politics, Public Policy and Progressive Faith

01 July
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Sullivan on Dignity, Catholicism and Marriage Equality

British-American Catholic Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) appeared on “Fareed Zakaria GPS” on CNN Sunday, speaking to Catholicism and marriage equality. Says the classically conservative blogger:

[D]ignity is a very important word in Catholic theology. Once you’ve understood a person, a human being has human dignity, there are certain things that will not and cannot be morally done to that person. And I think what he revealed was how gay people before that had been denied that dignity, even by their own church. And I think it’s a tragedy that the Catholic hierarchy has taken this position.

But I do believe also that a lot of this was driven by many of us who do have faith and who really believe deep down that God loved us and that what we were doing was God’s work. And I think the critical work we did in the ’90s and early 21st century was to bring the religious groups, and reach out to religious groups. Because remember, Reformed Jews, Episcopalians, many denominations support marriage equality. And if you look at the polling, you’ll find that Catholics are the second ethnic group most likely to support it.

And my experience was, as a Catholic in the pews, was callousness in the rhetoric from the Vatican, but incredible compassion and support from the people right and left of me in those pews celebrating the same God, wanting the same communion.

Watch the exchange with Zakaria below.