Bernard Muscat, Malta Gay Rights Movement, Mosta
Non-traditional families and human relationships
Speaking at a meeting about family policy, Robert Tufigno stated that recognition of non-traditional family units was "detrimental to society". His remark, as deleterious to gullible minds as it is baseless, continues to highlight the total ignorance about human relationships that exists in certain people's limited world view. The assertion that recognition of other people's relationships would somehow be "detrimental to society" would be laughable were it not so extremely dangerous.
There exist a plethora of things that are indeed detrimental to society and need urgent addressing. One could think of greed, corruption, terrorism, violence, rape, ostracism, xenophobia, hostility, famine, prejudice and many other social ills, which are indeed - contrary to any couple's love for one another - at the centre of what makes today's world a very sad one. And yet the Cana movement who Dr Tufigno was representing sees a threat to society in the recognition of relationships of dedicated couples who want nothing but equal protection under the law. How misguided and how very sad.
Interestingly, Dr Tufigno's warnings sound eerily similar to the predictions of doom made before anti-miscegenation laws were done away with in the 1960s. Back then, opponents of racial equality and the recognition of inter-racial relationships also justified their prejudice by predicting that protecting the traditional family would necessitate vetoing relationships between people of different racial ancestry on the basis that these were detrimental to society. Hindsight shows us how incredibly off-mark those predictions were, and history will show just how equally flawed today's arguments also are. I seriously doubt many people today will believe that having diverse relationships recognised will step on their own relationships. I would, however, have liked to hear about how the recognition of my relationship with a boyfriend would somehow interfere with, devalue, if not totally demolish, the relationships of my brother with his girlfriend, that of my married parents with each other or that of any other dedicated couple. The fact is, it clearly wouldn't, and a growing number of people is recognising that.
Finally, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender family units want none of the "compassion" and the "solidarity" expressed by Dr Tufigno on behalf of the Cana movement. Until compassion is replaced with respect and solidarity with equality, these statements will be nothing more than unfortunate rhetoric that clouds minds and pollutes actions.
And while the religious and political authorities - who one would be excused in thinking are one and the same - are busy listing the ways in which LGBT families should not be considered families at all, these same family units continue to do what families do, while waiting for the authorities to one day realise that what makes a family is behaviour and not gender.
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Joe Zammit
Jun 11th 2010, 07:55
Par. 2359 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church runs:
"Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection."
Same-sex partnership is not a right; it's an abuse and grave sin that separates the sinner from God and puts him or her on the path to hell.
Marianna Galea Xuereb
Jun 11th 2010, 05:47
@ Joe Zammit
“Homosexual acts go against the law of nature.”
Sorry Sir but Nature, Science, History and common sense indicate otherwise, even though you and I may be totally heterosexual. Nature made us heterosexual just as it made others homosexual. May I suggest that you look up this site?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/magazine/04animals-t.html
and keep in mind the many difficulties that decent gays and lesbians are experiencing because of totally unjustified prejudice and misconceptions. What if your son/daughter/parent/sibling/cherished relative or best friend were gay, lesbian, of ambiguous gender or born with a mentality opposite to that of their apparent sex? Such people do not choose to be born that way.
Moreover, if everybody were to be heterosexual, planet earth would be much more overpopulated (with humans) than it already is, so yes, I believe that a certain percentage of homosexuals are beneficial in a society and not simply because they tend to be more artistic.
Joe Zammit
Jun 13th 2010, 10:18
Human beings are human beings, neither heterosexuals nor homosexuals. They may have some evil tendency but they have the will power, always by God's grace, to deny the wishes of their tendency and behave as God wants them to behave. Homosexual acts, as heterosexual acts outside marriage are grave sins against the Sixth and Ninth Commandments of God. God knows more than us what is good for us. That's why he has given us his Commandments.
Christopher Ripard
Jun 10th 2010, 22:33
Could anyone please explain how/why people who cannot produce their own children should have the right to raise others'? It seems like they want to have their cake and eat it too, n'est ce pas?
Question: do homosexual men who are adopting have the right to "maternity" leave too? Do they share it? I'm all for equal riights, but it seems gays want more rights than straights have!
Robert Callus
Jun 10th 2010, 18:13
The logic is simple - will non traditional families affect the so called traditional ones? Obviously not. I am heterosexual and can find no way in which Bernards' or any other LGBT relationship will ever affect mine. When are we starting to live and let live in this country.
Rather than fighting for our rights we are all the time fighting for denying rights to others.
Joe Zammit
Jun 10th 2010, 16:39
A simple argument:
Acts that go against the law of nature are unnatural.
Homosexual acts go against the law of nature.
Therefore, homosexual acts are unnatural.
Homosexual acts debase the culprit. God created nature and God put laws in nature for our own good. To die because of a natural cause amount to a natural death. Being killed is not a natural death. Sexual acts between a man and a woman are natural; sexual acts between two persons of the same sex are unnatural.
wally vella-zarb
Jun 10th 2010, 20:26
A simplistic argument that betrays your lack of knowledge of what goes on in nature! Homosexual relations, including - but not limited to - sexual acts are not restricted to humans; in fact they are quite common throughout the animal kingdom and not only primates and other mammals. Brush up your zoology, Mr Zammit!
John M. Grima
Jun 10th 2010, 16:25
Why is it that in Malta, IT HAS TO ALWAYS BOILS DOWN TO STATE AND RELIGION? What about N-A-T-U-R-E???????????????????????????????
D Vella
Jun 10th 2010, 14:14
It all boils down to the separation between State and Religion. As it is now prejudice is being shown against those of a different faith or belief,non Catholics,those of a different sexual orientation as well those whose marriage has broken down and are being denied the right to seek happiness wherever that may be. In fact basic rights are being denied to a very large minority.
This is unfair.We are being held to ransom by a Church which has very little in common with the people, doggedly with its head stuck in the proverbial sand and with a compliant Government determined to keep to the status quo. A curse to both their houses.
William P Flynn
Jun 10th 2010, 13:45
Now look here all you LBGT's. Which part of "according to the Constitution Chapter1 Article 2(2) you MUST be taught what's right and what's wrong by the authorities of the Catholic church" don't you understand?
You will have equal rights when the PL or the PN remove Article 2 from the Constitution. Just a second....Braaahahahaha! (sorry). Or when the pope comes out and says it's OK to be LBGT. Pardon me..... Braaahahahaha! (ahem)
Until then I'm afraid the Catholic Church simply has to do its job under the Constitution and "teach you" what's right and what's wrong. Oh,LBGT is wrong!wrong!wrong!
What? There's nothing wrong with being LBGT? That's not what it says in the bible and the Catholic- Cathechism(chapter MDCCXVIII;section 347 b; subsection IX (h)).
You have no idea how much work we have to do to teach people all this… What? You're not Catholic? Where's your ID Card..there look right there your address ends up with "Malta"; you live here, stiff! Next...
If any LBGT is happy with this church power go to this poll at:
http://www.fuse.com.au/wpf/Malta-Poll1.html
and tick to keep Article2(2) in our Constitution. In the highly unlikely event you think Article2(2) stinks, tick to have it removed.
Joe Zammit
Jun 10th 2010, 17:25
William, your obsession is not convincing anyone. Fight the battle of the Catholic Church and you will be the winner. Otherwise, your defeat has already been declared!
Maria Gauci
Jun 10th 2010, 12:43
What is most worrying is not the fact that Dr Tufigno said his bit. Did you seriously expect differently, especially when he is representing the Cana movement?! Religious institutions have been at this game for very long; discredit or make gullible people fear what is perceived as threatening to the institution.
The worrying part is what you said about the religious and political parties, that they are one and the same on several issue. That is what I call detrimental to society.
Melissa Bagley
Jun 10th 2010, 18:34
My sentiment exactly - a lawyer defends the interests of his/her client.
Joe Zammit
Jun 10th 2010, 10:59
Par. 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
"Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained.
Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN THEY BE APPROVED.
Raymond camilleri
Jun 10th 2010, 18:27
The cathecism of the catholic church is not law... so keep it to yourself ...it is your business if you want to follow it.... sstop preaching to us...thanks! quoting out of it to us will not make a difference at all... happy? Now go ahead and tell me that we should all follow what you call 'god's law'!....
Chris Reiff
Jun 10th 2010, 10:58
Recognition of non-traditional family units is detrimental to society?
I beg to differ.
On the other hand, religion is detrimental to society.