NEW: RI Catholic Conference Issues Statement Following House Vote
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The Rhode Island Catholic Conference has responded to today’s vote by the House of Representatives to pass Rep. Arthur Handy’s same-sex marriage bill at a time when they say “the state’s unemployment rate exceeds 10 percent and the homeless struggle to find safe and warm shelter in single digit temperatures.”
“Today’s vote by the House of Representatives undermines the common good of our state and strikes against the very foundation of our culture,” the organization said. “Unfortunately, this bill redefines marriage and fails to protect the religious liberties of many faith communities and individuals of conscience who believe that marriage is a union of one man and one woman. As witnessed in other states, those who support traditional marriage will most likely be punished by costly lawsuits and cultural persecution.”
The Catholic Conference expressed dismay that the House wouldn’t put the matter before voters and says that, because the Supreme Court will likely rule on the matter in the future, “legislative leaders should focus on initiatives to reduce the state’s high rate of unemployment and poverty by addressing the economic challenges that affect all Rhode Islanders.”
