By Jason Hall
As we are all aware by now, on June
26 the Supreme Court of the United States issued opinions in the cases of Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor. In Hollingsworth,
the Court held that citizens have no legal standing to defend in federal court
those initiatives for which they signed petitions, campaigned, and voted. That
is troubling enough. It is Windsor, however, which struck down part of the
Defense of Marriage Act, that is most significant for those of us concerned
about the future of religious liberty in the United States.
As has been noted by many
commentators, Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, adopted the
language and assumptions of the most radical homosexual rights activists. He
dismissed the notion that there is an ongoing legitimate debate about the very
nature of marriage. For Justice Kennedy, marriage is simply an action of the
state to recognize the nobility and dignity of a particular relationship. There
is no imaginable rational reason to see marriage as an objective reality.
Opposition to expanding the definition of marriage to include any loving,
committed sexual relationship can only be motivated by bigotry and a desire to
harm those who are attracted to persons of the same gender.
Jason Hall is an attorney and
Catholic convert. After spending some time working in the political world
followed by a brief sojourn in seminary, he apparently discovered the value of
moderation and now works as a lobbyist for Kentucky's Catholic bishops. In his
spare time, he likes to read great books, analyze political and social trends,
and cheer on his beloved Cincinnati Reds. Jason's contributions to Catholic
Stand primarily focus on the principles and application of Catholic Social
Teaching.
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