Seattle, Wash., Mar 12, 2015 / 02:31 am (CNA).- Dan Savage coordinates an annual pornography festival. He has made obscene tirades about Pope Benedict XVI, denigrated the practice of monogamy, insulted high school students and publicly harassed politicians he opposes. Now, dissenting Catholic group Dignity USA has invited the explicit sex columnist as a keynote speaker to its biennial convention in Seattle this June. Dignity USA executive director Marianne Duddy-Burke called Savage “an important, provocative, and sometimes controversial figure in the LGBT community and the broader culture.” She told CNA that he would speak on how his Catholic roots have influenced his advocacy and his actions. Savage is known for both his shock-factor style and outspoken criticism of the Catholic Church. In a 2012 event at the chapel of the United Church of Christ-affiliated Elmhurst College near Chicago, he suggested Benedict XVI was secretly gay and claimed the Pope believed that legal recognition of same-sex “marriage” will make people forget how babies are conceived and cause humanity to go extinct. Savage has claimed that expecting monogamy from men is a “mistake” and “a disaster for marriage.” In 2011, he told the New York Times Magazine that he practices a “monogamish” relationship with his male partner in a same-sex “marriage” that allows for infidelity. The columnist berated Christian students who walked out on his speech at the National High School Journalist Conference in Seattle in April 2012. During his talk, he also attacked biblical condemnations of homosexual acts. In a November 2013 appearance on an Australian television show dedicated to “dangerous ideas,” Savage proposed that population control has the greatest potential to change the world for the better. While professing “pro-choice” sympathies, he also said, “I think abortion should be mandatory for about 30 years…that’s a dangerous idea.” Savage, who has described himself as an atheist and received an award from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, has shown a few positive responses to Catholicism. In November 2013, Savage appeared to be touched by Pope Francis' embrace of a severely disfigured man. He made the comment on Twitter “God, I love the Pope!” Savage created the It Gets Better Project with the stated intention of reducing bullying of youth who identify as homosexual and transgendered. He has sometimes blamed Christian morality for causing teen suicide. The Dignity USA conference website described Savage as “a writer, TV personality, and activist best known for his political and social commentary, as well as his honest approach to sex, love and relationships.” Dignity USA noted that Savage’s sex column is widely syndicated. It said Savage created his anti-bullying campaign “to inspire hope (for) young LGBT people facing harassment.” He most recently made news for his reaction when political commentator Dr. Ben Carson stated that homosexuality is a choice and cited apparent changes in male prisoners' sexual orientation. Carson later backed away from his comments. In response, Savage challenged Carson to prove his point by performing a homosexual act on him before a camera crew. Savage has also drawn attention for attacks on political figures. He encouraged internet users to “google-bomb” Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s last name so that it would become associated with a graphic sexual term online. During the 2000 Republican presidential primary campaign, Savage wrote column for The Stranger magazine describing his work posing as a volunteer for the Gary Bauer campaign while he suffered from the flu. He claimed that he went around the campaign’s Iowa office licking doorknobs, staplers, phones, computer keyboards, pens and the rims of clean coffee cups to attempt to “get as many of his people sick as I can” with the flu in revenge for Bauer’s criticism of “gay marriage.” Duddy-Burke told CNA that Dignity USA has asked Savage “to address his views on marriage, relationships, and the impact of the It Gets Better Project.” “We anticipate a spirited discussion with him in which diverse views will be expressed.” The Dignity USA convention has two other keynote speakers: Father Paul Coutinho, S.J., an author and speaker who has served on the faculty of Missouri’s Saint Louis University; and Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, a self-described social justice lobby. Sr. Campbell has led the “Nuns on the Bus” advocacy campaign that has the support of the group Faith in Public Life and U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden. She also delivered a speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Dignity USA rejects Church teaching on the immorality of homosexual acts and has campaigned in support of “gay marriage.” The group says that it is advocating for a change in Church teaching on homosexuality. Dignity USA has been the beneficiary of several six-figure grants from the LGBT activist Arcus Foundation to support the Equally Blessed Coalition, which also includes the groups New Ways Ministry and Call to Action. A 2014 grant of $200,000 to the coalition through Dignity USA was intended “to support pro-LGBT faith advocates to influence and counter the narrative of the Catholic Church and its ultra-conservative affiliates,” the foundation said on its website. “The effort will build advocacy and visibility in connection with two special events, the Synod of the Family and World Youth Day,” the foundation explained. The Arcus Foundation is engaged in a strategy of recruiting and promoting religious allies. Together with the Ford Foundation, it has spent at least $3 million in grants to counter efforts to preserve or expand religious liberty protections. In a statement promoting the convention, Dignity USA's Duddy-Burke was critical of the U.S. bishops’ efforts to defend religious freedom and secure religious exemptions for Catholic charities, hospitals, and universities with conscientious objections to recognizing same-sex relationships. Dignity USA said it would keep working to ensure that the voice of those who disagree with Church leaders “is carried to all the places it needs to be heard.”   Read more

Annapolis, Md., Mar 11, 2015 / 04:55 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A physician-assisted suicide bill in Maryland preys on those who are vulnerable or disabled, and promotes suicide as an acceptable solution to life’s problems, said critics testifying before the state’s lawmakers. Among those testifying against the bill was Super Bowl-winning former NFL player O.J. Brigance, who was diagnosed eight years ago with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease also known as “Lou Gehrig's Disease.” Sitting in a wheelchair and speaking through a voice-generating machine, he recounted how he was able to accept the initially “overbearing burden” of his diagnosis, which generally means death within two to five years. The former football player has gone on to become a senior advisor for the Baltimore Ravens, write a book, and start a foundation to help those living with ALS. “Since being diagnosed, I have done a greater good for society in eight years than in my previous 37 years on earth,” Brigance said. “Because I decided to live life the best I could, there has been a ripple effect of goodness in the world.” Maryland’s proposed “Death with Dignity” Act would allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for patients deemed “competent” who have terminal diagnoses of six months or less. A handful of states currently allow for physician-assisted suicide, and a number of others have seen efforts to legalize the practice in recent months. Colorado saw a similar measure rejected last month, after it received staunch opposition from disability rights groups who said that it was ripe for abuse and unfairly discriminated against the disabled. Critics of assisted suicide measures say that such laws send the social message that suicide is an acceptable, or even preferable, way to handle pain and suffering. When this is the case, they argue, the disabled and vulnerable are at risk of pressure – from family members, insurance companies, or society in general – to end their own lives. They also note that “terminal” diagnoses are sometimes mistaken and voice fears that physician-assisted suicide could lead to the legalization and acceptance of involuntary euthanasia for those deemed unworthy to live. Several of these concerns were also raised in regards to the Maryland proposal. “Our concerns about the bill are shared by numerous other groups, including members of the medical community, disability groups, advocates for vulnerable elders, and others,” stated Mary Ellen Russell of the Maryland Catholic Conference in her written testimony before lawmakers. “We wish also to convey our deep dismay about the message this legislation sends to those who might feel that their illness and the care they require is nothing more than a burden to their families and the rest of society.” Aside from the moral problem of physician-assisted suicide itself, the bill is severely flawed, argued the Maryland Catholic Conference. The conference noted that the bill does not require patients to undergo a mental health screening for illnesses like depression, which may influence the request for death. Some studies have found that many patients, when treated for depression, withdraw their request for assisted suicide. In addition, the conference observed, patients’ families do not have to be notified of their decision; doctors may only “recommend” they should. And no medical professional has to be present when the patient ingests the lethal dose of medication, which could lead to situations of abuse or fraud if the wrong person – intentionally or unknowingly – takes the fatal medication. “There is no life that we consider not worth living, no person who does not deserve to be valued simply because they are a living human being,” Russell stated.   While it’s understandable that someone with a terminal diagnosis would be afraid, that fear should be met with compassion rather than a lethal prescription, she continued. “We insist firmly that the answer to those fears should be a demand for appropriate medical treatment that provides adequate pain management and excellent palliative or hospice care.” Russell invoked the words of Pope Francis in suggesting that the term “quality of life” is misinterpreted to mean material quality of life, “forgetting other more profound dimensions of existence – interpersonal, spiritual, and religious.” “In fact, in the light of faith and right reason, human life is always sacred and always ‘of quality’,” she quoted Pope Francis. Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities emphasized to EWTN News Nightly on Jan. 5 that assisted suicide bills target the vulnerable. The sick and the elderly who have received terminal diagnoses are frail and may think they are a “burden” to their families and society, he said. When states prohibit suicide generally, but allow it for these particular cases, they actually discriminate against this population. “That’s not a free choice issue, that’s a discrimination issue. That’s the state saying ‘your life is not worth living’,” Doerflinger said.     Read more

Philadelphia, Pa., Mar 11, 2015 / 02:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As the City of Brotherly Love prepares to host the next World Meeting of Families – and Pope Francis’ first papal visit to America – a restaurant has come up with a tasty fundraiser to benefit planning efforts.   Beginning in April, Potbelly Sandwich Shop’s Philadelphia locations will sell a custom shake dubbed the #PopeInPhilly – a shortbread cookie and vanilla ice-cream concoction – for $3.90, with 50 cents of each sale being donated to the World Meeting of Families preparations. "We couldn't be more excited by this initiative or more grateful to Potbelly Sandwich Shops for its unique approach to supporting the 2015 World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis' visit," Executive Director of World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015, Donna Crilley Farrell, said March 9. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, handpicked the limited edition milkshake from among other contenders, such as the “World Family Mashup” and the “PHL Liberty Bell”, at a special tasting event with area Catholic school students. “This is a fun – and delicious – way for citizens to help as we plan for this once-in-a-lifetime event, and to have Archbishop Paglia with us from Rome to select the flavor only adds to the growing excitement,” Crilley Farrell said. The fundraiser stems from Potbelly’s corporate mission, “To Make People Really Happy”, Neighborhood Marketing Manager Jennifer Jaiswal said. “We want to spread the Potbelly love by giving back to the neighborhoods in which we do business through fundraising, support and community involvement,” she said. “We are proud to support this exciting event, which allows Philadelphia to shine through!” The World Meeting of Families will convene for the first time in the United States Sept. 22-27, 2015. The official theme will be “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.” Held every three years, the event was established by St. John Paul II in 1994 with the Year of the Family, aimed at strengthening family bonds around the world. For those who have given up sweets for Lent, don’t worry.   The #PopeInPhilly shake will be available at Potbelly’s three Philadelphia locations until Sept. 30, shortly after the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families. Read more