VOTING FOR FAMILY LIFE

July 25, 2007 I am honored to be one of the chief petitioners for the two referendums to be put to a vote of the people the bills passed in the 2007 legislature: "Domestic Partnership" and "Sexual orientation as a protected minority status". By collecting enough signatures, the Referendums 303 (same sex marriage - green sheets) and 304 (protected sexual behavior, expression Blue Sheets) Archbishop Vlazny and Bishop Vasa have given their permission for churches to collect these most important signatures. Pastors can call Father Dennis O'Donovan for confirmation info - 503-234-5334. ISSUES are different than CANDIDATES and do not jeopardize tax exempt status. This past 2007 session of the Oregon Legislature, I testified on behalf of pro-life and pro-family bills and have an objective,albeit from my moral perspective, viewpoint that those of us of like mind at the Capitol experienced from our hours of attending hearings. In a nutshell, it was a done deal with the 2007 Legislature to get these bills passed. No matter the testimony, no matter the questions regarding the prudence of these bills, it was just an exercise in futility. The voters had spoken regarding both "domestic partnerships" with same-sex couples having ALL the same rights as married couples and "sexual orientation as a protected minority status" saying NO to both and the will of Oregon voters was ignored. They had the power and used it. We need to collect signatures in our churches and from all our family and friends to be able to vote. Let's see if the people really want these moral changes and if the Legislators were really representing Oregonians. Please run this "definition" past any lawyer and see if the public is protected from objectionable sexual advances, both adults and children alike, because of the wording. At the hearings, these questions were responded to with "we'll just have to let the courts decide". This was the attitude throughout the session. “Sexual orientation” means an individual¢s actual or perceived heterosexuality,homosexuality, bisexuality or gender identity, regardless of whether the individual¢s gender identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally associated with the individual's sex at birth." http://www.defenseofmarriagecoalition.org/pdf/SB2-Highlight.pdf Attached is a past letter from Bishop Vasa on Senate Bill 2 aka Referendum 304. There is a letter from all the Oregon Bishops regarding "same-sex" relationships that I will keep looking for and send out. There are/were also examples of "homosexual/etc. nepotism" that exist but are ignored. It's time to be truly objective and not just believe stories of "discrimination" that we ALL experience, but just don't complain about. For those of you who don't want to collect signatures, that's great. No pain, no gain.:-) Thanks to those who have requested packets. For all....if you want a packet of sheets (10 signatures to a sheet) and information OR complaints, OR would like to ask me a question or have me speak......just let me know. ALSO.....an invitation from the ecumenical Christian community. One of the other chief petitioners is from the Slavic/Russian Evangelical Church. The Russian Churches are praying every Friday night in different venues and would love to be invited to a Catholic church. You must have room for 200-400 people and get ready for a religious experience that shares the love of Christ by many different backgrounds. Many other denominations have joined to pray for all of Oregon and our needs. Let me know if your pastor would like to open up a parish to these events. Let's do this soon!!!! The Russian community has been through persecution and had their government overstepping their bounds. They were very vocal during the hearings but this too fell on deaf ears. So they are now fasting and praying. Let's join them...they want to include Catholics. Collecting these signatures and letting the voters of Oregon speak out AGAIN....will tell our children and grandchildren and those we love that we care and are willing to be inconvenienced and sacrifice for them. From Today's reading "Brothers and sisters: We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; stuck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the Life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the Life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Cor 4:7-10