Martin O'Malley and Catholic Witness to Pro-Life Values: It's about the Human Dignity of Everyone

And for consistent Catholic pro-life witness that makes sense to many people--and a majority of Catholics--in the culture in which we live today (in contrast to the witness of Bishop Lori), here's Maryland governor Martin O'Malley explaining why he signed the bill for marriage equality into law this week:

Religious freedom was the very reason for our state's founding. And at the heart of religious freedom is respect for the freedom of individual conscience. 

We are a people of many different religions and many different faiths. The only way forward in a pluralistic society of diverse faiths such as ours is to have laws that protect and respect the freedom of all, equally. 

That's why we joined together -- as clergy and faith-based leaders, as community activists and civil rights leaders, as volunteers, as legislators, and as citizens -- and passed a bill that provides equal protection under the law for every individual, and the free exercise of religion without government interference. 

The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity: the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual, the dignity of a free people who, at the end of the day, all want the same thing for our children.

It's about human dignity: for everyone.  Not merely for the just-fertilized zygote.

It's about human dignity for everyone on the margins.  Including gay and lesbian human beings.

That the U.S. Catholic bishops don't see this totally undercuts their pro-life claims and their claims to be strong defenders of religious liberty and conscience.

Thankfully, many lay Catholics do see the point, precisely because of our commitment to Catholic social teaching about the value of life and about human rights.  And seeing the point requires us--contrary to what the bishops' liberal co-belligerent defenders are claiming--to stand against the bishops now.

Because the bishops are betraying the pro-life commitment of the Catholic church by attacking the lives, human dignity, and human rights of those who are gay.