Cincinnati Catholic School Teachers Quitting Over Anti-Gay Contract (Video)

By Michael Allen
Opposing Views
June 02, 2014

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/christianity/catholicism/cincinnati-catholic-school-teachers-quitting-over-anti-gay

Some Catholic school teachers are quitting because the Cincinnati Archdiocese has issued a new teachers' contract that forbids teachers from expressing public support of homosexuality.

The teacher's contact also prohibits the homosexual "lifestyle," living together without marriage, sex without marriage, abortions, using a surrogate mother, in-vitro fertilization and wrongful use of social media.

This past week, 12 billboards opposing the contract went up in the Cincinnati area. The billboards were paid for by the group Cincinnati Voice of the Faithful.

First-grade Catholic teacher Molly Shumate, whose son Zachery is gay, told The Cincinnati Enquirer (video below), "In my eyes there is nothing wrong with my son. This is what God gave me and what God created and someone I should never be asked to not support."

"If my son were to say to me, 'Will you go somewhere with me that is supported or run by gays and lesbians,' I would have to tell him 'no,' according to that contract. And if my picture was taken, what would happen?" added Shuman. "For me to sign this, I feel like I would be telling my son I've changed my mind, that I don't support him as I did. And I won't do that."

Catholic School Superintendent Jim Rigg, countered, "The contract does not stipulate that relationships of love for LGBT relatives should be severed. As Christians, we are called to love and serve all people… while the Church's stance on homosexual marriage is well known, this does not mean that our teachers will be asked to cast away loved family members."

Catholic high school English teacher Robert Hague told CNN (video below), "It is an embarrassment and a scandal, and will drive even more Catholics away from an institution so out of touch with its times."

Hague said he is quitting over "the language, the intent, and the tone of this contract."

Teacher Roger Rosen signed the contract, but doesn't support it.

"I'm a coward," Rosen told CNN. "Isn't that terrible?"