At Way of the Cross, archbishop challenges "judgmental" church on single mothers, gay people

[UrbScotty]

“How is it that the church and its institutions could at various times in history, and not only in a distant past , have been so judgmental and treated broken people who were entrusted to its care with such harshness?

“How could we have tried to use the teaching and the merciful way of dealing with sinners to justify or accept harsh exclusion? Think of so many groupings who were misjudged: single mothers who wanted to keep a baby they loved, gay and lesbian people, orphans,” he said.

Dr Martin said Jesus was “demanding in what he expected of his followers” but “he was never a narrow moralist quick to get others to think he was better than them”.

“We can be so judgmental and hurtful towards those whom we decide have failed and those who drift outside our self-made ideas of respectability.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/archbishop-challenges-judgmental-church-on-single-mothers-and-gay-people-1.3049199

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[Kittycow]

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ETA: especially in light of the mass graves of babies and other atrocities that have occurred in Ireland in this century.