Catholics, gay marriage and religious liberty

A recent letter writer claims that gay marriage has no effect on religious liberty ("Gay marriage does not diminish religious liberty", Nov. 21). In fact, the assault on religious liberty has already begun. In 2006, for example, Catholic Charities of Boston was forced to close its adoption services because it refused to place children with homosexual couples, as required by state law.

The same thing happened in February of 2010 in Washington, D.C., when Catholic Charities announced it was shutting down its foster-care and adoption programs rather than place children in homes with same-sex couples.

The Catholic Church, following natural law, only recognizes marriages between a man and a woman. Male and female bodies complement each other because only such unions can produce offspring.

To force the Church to abandon its beliefs by imposing legislation without any religious exceptions obviously does diminish religious liberty.

Rudolph Zanella, Catonsville