Archbishop John Nienstedt crusades against gay marriage

[rug]

But increasingly, his flock of Minnesota Catholics isn't following



Father Mike Tegeder is one of the few Minnesota priests to publicly oppose Nienstedt's stance on gay marriage

By Casey Michel Wednesday, Jun 20 2012

Mike Tegeder was 11 years old when he first heard the word "fag."

It happened while he was stocking shelves for Benno Belzer, a local Jewish grocer, in north Minneapolis. A group of bag boys, maybe half a dozen years older, huddled nearby, discussing their plans to bash a fag that weekend.

"They just kept saying they were going to go beat up some of what they called 'fags,'" says Tegeder, now in his mid-50s. "I had no idea what they were talking about. But I just thought, 'Why would you want to beat up somebody just because they're different?'"

Forty years later, Tegeder sits in the anteroom of Minneapolis's St. Frances Cabrini Church. Tegeder — Father Mike, as he's now known — is a priest. He's been one for 34 years, all served in the Twin Cities. His thin-rim glasses and shock-white, shoulder-length hair give him the look of a college professor. His white collar is nowhere to be seen.

http://www.citypages.com/2012-06-20/news/archbishop-john-nienstedt-crusades-against-gay-marriage/

Long read, well worth it.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

1. Here's a quote from the story

"This is why the Catholic Church is so hated in our society: because it dares to say 'No' to so many things," Adkins says. "We don't say 'No' for the sake of saying 'No.' We say 'No' so that people in the world can say 'Yes.' 'Yes' to Christ."

No, Mr Adkins, YOUR Catholic Church is hated because it is close-minded. You are saying "No" because you hate homosexuals, and, indeed, you aren't that wild about heterosexuals either.

You are a bigot, sir.