Catholics Take Offense to Obama's Choice for Faith-Based Panel Member

And why wouldn't Catholics take offense? Harry Knox is not embracing and reaching out to the faith-based community, he's attacking it. When President Obama selects a member of a panel that disrespects the head of the largest Christian denomination in America, and to a faith-based panel at that, how is that helpful to healing the wounds that ail our nation? And how exactly is this hope and change?

"A representative of a national gay rights group who was appointed by President Obama to a White House advisory council this week once described Pope Benedict XVI and some Catholic bishops as "discredited leaders" because of their opposition to same-sex marriage."

I fail to understand the logic of a man that would criticize a religious body for opposing something, when their guiding text, tradition and carefully derived doctrines dictate doing so. Why would they disregard them? Could it be relativism? Mr. Knox clearly doesn't understand the difference between adhering to the notion of an absolute truth and relativism. Instead of respecting the beliefs of others, their religious precepts and tenets, if you will - he criticizes them.

How is this the appropriate person for this position? And when a sitting President of the United States doesn't even know that this person has this disregard and lack of respect for these rights and freedoms, afforded to every American, including Catholic Americans, what does this say about him? Or perhaps he's well aware of them and he agrees with Knox. Perhaps this is the change and the direction he has for our nation. It's either one or the other - that's for sure. And either way it's problematic for Catholics, even liberal Catholics.

President Obama either has trouble vetting people or he agrees, because Knox's position is clear and public knowledge:

"Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based gay rights group, lambasted the prelates in a gay newspaper last month for their support of Proposition 8, the successful November ballot measure that made same-sex marriage unconstitutional in California."

What's puzzling is that other nominees from President Obama were fine choices, why someone like Knox, as well?

Having pointed out the obvious, one can only deduct from the facts that this nation is heading for a hostile collision course with any traditional remnant of religious beliefs, in the guise of a faith-based entity. As long as your faith aligns with the gay or liberal agenda and not a traditional orthodoxy, then you're okay. All others need not apply. This is not the religious freedom that's guaranteed in the Constitution. Regardless of where you stand on gay rights, this is wrong.

Where's the respect? I can't find it. And how much more must Catholics endure? If the types of public remarks made about Catholics were made about Blacks, Jews or Muslims, to name a few, there would be outrage from every media outlet in America. This writer has had enough.