His Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, has written a two-page letter to be read and/or placed in the bulletins of his parishes this weekend. He is certainly not one to hold his punches.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Our state’s elected lawmakers will soon consider a bill called “The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.” A more fraudulent title for this dangerous measure could not be imagined. The proposed law is, in truth, a grave assault upon both religious liberty and marriage. All people of goodwill, and especially Christ’s faithful committed to my pastoral care in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, should resolutely oppose this bill and make their opinions known to their representatives.
…
If you want to know what a bill is not about, read the title. Bill titles share something with headlines. They both are poor indicators of the content. Although while headlines are hyperbolic representations urging you to read the content., bill titles are the opposite where they want you to be satisfied with the title and to read no further.
Read the whole letter at Servant and Steward.
1 comment
Not the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. The title (or as it is technically known,”short title”) of this bill told so much that the New York Times “covered” the story of its passage by the House without once using it, “reporting” only that the House “voted to ban an entire class of abortions” again without once saying WHAT they had voted to ban. (This was before they even condescended to use the “procedure its opponents call” mantra.)