And about that headline to which I just linked--"Catholic Bishops Declare Victory After Illinois Same-Sex Marriage Bill Stalls"--can anyone say P-Y-R-R-H-I-C?
Ask Ms. Google the definition of "pyrrhic victory," and she'll immediately respond,
A victory that is won by incurring terrible losses.
The graphic at the head of the posting is Mick Stockinger's clever depiction of a pyrrhic victory at the Anatreptic blog site.
When you represent, as pastors, as people claiming to stand in the place of Christ the good shepherd in the Christian community, a social movement that defines down the humanity of a targeted group of human beings as you crow about "victory" for you and yours, you've won a pyrrhic victory. Because the "victory" you've won utterly undercuts your right to speak of yourself in any shape, form, or fashion as a good shepherd, as one seeking out the lost sheep, healing the wounds of the world, and proclaiming a message of good news to all.
When the price you must pay to win your "victory" over one targeted minority group is the price of collaborating with a vile organization which strategizes to widen divisions and suspicions between that minority group and other minority groups, you've hardly won any victory at all, have you? Not if the good news of the gospel is what you claim to be all about.
"Pyrrhic victory: a victory that is won by incurring terrible losses": on one day alone, the main webpage of National Catholic Reporter contains the following articles, which suggest that, in the mind of many American Catholics and many American citizens in general, the pastoral leaders of the Catholic church have now succeeded in rebranding themselves and the church they lead as a heterosexist and homophobic boys' club hostile to the rights--to the very humanity--of fellow human beings who happen to be born gay:
"Bishops Call Lack of Illinois Vote on Same-Sex Marriage a Victory"
"Illinois Bishop Faces Challenging Audience at Talk on Same-Sex Marriage"
"Spate of Catholic School Firings Happen Without Official Church Policy"
Once again: can anyone (especially in the USCCB) spell P-Y-R-R-H-I-C?
