One measure of the strength of an idea is the quality of the opposition to it. The General Assembly could vote this week on the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, a bill legalizing gay marriage in Illinois, and on Tuesday Cardinal George issued a letter urging Catholics to ask their representatives to vote against it.
The cardinal’s argument is along the lines of Abraham Lincoln’s admonition: “How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” Says George, “Marriage comes to us from nature. . . . It is physically impossible for two men or two women to consummate a marriage, even when they share a deep friendship or love. Does this mean nature is cruel or that God is unfair? No, but it does mean that marriage is what nature tells us it is and that the State cannot change natural marriage.”