Against The Grain

Tempers are flaring and bitter words are being exchanged in the debate over gay marriage. Some, however, are not without a sense of humor:

• "Someone should tell John Kerry that being a Catholic is not like joining the Elks Lodge." - Domenico Bettinelli to Catholic Senator John Kerry, who believes himself exempt from moral instruction by the Pope.

• "The reaction from some quarters was predictable. Rather than deal with the substance of the issue, attack the messenger. Accordingly, I received a number of angry letters accusing me of being a homophobic bigot, a hatemonger, and as someone who knows nothing about sexuality. The last accusation was particularly hurtful as I consider myself a very sexy person. How dare I make such claims!" - Bishop Frederick Henry of Calgary, responding to criticism of his recent assertion of a Catholic understanding of marriage.