Hired to photograph a lesbian wedding

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One is required to follow one’s informed conscience BASED ON CHURCH TEACHING. If this is, as suggested, really remote rather than proximate cooperation, then the Church does NOT forbid it. It may not be encouraged either, but it is NOT regarded as sinful, given the circumstances. The notion of “out-Churching the Church” may be playing it ultra-safe and seemingly holy; but in truth is, in my view, more akin to an attitude of “holier than thou.” Of course, one might legitimately argue, what do I know, someone who is not even Catholic or Christian, and so an outsider in such religious matters? A valid point, but I am still someone who can reason, and, believe me, obedience to Jewish law faces many a similar challenge.
 
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I can see your point, and it is a valid one, however I do not think that is the issue at hand.

All of our moral conundrum while reading this thread is his financial/reputation security versus his sin against God. Some of us, or maybe all of us a times, are letting this potential hardship blind us to what is at stake.

We are watching someone about to enter the Coliseum full of lions knowing that all he has to do is bow to Caesar to save his life.
 
Part of my livelihood is playing freelance classical music at events, commonly weddings. I have quit advertising my services for weddings, partly due to this issue (feeling like I can’t get out of playing gay weddings without the gay mafia coming after me). I am hoping the SCOTUS resolves this soon.
 
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meltzerboy2 said:
, someone who is not even Catholic
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I think you’re closer to us than you give yourself credit for.

We are Jews who accept Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.

You are a Jew who accepts Jesus as one of the Rabbis but not as the Messiah.

We both worship HaShem and do our best to live by the Mitzvah, the two most important being to worship Adonai our Elohim with all our strength and our neighbor as ourselves.

We both believe that Adonai is One.

Really, IMO Catholic Christianity and Judaism have much more in common than not.
 
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I agree there are many important similarities between our faiths. And I certainly feel more Catholic, having participated on this Forum (the old and now new one) for several years. Besides, Judaism, being quite a law-centered religion, specializes in thorny cases such as this.
 
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I see the ISIS documentary example given a few times in this thread and had the following thought/question to share…

Is there a difference between:
  1. being embedded within an ISIS group to make a documentary about terrorism and war
  2. being embedded within an ISIS group to make a propoganda video for them to share and relive their actions
 
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Mm, good point. @AveOTheotokos

I would say 1 would be no problem, but 2 would definitely introduce a severe moral dilemma.

But I would say this:

If you were taking photographs of a gay wedding for “LGBT marriage propaganda” - say to be used on a website which promotes gay marriage - that would be a different situation than if you were just photographing a private gay marriage where the photos will only be seen by the two brides’ (lol) family and friends…
 
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Edward_H said:
Divine law - for practicing Catholics - trumps civil law, even ecclesial law, EVERY TIME

Jesus taught this.

Jesus is the victim in a so called gay coupling.

This isn’t about rights…it’s about our duties to obey God and to not offend Him, despite unjust civil laws.
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Well, no, because when asked whether or not it was right to pay the imperial tax or not, Our Lord said the tax could be paid (which the questioners were incorrectly implying was a violation of moral law when it was not, because they incorrectly viewed it as a colloboration with the immoral and their purposes) and God’s due could also be paid without conflict. (See also Rom. 13:1-7)

We are to see civil authority as authority appointed by God and to comply with it whenever doing so is not directly and unavoidably opposed to following divine law.

In our current state, too–which is different than the state of most common citizens in Paul’s time–we are among those with influence in making laws. In that sense, we have the duties of lawmakers, to the extent that we have influence to exert.
 
Spyridon said:
But I would say this:

If you were taking photographs of a gay wedding for “LGBT marriage propaganda” - say to be used on a website which promotes gay marriage - that would be a different situation than if you were just photographing a private gay marriage where the photos will only be seen by the two brides’ (lol) family and friends…
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Thank you. You’re right, my intent is simply to earn money by taking photographs that the two women want taken, and I have no intention of advertising it on my website or endorsing it in any way.
 
Spyridon said:
Mm, good point. @AveOTheotokos

I would say 1 would be no problem, but 2 would definitely introduce a severe moral dilemma.

But I would say this:

If you were taking photographs of a gay wedding for “LGBT marriage propaganda” - say to be used on a website which promotes gay marriage - that would be a different situation than if you were just photographing a private gay marriage where the photos will only be seen by the two brides’ (lol) family and friends…
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Most photographers retain the rights to grant or deny permissionn for reproduction of their own photographs. If a photographer wished to say her photographs were for private use only except with her written consent, she could do that in most places.

If the OP does not currently have something like that in her contract, she might want to look into that.
 
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No…the imperial tax was a just tax. He paid it.

Do some better study of the matter.

Take a better example. The disciples picking and eating grain on a Sunday.

In this tender passage, Our Lord shows the hierarchy of law, in this case, natural law trumps the liturgical law.

Eternal law trumps all law.
Divine law (both revealed and natural) trumps civil and ecclesial law.
 
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I’ve recently spoken to a priest on the phone and explained my situation. He told me that I would not be committing a sin and that I would be providing a service to which I would be paid for to provide for myself and my family. He also said I am committed now that I’ve accepted the retainer fee, and that I could find myself in legal trouble if I backed out and told them the truth. He said that I’m just the one taking photographs, I’m not officiating or agreeing that it is a marriage. He also advised me to let this be a lesson, and to find out further details before committing to a wedding shoot again. But even after this, I am still a tad conflicted.
 
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Make a correction to your business practices, and find a better priest.

Donate the earned money to the poor as a token of reparation.
 
Spyridon said:
If you were taking photographs of a gay wedding for “LGBT marriage propaganda” - say to be used on a website which promotes gay marriage - that would be a different situation than if you were just photographing a private gay marriage where the photos will only be seen by the two brides’ (lol) family and friends…
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True, definitely a difference but does the size of the viewership (widespread vs private) negate or only diminish culpability?

Another example…

Would photographing/filming a serial killer torturing and murdering someone so that they have the photos/footage that will only be seen by themselves and possibly their close family or friend who condone their behavior be wrong?
 
jktobin said:
Thank you. You’re right, my intent is simply to earn money by taking photographs that the two women want taken, and I have no intention of advertising it on my website or endorsing it in any way.
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What if someone wanted to hire you to take explicit photos of them? Or of them harming or killing someone?
 
Edward_H said:
Make a correction to your business practices, and find a better priest.

Donate the earned money to the poor as a token of reparation.
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Are you a supernumerary member of Opus Dei? I’ve recently been appointed as a cooperator. I would sure love to become a full member but I don’t live near an Opus Dei center. I’ve only communicated through phone and FaceTime and e-mail.
 
I guess what I’m trying to say is, when the act you are being commissioned to document is immoral, does the level of depravity really matter? Or are you equally complicit?
 
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