Presenters at a Georgetown University event recently agreed that religious organizations are promoting the movement to legalize gay marriage.

According to Bethany Stotts, Georgetown assistant professor Joseph Palacios suggested

that some might use the religious mantle for political reasons rather than religious ones. Rev. Palacios, a priest and sociologist, was asked why he wore his Roman collar to testify on behalf of marriage equality when the questioner had “never seen him” in his priest’s garb before. Rev. Palacios explained how he perceived his Roman collar — his religious sign of office — as a “prop” for the media. “Well, I mean my story is an odd one but I am a sociologist and [when] I do public statements I talk as a social scientist with a Roman collar on,” he said. “And why do I do that? Because the media loves it.” [And Palacios goes on in this cynical vein.]

Georgetown’s Solomic leaders did not bother, it would appear, to have anyone at the ready to make a serious case for traditional, heterosexual marriage.