Only in Canada . . .

[Corlyss_D]

Gay Canadians to Catholic Priests: Shut Up or Else

Same-sex marriage passed Canada's upper house of Parliament last week, providing a look at how legalizing political correctness can spawn intolerance. Not against gay couples, mind you, but against religious expression.

At issue is whether publicly objecting to same-sex marriage can now land you in hot water with the country's loosey-goosey Human Rights Commission.

In testimony to the Canadian Senate, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the country's top Roman Catholic prelate, said same-sex marriage is turning love into a four-letter word. "Priests do not feel free to preach on sexual morality because they are accused of homophobia" and risk prosecution under Canadian hate laws, he said.

Well, that lit things up. Same-sex marriage supporters accused him of over-reacting, saying religious speech is exempt from prosecution under hate laws. The Globe and Mail wrote an editorial calling his comments "unfounded" and warned Catholic priests to "think twice about what they are saying" on the issue. State-funded CBC radio soon aired a commentary promoting laws regulating religion.

Critics shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss the cardinal. In Alberta, a Catholic bishop is under investigation for writing a pastoral letter outlining the church's position on same-sex marriage. Some civil marriage commissioners have complained too, saying marrying same-sex couples offends their beliefs. In one case, both the marriage commissioner and the same-sex betrothed filed complaints against each other. Since Canadians are evenly split on this issue, perhaps the best way to take their temperature will be by counting up the lawsuits.

It's too early to tell if Canada's hoopla over same-sex marriage and religious freedom is the early stage of an honest-to-goodness culture war. American gay-rights activists may want to take note of what's happening up north. Their cause here isn't helped by news that Canada's same-sex marriage law is landing clergy in court.

-- Christian Knoebel

[Lilith]

Clergy in Court. What could be more becoming ;o)

[Ralph]

Canada's laws on hate speech have to a certain degree been brought more into line with American First Amendment concepts since the Charter of Liberties came into effect. But there are still restrictions that would be amazing to an ACLU type or one who understands the Supreme Court's First Amendment jurisprudence.

[Corlyss_D]

Canada's laws on hate speech have to a certain degree been brought more into line with American First Amendment concepts since the Charter of Liberties came into effect. But there are still restrictions that would be amazing to an ACLU type or one who understands the Supreme Court's First Amendment jurisprudence.

I don't know what's got into our fellow tribesmen to the north. They seem to want to be the antithesis of everything American and still speak English. They completely mystify me.

[Corlyss_D]

Clergy in Court. What could be more becoming ;o)

I agree, but it's kinda like getting Capone on tax evasion: effective but generally sooooooooooooo much less satisfying than watching them do the perpwalk for real crimes, and not these phony-baloney PC constructs. It's justice-lite.

[Ralph]

No Canadian clergy will be tried for preaching/writing about theological views.

[Lilith]

Corlyss: We seem to agree on some very important issues. It must have you very uneasy, no?

[Corlyss_D]

Corlyss: We seem to agree on some very important issues. It must have you very uneasy, no?

Nope, but it should scare the crap out of the malignant clergy. I'm used to politics making for strange allies.

[Ralph]

Corlyss: We seem to agree on some very important issues. It must have you very uneasy, no?

Nope, but it should scare the crap out of the malignant clergy. I'm used to politics making for strange allies.

*****

"malignant clergy." That's a good one.

Let's burn the clerics!

[Corlyss_D]

"malignant clergy." That's a good one.

Let's burn the clerics!

Let me be perfectly clear here. I'm not talking about all of them, although I think with the breadth and depth of this pedophila mess, all of them are suspect. But I have no such reservations about the hierarchy down to each and every bishop who has ever bought off a victim and surreptitiously moved a criminal instead of reporting him to the police and kicking him out of the clergy. The behavior of the hierarchy is a disgrace to the deity, the faithful, and the institution they claim to serve. I don't care how they tart it up. If this were merely a business instead of a powerful church, at least half of the hierarchy would be in jail for criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting. If this is the clergy the Euorpeans have been dealing with for centuries, it's no damn wonder they are less than 30% church goers/believers.

[Ralph]

"malignant clergy." That's a good one.

Let's burn the clerics!

Let me be perfectly clear here. I'm not talking about all of them, although I think with the breadth and depth of this pedophila mess, all of them are suspect. But I have no such reservations about the hierarchy down to each and every bishop who has ever bought off a victim and surreptitiously moved a criminal instead of reporting him to the police and kicking him out of the clergy. The behavior of the hierarchy is a disgrace to the deity, the faithful, and the institution they claim to serve. I don't care how they tart it up. If this were merely a business instead of a powerful church, at least half of the hierarchy would be in jail for criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting. If this is the clergy the Euorpeans have been dealing with for centuries, it's no damn wonder they are less than 30% church goers/believers.

*****

Well I certainly favor prosecuting and/or suing every pedophile anywhere - male or female.

[Corlyss_D]

Well I certainly favor prosecuting and/or suing every pedophile anywhere - male or female.

I don't want them sued. I want them dead. I'll settle for removal to a desert island with no human contact except each other.

[Ralph]

Well I certainly favor prosecuting and/or suing every pedophile anywhere - male or female.

I don't want them sued. I want them dead. I'll settle for removal to a desert island with no human contact except each other.

*****

Always one for realistic options, huh?