Where do religious freedoms end and personal rights supersede?
Right. Fucking. Here.
A coalition of Christian and Jewish groups say an anti-bullying bill harms faith-based learning.
Here's the story with some of my own editorial:
Some Christian and Jewish groups are denouncing Premier Dalton McGuinty’s anti-bullying legislation, calling it a front for his “radical sex education” agenda.
The Institute for Canadian Values held a news conference Tuesday morning, condemning the premier for a section of the new anti-bullying legislation that allows for all publicly funded school boards to “host gay clubs.”
Oh, Jesus!? The gays are allowed to have "clubs" now? We can't ridicule them and treat them like dirt until they commit suicide anymore? What happened to this world? Surely there is some vigilant bigot to save the day, right? Cue McVety:
The Institute’s president is Dr. Charles McVety, a politically savvy Evangelist who was against proposed changes to the provincial physical health and education curriculum last year. Those changes included discussing same-sex couples in Grade 3.
“We don’t understand why this keeps coming back,” McVety said.
I'd like to give him the answer myself, but surprisingly our idiot Premier has got it figured out...
But speaking in Windsor, McGuinty denounced the criticism.
“Are there gay children attending Catholic schools in Ontario? Yes. Are there gay teachers teaching in Catholic schools in Ontario? Yes,” McGuinty said.
“The purpose of our accepting schools act is to send a strong signal to all Ontarians, of all faiths and backgrounds, all places of origin, culture, ethnicities, in our province and our publicly funded schools — schools will be warm and accepting of all our children, regardless of their sexual orientation as well.”
I know what you're thinking. McGuinty surprised the fuck out of me with this one too. Good for him though. If he's saying it then it reflects the values of most Ontarians as McGuinty wouldn't dare take such a polarizing stance without backup. The anti-bullying legislation, created after recent high profile youth suicides including that of gay Ottawa teen Jamie Hubley, was introduced by the Liberals last week.
“I fully expect Catholic kids will use the word gay,” said McGuinty. “I fully expect Catholic teachers will use the word gay and as a Catholic premier in Ontario, I am going to talk about gay kids.”
There is a time and place for everything, said Rondo Thomas, of the Evangelical Association, but there is no “time and place” in an 8-year-old’s mind to try to make them conceptualize something beyond “tying their shoes.”
Hold it right there, Rondo. If that is a real name? My nine year old kid has been well aware of what it means to be gay for years. He goes to a Catholic school. I don't think we give kids any credit really. Hatred (like homophobia) starts with the parents and their example. So does tolerance, love and acceptance.
“The anti-bullying legislation that Mr. McGuinty is proposing constitutes a violation of our religious freedoms that are guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and further to that, it violates the common law of separation of church and state,” he said. “Please erase this unnecessary clause and show Ontarians you really care and we will join you in the anti-bullying campaign.”
The backlash to introducing this bill could be “quite severe,” he added.
Jack Fonseca, of the Campaign Life Coalition, agreed, saying the premier is misguided in this section of the anti-bullying legislation.
“Catholic teaching, the Catholic church and Catholic schools teach love of God and love of neighbour and if that is taught that is the best defense for children — whether they are same-sex attracted or overweight, skinny or wear glasses … it doesn’t matter, that is the best defense.”
Really? People are supposed to turn the other cheek? Use some kind of God shield from human degradation that your statement seems to condone?
Fonseca said McGuinty wants to force Catholic schools to do something, regardless of what the bishops say. “That is a violation of Catholic rights in Ontario,” he said.
Is it a violation of Catholic rights? Or this just bigotry in disguise?
All bullying is an expression of hate and it is wrong. I'm not surprised that there are those who will resist change. I'm just saying that their motives and argument are complete nonsense.
I'm not talking about gay rights exclusively. This applies to everyone and anyone who has had a hard time fitting in by no fault of their own. It's a big step to take as a society, so let's try not to fuck it up.
Peace.
via www.thestar.com
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