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The Time Has Come: Put catholics in Their Place

On July 1, 2011, Dalton McGuinty, the Premier of Ontario, announced that starting in Spetember, catholic schools would no longer be allowed to prohibit the formation of gay-straight alliances by students. In an address by a Member of Provincial Parliament, Glenn Murray (Toronto Center), read a statement from the Premier during Toronto’s Pride Week. The statement read, “Starting in September, it will be students, not principals or school boards, that will decide whether a school has an LGBT support group”. (http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/07/04/ontario-students-can-form-l...) And wouldn’t you know it, catholics are whining, yet again, because they believe their rights are being violated.

One such catholic is Tim Storey. In The Intelligencer, Storey writes:

I am appalled at Premier Dalton McGuinty’s recent comments in which he plans to impose the homosexual agenda on Catholic schools under the guise of anti-bullying Gay-Straight Alliance clubs.

McGuinty is the one who needs a “change of attitude” — not Catholics. Catholics were the first to introduce the idea of anti-bullying. Anti-bullying does not mean the approval of a lifestyle that is not in accord with Catholic teaching.

But Tim, catholic schools accept public monies that keep them in business. These catholic schools are not private institutions: they exist in the public realm and take money from the public. Therefore, whether you like it or not, you must adhere to ethical standards being established by the public.

Now, yes, it is true the religion has been around for a very long time, and for most of that time, religion has enjoyed far too many exemptions from the rules that citizens and other public organizations have been subject too: such as the exemption from paying taxes. But this has never been a proper relationship between the state and religion, as religious interests do not, and ought not to supersede the interests of the state’s citizens. Remember, catholics, you have the Vatican city-state, so if you really want state-endorsed catholic-ignorance-and-bigotry-made-law, move there and let the state be as prejudicial as hell.

But Ontario is not the Vatican, and neither is Canada. And for that matter, no other country in the whole damn world is the Vatican. In these countries, the church, and all other religious organizations, take a back seat. So, catholics, shut the hell up and accept what you are being instructed to do.

Shut up, or go private, of course. That would mean your schools no longer receive tax dollars and any money contributed to the schools by your churches would be taxed as well. Oh yeah, you should also receive nothing by way of grants or other public monies when you go private.

And just to remind everyone of how skewed the catholic political viewpoint is, consider this: they are quick to yell and scream and cry when they believe their ability to practice their religion as they see fit is infringed upon, but have no reservation about pushing their religion down the throats of the rest of society. Consider the following diatribe from the group, Catholic Insight, which criticizes McGuinty’s support of gay-straight alliances being formed in the absence of administrative interference, but also his government donating $400,000 to Toronto’s Gay Pride Week:

McGuinty’s donation of $400,000 of taxpayers’ money was not an accident. From their birth as part of “Gay Liberation” in the early 1970’s, Gay Pride Parades have been political tools to promote the homosexual lifestyle among the general populace. With the passage of the Hate Crimes Act, Human Rights Commissions in various provinces used threats and fines to coerce unwilling cities to hold them. Today McGuinty’s Ministry of Education sees Gay Pride celebrations as opportunities to enhance its enforcement of GTA (Gay Straight Alliances) in all of Ontario’s schools, regardless of parents and teachers opposition.

McGuinty used Toronto’s Gay Pride Days to announce that all schools must allow homosexual clubs. He also admitted that his government aims at “changing attitudes” on homosexuality, a process he says “that should begin in the home.”

The message was delivered at the Gay Pride Marshall’s meeting on Canada Day by homosexual activist Toronto Centre MPP Glen Murray, the former “gay” mayor of Winnipeg and now a “gay” minister in McGuinty’s Cabinet.

These homosexual clubs, the message said, are ‘not a matter of choice.’ It is not up to the schools or principals. It is up to the students. (For complete text, follow the link: http://www.lifesite.ca/resources/premier-dalton-mcguinty-homosexual...). Also, see National Post, July 5, 2011 (“Students get LGBT power in schools”) LifeSiteNews.com (“Ontario Premier: Catholic schools have no choice but to accept gay clubs”).

The time has come to say NO to McGuinty, to homosexual activists, to the Ontairo Human Rights Commission and to the Gay Pride Days.

This article, written collectively by the staff of Catholic Insight, takes catholic values, injects them into the public realm, and says it is inappropriate to fund Gay Pride parades. (But it is okay to fund and give tax breaks to the catholic church – aka a collective of religious bigots.) This group also seems to have forgotten that cities do not exist to control their citizens – they exist to represent the interests of their citizens. If city councils are unwilling to allow gay pride parades, it really is not their prerogative. If the citizens in these municipalities want gay pride parades, they should be having gay pride parades.

Remember that McGuinty is not making every school have a Gay-Straight Alliance. Only those schools where students want these groups will these groups exist. The only arms being twisted are catholic school board administrations that would rather not allow certain types of support groups that students expect.

And the end of the article, also quoted above, has this group of bigots calling for others to “to say NO to McGuinty, to homosexual activists, to the Ontairo Human Rights Commission and to the Gay Pride Days.”

Enough is enough! It is time to stop allowing this ancient and ignorant group to meddle in public affairs. The hypocrites! They bitch about public policy but have no problem taking public money. Ignorant and Intolerant! They have nothing to justify their beliefs, including their beliefs about such things as homosexuality (except for a book of ancient ignorance and hatred), but expect these beliefs to dictate how we all live our lives and how we all choose to think about things.

To the catholic church and its SS-esque Minions: The only people who prefer your ideologies and assorted plans for society are other catholics. No one else wants or needs your ridiculous and lie-filled dogma. Keep it to yourselves…because we are not going to take your nonsense any longer. We will not allow our rights and privileges be sacrificed because you would prefer that they were.

So catholic church: shut up or get the hell out!

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Comment by Sentient Biped on July 17, 2011 at 12:07am: If the cracker is really 2,000 year old jerky, no wonder it's tastless. I'm not sure about the blood - woudn't it be coagulated by now? Yuk.

Comment by Brian Bridson on July 16, 2011 at 9:53pm: But Sentient, catholics actually believe, via the magic of transubstantiation, that they are eating flesh and drinking blood, not wafers and wine.

Comment by Sentient Biped on July 16, 2011 at 9:41pm: Brian,

No argument from me, just wanted to express what I know some will say. I struggle with the concept of catholic (or theist) "enablers". The complartmentalism can be interesting. As far as Im concerned, the Vatican should be converted to a museum for art and the study of religious demogoguery. I also take issue with people who continue to throw money into the golden collection plates, all so they can eat a tasteless cracker.

Comment by Brian Bridson on July 16, 2011 at 7:08pm: Sentient...thanks for your comments. Firstly, I have made the text changes. Secondly...while I hear what you are saying about putting catholics in their place, I disagree with you. With all the nonsense and immorality being committed by this corrupt organization, not even its members can be kept from knowing about it. And yet, despite this, its flock continue to follow and add more money to the coffers of the vatican.

James, I do agree with what you have said regarding the fact that commonsense also dictates that these relics of the Roman Empire should be left to their death throes while the rest of us move on. But with respect to American politics, I am not familiar enough to comment.

And yes, their support and protection provided to pedophiles is a mark of their true despicable nature. If that in itself is not enough to make people pack their bags and leave, they deserve no more respect than their invalid beliefs.

Comment by James M. Martin on July 16, 2011 at 6:04pm: I like this post. The writer suggests but does not precisely define the nature of the problem. It is simply that all of the so-called social conservative "issues" (I can hear Wittgenstein rattling in his grave) are grounded in faith, and science and reason tells us that these people are 100% dead wrong on both of two fronts: abortion and LGBT orientation. In America, everyone has rights, but not pregnant women or homos. That horrid Bachmann woman is such an ideologue she shouldn't be dreaming up Constitutional amendments to ban Shariah, she should be preaching in a megachurch, which is a lot more lucrative than being a Congresswoman. Mrs. Marcus Bachmann, like that butt of a savage joke, Mr. Rick Santorum, simply spouts rote Tea Party talking points, relying upon Joe Goebbels' suggestion that anyone can be convinced of anything if you repeat a falsehood early and often enough.

But the worst crime of the Catholic Church is its protection of pedophile priests, sending them to brief rehab (in complete ignorance of the well known truth that pedophile recidivism is high), then placing them in another parish where they sin all over again. Anyone else would be shut down by Eric Holder, the A.-G., but the RCC has diplomatic status by treaty with the U.S. Duh, how do you think the justice obstructor-in-chief vacations in Castle Gondolfo. It was his reward for keeping governments out of Vatican files.

Comment by Sentient Biped on July 16, 2011 at 4:44pm: Brian,

Enjoyed your editorial. Passionate and well written.

If I may quibble, it is in support of you. Just a couple of points -

"Put catholics in their place" puts all catholic people in the same category. It alienates catholic followers who are supportive of the same things that you are. I don't have an ideal substitute, but might say "Put catholic bishops in their place" or "Put catholic conservative activists in their place". Or to be McCarthyesque, "Put catholic operatives in their place."

The second point is the line "Catholics were the first to introduce the idea of anti-bullying." I suspect that is not true. There may have been catholics in there on the ground floor, but I doubt that "catholics" deserve as much credit as this line gives them, especially without attribution.

My other point is editorial. I found it difficult to keep track of what were your words, and what were quotes. It's easy to make quotes italic, and keep your own text as helvitica, so that the reader doesn't attribute to you something that you actually are against.

Please take this as supportive of your words and cause.

Daniel