It seemed radical at the time: a bill of rights guaranteeing freedom of speech and religion. It was a novel departure from the concept of the state Church, but one that actually freed the Church to be itself in the modern world. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council brought the Catholic Church around to an appreciation of religious freedom writing:
The demand is likewise made that constitutional limits should be set to the powers of government, in order that there may be no encroachment on the rightful freedom of the person and of associations. This demand for freedom in human society chiefly regards the quest for the values proper to the human spirit…Religious communities also have the right not to be hindered in their public teaching and witness to their faith, whether by the spoken or by the written word.
I’m bringing this up because Canada, lacking strong guarantees on free speech and coming from a tradition of a state Church (England) doesn’t seem to understand basic human freedoms. Why? A Catholic priest is being hauled before a “human rights commission” and accused of a “hate crime” for arguing, from the Bible, the Catechism, and the encyclicals of Pope John Paul II, that gay marriage is wrong. Thus, it seems that upholding traditional morality is considered hate speech in Canada. It does not bode well for any defendant appearing before this quasi-court that no one accused has ever been cleared! Recently a Knights of Columbus group in Canada was fined for refusing to allow its hall to be used for a lesbian wedding. I agree with the Church’s position on morality for sure, but I’m mainly outraged as a person who loves and cherishes freedom. The Canadians need to develop a greater love of liberty and to stop being so thin-skinned.
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
June 6, 2008 at 12:13 am
Coming to a theater near you!!
June 6, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Be very sure, my friends, that the same forces are at work here in the United States to curtail our own present freedoms. Be sure it is coming … and be very frightened. This is where liberalism REALLY leads. It won’t be long, I’m afraid, before they will be hauling us to court for even speaking the Name of Jesus. God help us all.