In the words of the Ulster Division on 1 July, 1916
Today, the Pope criticized Canadian law for permitting same sex marriages and abortions. He also criticized Roman Catholic politicians who did not follow their religious beliefs when making decisions about government policy.
At the time of writing, the "national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, had on its website 96 comments posted by readers on the subject. The overwhelming majority of these were contemptuous of the Pope's presumption in criticizing Canadian law and Canadian politicians.
This is good news. When my father was a boy, Roman Catholic kids and Protestant kids did not attend the same schools and beat each other up on the way home from them. Many of my ancestors were Orangemen, members of an organization which barely survives in Canada, thank goodness.
I would not have thought it possible for a Pope to take himself so seriously as to criticize the government of a secular country like Canada on such an issue. Forget about all of the good work that the Government of Canada has done to end child poverty, sexual and racial inequality, and to improve the lives of Canadians. Forget about the work it has done around the world in the form of foreign aid, peacekeeping, and economic development. For a religious leader to criticize Canadian law when most of the rest of the world is abandoning the rule of law is the height of hypocrisy. Would he rather that Canadians lived as ignorant, God-fearing, peasants?
I have a lot of respect for the concept of the separation of church and state. I was raised an Anglican but have become deeply agnostic. Notwithstanding this, I would be offended if the Government of Canada suppressed religion in Canadian society. However, when the Pope says things like this, you wonder if perhaps our secular society needs to start emphasizing its secularity more and tolerating religious fanaticism less.
Perhaps "freedom of religion" should mean "believe whatever you like, but leave me out of it."
At the time of writing, the "national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, had on its website 96 comments posted by readers on the subject. The overwhelming majority of these were contemptuous of the Pope's presumption in criticizing Canadian law and Canadian politicians.
This is good news. When my father was a boy, Roman Catholic kids and Protestant kids did not attend the same schools and beat each other up on the way home from them. Many of my ancestors were Orangemen, members of an organization which barely survives in Canada, thank goodness.
I would not have thought it possible for a Pope to take himself so seriously as to criticize the government of a secular country like Canada on such an issue. Forget about all of the good work that the Government of Canada has done to end child poverty, sexual and racial inequality, and to improve the lives of Canadians. Forget about the work it has done around the world in the form of foreign aid, peacekeeping, and economic development. For a religious leader to criticize Canadian law when most of the rest of the world is abandoning the rule of law is the height of hypocrisy. Would he rather that Canadians lived as ignorant, God-fearing, peasants?
I have a lot of respect for the concept of the separation of church and state. I was raised an Anglican but have become deeply agnostic. Notwithstanding this, I would be offended if the Government of Canada suppressed religion in Canadian society. However, when the Pope says things like this, you wonder if perhaps our secular society needs to start emphasizing its secularity more and tolerating religious fanaticism less.
Perhaps "freedom of religion" should mean "believe whatever you like, but leave me out of it."
posted by Rob Stewart | 4:29 PM
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