March 05 - Catholic Civil Rights League

VOL. 8 NO. 1
March 2005
Same Sex “Marriage” – A Media Primer
By Philip Horgan
The Catholic Civil
Rights League
CCRL President
You may have reason to wonder from time to time how the CCRL
attracts media coverage, and perhaps more importantly, how the
media responds to the CCRL. The recent and ongoing engagement
on the marriage issue before Parliament is helpful in understanding
these issues.
We have become a source for reaction or commentary for some
media outlets as representatives of the Catholic community.
Through support from our members, our engagement as an intervenor in three provinces
and the Supreme Court of Canada in eight separate hearings on the marriage issue has
established the League as an authoritative voice on the issue.
is happy to announce
its gala dinner
in celebration of its
20th anniversary
Thursday, April 21, 2005,
Ellas Banquet Hall
Reception 6 pm, Dinner 7 pm
Members may not be fully aware that the League can only afford to employ two full time
staff. We are largely a volunteer organization. Responding to requests for interviews across
the country generally falls to the volunteers on the executive.
In my case, that means fitting CCRL duties around a full time commercial litigation practice
and the demands of a busy household with five children ages three to 14. Joanne McGarry,
Richard Bastien and Sean Murphy have also been busy meeting demands from media for
comments (see CCRL in the News, page 7). If we fail to meet every request, it is usually
due to lack of time, not lack of effort.
From the release of the Supreme Court’s reference decision on December 9, through to the
current engagement on the federal government’s draft legislation released on February 1,
the demands have been extensive. The good news is that it appears that Canadians of all
faiths have been awakened to the need to respond.
Our coalition partners at DefendMarriage.ca have led the debate on a variety of fronts,
including the pursuit of rallies, and focusing attention on undecided MPs. As a result of the
initiatives of this coalition, our Lenten observances this year should include giving up
Famous Players theatres, which accepted same sex marriage advocacy advertising and
inflicted them upon the captive audiences of their movie theatres.
We have also participated in the early stages of the Enshrine Marriage organization, which
was formed to seek the long term goal of providing protection for true marriage through
constitutional change.
Returning to the theme of media attention, it is important for all members to understand
how differently we are treated, depending on the outlet.
Continued page 8
Please join us for a
festive evening.
Members and guests
welcome
Ellas Banquet Hall
35 Danforth Road
Toronto, Ont.
416-694-1194
Tickets: $65 each. All proceeds will
benefit the league’s civil rights and
educational initiatives.
To reserve your seats, please send a
cheque, Visa or Mastercard # (please
include expiry date), with your name,
address and # of tickets required, to
CCRL at 46 St. Clair Ave. E., Suite 301,
Toronto M4T 1M9. Credit card orders
can be faxed to 416-466-0091, or
phoned to 416-466-8244.
By Thomas Langan
President Emeritus
What is the most important role of the CCRL? To keep us talking to those who would rather see us disappear
from the public arena. Such talk often looks futile. Legal battles are often lost. Attacks on Christianity don't
relent, however often they may have been refuted. Why not let them 'stew in their juice', and give up?
Because our role as Christians is not to win battles through our wit, astuteness or superior arguments; it is
to witness to the Truth.
M
A
R
C
H
2005
WHY THEY HATE US;
AND WHY WE MUST LOVE THEM
Because we believe that we humans all depend on the same Truth, we inevitably get on the nerves of our
contemporaries. They want to think that each of us secretes whatever truth/i.e. life-style fits him or her. The
sky is the limit. In other words, they visualize us as little gods, each one safe in his/her own constructed
world, with the power to transform it at will. Anyone invoking a universal God, source of all truths,
challenges both that safety and that power. We invoke the absolute powers of an infinite creator of all, an
all-knowing God in whose will is our peace. What could be more disruptive? To the atheist such a notion
is crazy... and very frightening. Arguing with a horde of conservatives to keep them “at bay and harmless”
is already bad enough; but throw in an imaginary omnipotent Creator, and the very rules of the game - the
underpinning of our modern way of life - are challenged.
Is it possible to pierce through this fear of losing control of one's god-like life? Perhaps; if we recognize the
validity of our opponents' insight that humans are meant to be god-like; that they are responsible for their
life-choices; but find ways to persuade them that to become 'little gods' calls for God's grace and direction.
Too often, we present the authority of God's Word and the generous ministry of His church as diktats,
vetoing all things attractive, prelude to dire punishment in this world and the next. We need to present His
call and her service as ways to fullness of life, as liberating, surprising challenges. Too often, we fight aggressiveness with aggressiveness, defensiveness with defensiveness. The only way to witness to Truth is Christ's
way: 'only love is believable.'
It is rare to find someone willing to undertake a calm and serious discussion of a touchy moral or social
issue. But out of love for those with whom we share this country, and the same human needs and potential,
we must keep making the effort. This implies understanding them first. We will often be rebuffed, and
occasionally may lose a friend. But the stakes are so high I believe we are under an obligation to try, in
season and out of season. Remember, it is not about 'winning'. It is about witnessing. As St. Paul put it 'we
cannot be silent'.
2
1985
2005
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
www.ccrl.ca
ANTIGONISH CHAPTER ORGANIZES CAMPAIGNS TO SAVE MARRIAGE
Executive Officers
Chaplain
Most Rev. Adam Exner,
O.M.I.
President Emeritus
Thomas Langan
President
Philip Horgan
ANTIGONISH, NS – CCRL’s Antigonish chapter has been active in the campaign to preserve
the traditional definition of marriage, encouraging prayer and the sending of faxes and letters to
regional MPs in support of marriage. More than 5,000 faxes have been sent to Nova Scotia
politicians. Individual league members also sent letters to area newspapers. The chapter plans
to place advertising in local newspapers.
The chapter continues its active opposition to the manual SEX?, recommended by the province
for use in public schools. Member Dr. Karen MacDonald recently commended the Strait School
Board for declining to use the manual, pointing out that the quality and tone of the information
in the manual raise serious concerns.
TORONTO CHAPTER SPONSORS TALKS ON LEAGUE ACTIVITIES
Vice President
C. William French
Treasurer
John Sidle
Director
Frederick W. Hill, O.C.
Regional Directors
Western Region
Sean Murphy
Edward De Vita
National Capital Region
Richard Bastien
Newton C. Steacy
Ontario Region
C. William French
John Shea
Quebec Region
Nicholas Newman
Jean Morse-Chevrier
Maritime Region
C. Joe MacLellan
Patrick Hanlon
301-46 St. Clair Ave. E..
Toronto, ON M4T 1M9
Tel: (416) 466-8244
Fax: (416) 466-0091
[email protected]
Civil Rights is the official newsletter
of the Catholic Civil Rights League.
For reprints or additional copies of
this newsletter, please contact the
League’s Toronto office at
(416) 466-8244.
To join the Catholic Civil Rights
League see membership form in
newsletter (pg. 7).
TORONTO - The Toronto chapter continues to be successful in media monitoring and response.
Visit our website (ccrl.ca/mediamonitoringcentre) to see some of their letters published in area
newspapers. On February 6, 2005, Toronto Chapter President Luke Petrykowski spoke in
defense of the traditional marriage at a forum entitled "Same-sex Marriage, Why Not?" at
Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church in Markham, Ont. League President Philip Horgan, and
Executive Director Joanne McGarry, also addressed Church groups in the Toronto area recently.
If your parish, organization or event – in Toronto or in many other parts of Canada - requires a
dynamic and authentic Catholic voice on any issue of importance in contemporary Canadian
life, please do not hesitate to contact the League.
OTTAWA DIRECTOR PARTICIPATES IN DEFEND MARRIAGE PRESS CONFERENCE
OTTAWA - Richard Bastien, CCRL’s director for the national capital region, addressed a press
conference hosted by Defend Marriage Canada Feb. 15 on behalf of the league. The conference
marked the launch of the Defend Marriage campaign bus, which will visit MPs’offices during the
debate on Bill C-38. In his statement, Mr. Bastien said that the proposed Bill C-38 would change
the definition of marriage for everyone, and that “if there is no promise of procreation, why
should the state care about marriage? He added that the government is acting against the will
of the majority of its citizens, as shown by every poll taken in recent months, and that
guarantees of religious freedom mean little in view of the fact that the government voted in 1999
in favour of the one man/one woman definition of marriage.
B.C. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHALLENGED OVER HALL RENTAL
PORT COQUITLAM, BC – A local Knights of Columbus council is being challenged in the BC
Human Rights Tribunal for cancelling a contract that would have rented out its hall for the
“wedding reception” of two lesbians (League press releases, Jan. 28). The council returned the
deposit and paid for both the reprinting of invitations and the rental of another facility, compensation which is not required in most commercial facility rental agreements. CCRL supports the
Knights of Columbus and other Church groups in their effort to control the use of their property
for uses in keeping with their beliefs. Both our BC chapter and national office will be watching
this case closely as it is undoubtedly the first of many such challenges in provinces where same
sex “marriage” is legal. We encourage councils to review their standard rental contracts for the
possible inclusion of a religious rights clause.
3
IN THE COURTS
Manitoba to appeal
abortion ruling
The Manitoba government must appeal a court
ruling ordering it to pay for abortions in private
clinics to protect its right to decide how healthcare dollars are spent, the province’s Health
Minister Tim Sale has announced. He said the
case, which could set a precedent for other
provinces and is being monitored by various groups including CCRL,
goes beyond the abortion debate. It could affect how governments
handle long waiting lists for numerous other procedures.
In December, Associate Chief Justice Jeffrey Oliphant ruled that
provisions in the province’s Health Services Insurance Act that make
women pay for abortions outside of public hospitals violate their rights
under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The ruling also cited the
time constraints women are under when trying to get an abortion.
“There is no reason or logic behind the impugned legislation which
prevents women from having access to therapeutic abortions in a
timely way,” wrote Judge Oliphant.
The decision cleared the way for a lawsuit by the hundreds of women
who had paid for abortions themselves. Two women started the class
action against the government in 2001. It is now on hold pending the
appeal. The women said they had no choice but to pay for abortions
at the private Morgentaler Clinic because the wait for a publiclyfunded procedure was four to eight weeks.
Welcoming the announcement of the appeal, CCRL President Phil
Horgan noted that there are a great many medical services where time
is of the essence. “Heart surgery, MRI scans and cancer treatments are
but a few that come to mind. There are localities where waiting lists
for these services are unacceptably long. When those patients who can
afford it turn to private clinics for their needs, our public health plans
often pay either nothing or only a small portion. Why must we make
an exception for a life-taking act when we refuse to do so for
treatments that are life-saving?
“In our view, only the highly political nature of abortion allowed this
case to go as far as it did, or be resolved as it was. The public funding
of private clinic abortions is unacceptable, especially when patients
needing life-saving treatment must reach into their own pockets to
"jump the queue."
Intervener status denied in Morgentaler
case in New Brunswick
The Coalition for Life and Health, of which CCRL is a supporter, has
lost its second attempt to get intervener status in Henry Morgentaler’s
pending lawsuit against the New Brunswick government. Morgentaler
is arguing the province ought to pay for abortions in private clinics,
such as his in Fredericton. (Currently, the province only covers
4
abortions that are performed in hospitals with
the approval of two doctors.)
In April, a court of Queen’s Bench judge denied
the coalition’s application to participate, noting
that the lawsuit was focused primarily on
financial issues, so that the coalition’s focus on
the morality of abortion wasn’t relevant. The
coalition appealed, arguing that the judge had
applied his discretionary power arbitrarily and
that he misconstrued the scope of the lawsuit and the nature of the
coalition’s interest. However, in late January the appeals tribunal
dismissed the appeal and awarded Morgentaler costs of $1,500. Chief
Justice Ernest Drapeau noted that the original judge was correct in
determining that the coalition did not meet the criteria necessary to be
deemed an intervener in the case or an information resource for the
judge, known as a friend to the court.
A decision on launching a final appeal had not been made as Civil
Rights went to press.
Nurse fined, suspended
for pro-life protest
Bill Whatcott, a pro-life activist and former Regina-based nurse, has
been penalized with a 45-day suspension and an order to pay his
professional association $15,000 to help cover its costs for investigating and trying him for professional misconduct. The penalty relates
to his picketing of the Planned Parenthood office and “calling them
baby killers”, according to Mr. Whatcott. “What I’m really, really
concerned about is Christian professionals, people who share my
views, and their right to participate in the public square.”
The disciplinary hearing was conducted by the Saskatchewan
Association of Licensed Practical Nurses. Mr. Whatcott says the
penalty is essentially the same as a lifetime suspension because he
cannot get his license back until he pays the $15,000, an amount he
says he cannot afford to pay.
Mr. Whatcott, a member of Christian Truth Activists, is represented by
lawyer Tom Schuck, a CCRL member.
Three Parent Family case
The Ontario Court of Appeal will soon begin hearings in the “Three
Parent” case (A.A. (Applicant), B.B. and C.C.(Respondents). After a
lapse of almost two years, a hearing was scheduled for Feb. 15, but
then postponed as the issues are of public interest that may attract
interveners on both sides of the issue. CCRL is considering applying as
an intervener with its legal partners. The main question is whether or
not the State, through the courts, will confer the status of family and
parentage on more than two persons in a family raising children.
The case began in 2003 when a London, Ont. boy's natural mother
applied to have her lesbian partner made a third legal parent. The two
women, reportedly with the natural father's support, made the request
of Justice David Aston of London Family Court.
family Alliance for Marriage and Family requesting intervener status.
He said he did not have the jurisdiction under the Children’s Law
Reform Act to confer parental status on more than two people. The
decision made the intervention application irrelevant.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has appointed an amicus curiae, and
efforts are underway to coordinate a coalition to support the traditional
definition of family and parentage in Ontario. In a decision released in
April 12, 2003, Justice Aston dismissed the motion of a London pro-
- With reports from canadaeast.com,
Canadian Press and
The Christian Legal Fellowship.
PARLIAMENTARY
Thousands of CCRL members and supporters
have taken the time to contact their MPs in
defense of the traditional definition of marriage
in recent months. We thank those who copied
us on their correspondence and the answers
they received. Through your efforts, a strong
public record of opposition to Bill C-38 has
been created.
UPDATE
We’ve been happy to help identify the voting intentions of individual
MPs where known, and encourage some courteous persuasion of
those whose views on the issue are either not known, or not strong.
When the final vote is taken, we will publish each MP’s vote on our
website.
For our part, national office has also written to Prime Minister Martin
and Justice Minister Cotler, who replied formally on behalf of the
government. We argued that the definition and social value of
marriage is not a question of equality but is rather found within its
historical and cultural foundations as the basis of family and society,
and the ideal environment for the nurturing of children. We also
pointed out that the vast majority of religions in Canada support the
traditional definition, as do the majority of individual Canadians. We
expressed our concerns about what the proposed re-definition could
mean for religious freedom, freedom of conscience for civil marriage
registrars, and the content of family life and marriage preparation
programs.
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS OR
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invites you to participate.
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[email protected] for rates and details
In his reply, Dr. Cotler stated that the
government “will uphold freedom of religion.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
protects churches, synagogues, mosques and
temples from being obliged to perform
marriages contrary to their beliefs. The
Supreme Court was categorical: the Charter
protects freedom of religion.
“This protection is clearly echoed in the draft bill to extend civil
marriage to same sex couples. This asserts the Government’s
commitment to religious freedom by stating that everyone has the
freedom of religion under the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms, and that officials of religious groups are free to refuse to
perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious
beliefs.”
In response to CCRL’s observation that the proposed bill contains
nothing that would protect religious and conscience rights for marriage
registrars, or the administrators of Church-owned property and
schools, the justice minister said that further guarantees “could be
made under provincial and territorial human rights acts and marriage
acts. As Minister of Justice, I will be working with the provinces and
territories to seek their cooperation in making these amendments.”
Please visit our website at:
http://ccrl.ca
New this month: Expanded
media monitoring centre.
Copies of the Charter of Rights
and Freedoms and Bill C-38
5
LEAGUE MEDIA WATCH
“Coke Light” ad demeans priesthood
CCRL has urged Coca Cola to discontinue a video advertisement for
“Coke Light” that depicts a priest in a sexually suggestive situation. The
advertisement was viewed on Hotmail.com by a league supporter in
Edmonton who then forwarded it to us.
A spokesman for the company said it welcomes feedback from
consumers and recommends that they phone or write the branch in
their home country with their concerns. Such complaints are always
forwarded to executive committees and sometimes lead to advertising
being discontinued. The ad in question has never been part of the
company’s North American advertising, but illustrates how the Internet
has made it easy for such offensive content to travel beyond its market
of origin. The company will advise CCRL of the origin and discontinuation of the ad.
League asks CBC News: Sunday
to review confessional skit
The league recently asked CBC News: Sunday to consider dropping
the regular feature “Sunday Confessions,” which consists of humorous
interviews that ostensibly occur in a confessional on issues of the day.
Noting that the skit could be interpreted to demean a sacrament of the
Church, executive director Joanne McGarry said in a letter to show
host Evan Solomon that while the offensive nature of the skit may well
be unintentional, it is real. Many league members have complained
about the unit over the past year.
chain had failed to provide a level playing field by running the ad with
no time provided for opposing views. “We urged all of our supporters
to give up Famous Players theatres for Lent this year. Take your movie
watching business elsewhere. We want all corporate executives to
know that it’s bad for business to engage in promotion of issues
antithetical to the religious and ethical views of many Canadians”
Vision TV show highly misleading
CCRL has criticized Vision TV for promoting a misleading statement in
its recent short documentary “Clergy in the Closet.” The show claimed
that the Church’s strong teaching against homosexual conduct, clearly
articulated on camera by Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary, causes
homosexual clergy to remain secretive about their orientation. In a
letter, league executive director Joanne McGarry said, ““Your basis for
saying that as many as 58 per cent of Catholic clergy are gay is nothing
short of astounding. I believe you substantiated the remark by saying
an American writer “had guessed” that the figure could be this high,
and then extrapolated this “fact” to Canada. In reality, there is no
research available on this topic that would meet any recognized
standard for social science. The very few surveys and studies that exist
are based on surveys with voluntary participation. However, if there
were that many then surely it would not have been so difficult to find
even one in active ministry who would speak on camera.” The
network did not include the letter in its viewer feedback segment.
CCRL in the news
A selection of recent media interviews given by CCRL officials.
“The confessional skit (I saw) had some humorous content, but would
have been just as effective staged in a bar, a corner store, a taxi or a
living room,” said Ms. McGarry. “Because this concern has been
expressed by so many of our members, I encourage you to consider
discontinuing the use of the mock confessional on the show.”
Catholic Register, Feb. 20/05, CCRL President Phil Horgan on Famous
Players boycott
In his reply, show producer Stuart Coxe said the skit had been
reviewed by a theologian who did not find it problematic, and added
that “our segment contains no sacred or liturgical elements. We take
the concerns of all religious groups extremely seriously and would
never knowingly cause offense.”
Montreal Gazette, Feb. 1/05, CCRL President Phil Horgan on Church
role in marriage debate.
Famous Players stops “all political ads”
after boycott
Famous Players movie theatres have stopped running a pro-gay
“marriage” ad in its theatres across Canada following a boycott by the
Defend Marriage coalition, of which CCRL is a founding member. The
movie chain ran a pre-show still slide between Feb. 1 and Feb. 17
saying “’I Do’ is the same whether you’re gay or straight,” and urged
patrons to contact their MPs “in support of Canada’s Charter of Rights
and Freedoms.” The ad was placed by Canadians for Equal Marriage
and paid for by Famous Players Media Inc. President Salah Bachir.
The movie chain later refused to run a pro-marriage trailer from
Equipping Christians for the Public Square, another boycott supporter.
Discussing the advertising, CCRL President Phil Horgan noted that the
6
CTS television network, Feb. 20/05, CCRL Ottawa director Richard
Bastien at launch of DefendMARRIAGE campaign.
Globe and Mail, Feb. 19/05, CCRL Executive Director Joanne McGarry
on Famous Players boycott
CBC Newsworld, Jan. 31/05, Phil Horgan on Same Sex Marriage
Legislation
The Motts, News Talk 1010, Toronto, Jan. 28/05, Phil Horgan on
Church role in marriage debate.
The Wayne McLean Show, 570 News, Kitchener-Waterloo, Jan. 28/05
Joanne McGarry on Church’s right to speak in marriage debate
The National Post, Jan. 28/05, Page 1, Phil Horgan on Church’s valid
role in public debate
CBC Morning News Jan. 19/05. Phil Horgan on traditional marriage
BC Catholic, Jan. 17, 2005, Phil Horgan on rights protection for civil
marriage officials.
CTV National News Dec. 9/04, Phil Horgan on traditional marriage
CKNW Vancouver, Dec. 9/04, The Bill Good Show, Joanne McGarry
on traditional marriage.
CBC Radio coast-to-coast in all major centres and many smaller cities:
Phil Horgan and Joanne McGarry, Dec. 9/04 on traditional marriage.
Radio-Canada, Montreal, Richard Bastien, Dec. 9/04 on traditional
marriage
CBC National (English): Richard Bastien interviewed by Don Newman,
Dec. 9/04
B.C. Catholic, Dec. 13/04 quoting Richard Bastien
New York Times, Dec. 17/04, letter from Lukasz Petrykowski, Toronto
Chapter President.
GETTING INVOLVED: REFLECTION BY A CCRL DIRECTOR
By Bill French
Like most Canadian Catholics, I have silently
observed the decay of our most wonderful
Canadian culture from the sidelines and did
very little about it. It was a case of “Well it really
doesn’t affect me and God gave everyone a
free will”. It saddens me that I really only
became involved in the debate a few years ago
and quit being a voyeur. I lived my early years
on a farm, so the expression “closing the barn door after the horse had
bolted” comes to mind.
As Catholics, despite being given all the truths through scripture and
tradition, with a lineage back to Christ and Peter, we have been inept in
evangelizing our fellow man. We have put the economy, social justice
issues and our personal advancement above what we were called to do.
Those things are all important but must be done for the love of God, not
just to make society more comfortable. We are called to bring the loving
Christ into all we do. I have known this clearly for over 24 years after
attending a Cursillo weekend that opened my eyes, but as mentioned
only responded to the call a few years ago.
I did have some bright spots during these 24 years, because of my
awareness of the TRUTH, when I was in business. On a few occasions I
allowed my Catholic Faith to influence my decisions even though they
may have been unpopular and jeopardized business. Ironically those who
knew the reason were quite moved and respected rather than criticised
my stance. I am not sure why I did not do it more often or become more
vocal in the hot morality issues such as no fault divorce and abortion,
which have lead the decay to today’s same sex marriage crisis.
I realize that many complain that our Church leaders, priests and
religious do not speak out or better educate the flock and that is why
Catholics don’t know what to do. That is an excuse as far as I am
concerned. If you are a Catholic adult and have been Confirmed, you
have something that can make you the most effective spokesman for the
Church in your everyday world. They are called the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. We need to draw on them much more. Our current Pope, His
Holiness John Paul II has given an unbelievable resource of information
through encyclicals and Apostolic Letters. They all have clear practical
answers to the “signs of our times” to which we as Catholics are called to
recognize and respond.
The reality is that we have all focused on creating a pluralistic society
that is now paying its dividends. While some of these changes are good,
many are not. However, I am convinced that the tide can be changed as
there are many good Catholic and other believers who want to serve God
first and fulfill the answer to the question in the Baltimore Cathechism
that I studied 52 years ago in grade one. The question was, “Why did God
make us?. The answer was something to the effect “To know Him, to love
Him and to serve Him in this world, and be with Him in Heaven.”
I ask you all to get involved and do what you can. I also know that more
can be done if we invoke prayer before we do anything, as the Spirit will
guide our actions. We must, I believe, also pray for and not simply
condemn those in government who ignore their call. Here I refer to
Martin, Chretien, and the late Trudeau, who collectively have caused
more harm to the sanctity of this country than any pagan could have ever
accomplished, in my opinion.
As the Pope said at his first public appearance 25 years ago, “Be not
afraid”. I firmly believe we are all being called to make a difference
regardless of how insignificant it may be. Talk to your Member of
Parliament both at the provincial and federal level, write your local paper,
talk to your neighbour and those in the pew on Sunday, do something!
I feel privileged to be called to serve with the Catholic Civil Rights League
in the position of Vice President. I hope that I am able to draw on some
of my past 38 years of business experience and knowledge along with my
24 years involvement with Cursillo, to assist the League to become the
definitive voice of Catholics in this country.
Bill French is a CCRL director for Ontario and our national Vice President
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Continued from p. 1
Swedish hate speech verdict reversed
On January 19, CBC Radio in Toronto contacted me (at 7 am) for a
live-to-air interview (at 8 am), to be conducted in response to
Cardinal Ambrozic’s open letter released that day to the Prime
Minister. However, the debate was not about the merits of the
Cardinal’s suggestions. Instead, I debated Joanna Manning on the
appropriateness of the Catholic hierarchy speaking to the issue.
PARIS, France, Feb. 11, 2005 – A Swedish appeals court has overturned
the conviction of a Pentecostal pastor found guilty of violating the
country’s strict hate-speech law with a sermon that labeled homosexuality
“a deep cancerous tumor in the entire society” and equated it with
pedophilia. The appeals court ruled that Sweden’s law, which was
enacted after World War II to protect Jews and other minorities from neoNazi propaganda and was only recently extended to gays, was never
intended to stifle open discussion of homosexuality or restrict a pastor’s
right to preach.
Later that day, I am interviewed by a Toronto Star reporter. In addition
to a press release issued that day, I provide supporting commentary to
the Cardinal’s suggestions. The article in the Star the next day
chooses not to quote me, but quotes Joanna Manning, Ted Schmidt,
and Helen Kennedy, who are on record opposing the Church’s
teaching.
My letter to the editor questioning the Star’s editorial
balance does not get published. I suppose we should have been
thankful that we were contacted and interviewed at all.
In contrast, on January 27, I was interviewed by a National Post
reporter in response to Pierre Pettigrew’s comments to maintain a
separation of Church and state. My comments make page one the
next day. That report generated further radio interviews throughout
the day, a live to air interview on CBC Newsworld, and a subsequent
appearance debating former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray on CBC
Newsworld’s The Hour.
Similar respectful treatment has been accorded to the League by
Catholic newspapers, CTS, Salt and Light television, The Interim and
other outlets. It becomes more and more apparent that Canadians
will need to filter the information they receive depending on its
source.
As the debate continues, and future events are reported (or ignored)
by the mainstream media, members of the League will need to have
access to our website and other reliable sources for updated
information.
For example, it will be significant to see how the media portrays the
recently unveiled Liberal party’s youth wing slogan, “It’s about the
Charter, stupid”, showing a same sex couple embracing in a kiss, all
in support of same-sex marriage. Imagine the vitriolic attacks from
media if faith communities dared to accuse same sex marriage
supporters of being unintelligent, or if we dared to engage in
adolescent name-calling.
I look forward to studying how “balanced” the coverage will be.
The defendant, Rev. Ake Green, had a right to preach “the Bible’s
categorical condemnation of homosexual relations as a sin,” the court
said, even if that position was “alien to most citizens” and if Green’s views
could be “strongly questioned,” according to news service translations of
the courts ruling.
The prosecution had attracted widespread attention throughout the world,
especially in Europe, where laws restricting speech deemed to incite
hatred of specific groups are common. In North America groups including
CCRL had been following the case closely as the precedent could have
implications for hate speech laws, including Canada’s Bill C-250 (Civil
Rights, August, 2004).
E-mail news update service
The league issues regular news updates to its e-mail subscribers. We’re
always interested in suggestions from members for events and campaigns
that we might consider for this news service. If you have not had an e-mail
from us lately, we probably don’t have your e-mail address, so please
keep us advised. To notify us, or to subscribe to our e-mail alerts, please
e-mail us at [email protected].
Legal Fund Update
We’re happy to report that our follow-up letter for assistance with our
legal fund has resulted in hundreds more contributions. This is especially
gratifying at a time when there are so many demands for charitable
donations, notably due to the Tsunami disaster and Lenten appeals. Your
generous response tells us that you want to see the league continue to
make its voice heard in court cases that directly challenge our beliefs.
Your support has enabled us to give powerful witness to our beliefs in the
sanctity of marriage, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience.
Readers who have not yet donated are encouraged to do so if they can.
All donations can be made by checking the appropriate box on the
membership and support form on page 7.
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