Bishop Henry of Alberta Canada is being sued about a pastoral letter

[Rosalinda]

**The hate crime law enacted last year in Canada most certainly has resulted in a chill effect on the same sex marriage debate. The two lesbians who filed against our brave Bishop Henry complained about his statements equating homosexuality with adultery and prostitution in terms of its effects on the destruction of the family. The use of the term “coercive power of the state” really enraged a lot of people. He was referring to the laws which simply regulate human conduct otherwise we would live in total mayhem. Come to think of it Canadians may already be there. Back to the comment about the Bible in public. Last night a woman who wrote a letter to the editor (posted on the Pro-Life thread) informed me that the original letter with biblical passages had to be redrafted because the editor of the newspaper here in Ontario refused to publish it otherwise. The offensive scriptural quotation would you believe was from Psalm 139:13-15. **
"It was you who formed my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

I suggest if anyone can find offense with that we are in big trouble in this country.

 

[vern_humphrey]

I suggest if anyone can find offense with that we are in big trouble in this country.

You’re in big trouble in Canada.

 

[Shoshana]

vern humphrey:

Be proud of being a Catholic and having a bishop who’s willing to face martyrdom like this.

Be determined to change the shameful governemnt that is martyring him.

I am very proud of being Catholic. I thank God for such a great blessing! I am ostracized even within my own family when I take a stand against such issues, or even issues like Terry Shiavo. I am considered a fanatic and yet I do not feel that I am. Just taking a stand when I need to…

I even get it from my brother who is a fundamentalist and who belonged to many churches who were anti-Catholic.

I believe if we do not suffer for our faith in one way or another, we need to have a good look at ourselves…

But it certainly will never break me/us…we have the fullness of the faith and it is worth suffering for. What does wordly love mean? Nothing. I only need the approval of God…

I am finding myself more fundamentalist in my Catholic thinking. I think there is way too much wishy-washiness going on…even amongst my peers. We MUST rock the boat…or the boat will rock us…

Sorry about my french rant here…

Blessings,
Shoshana

 

[jmv]

If only we had more Bishops who had the conviction to stand up for the faith like him.

Thanks Bishop Henry.

 

[stbruno]

Blessed are you that are persecuted for my name’s sake, for your’s is the kingdom of heaven

 

[didymus]

vern humphrey:

A Canadian official not so long ago said, “We respect freedom of speech, we don’t worship it.”

A hot newsflash for friends in Canada – some things are too important to compromise.

God bless our First Amendment! I know it protects a lot of things we would rather do without like Howard Stern and Penthouse magazine.
But without it we’d be like Canada with anti-“hate speech” laws trumping religion. I’ve read that some fundamentalist preachers are in danger of being banned from the air and fined in Canda due to their virulent anti-gay rhetoric.

 

[misericordie]

didymus:

God bless our First Amendment! I know it protects a lot of things we would rather do without like Howard Stern and Penthouse magazine.
But without it we’d be like Canada with anti-“hate speech” laws trumping religion. I’ve read that some fundamentalist preachers are in danger of being banned from the air and fined in Canda due to their virulent anti-gay rhetoric.

YUP, that’s why I love my dear USA!!! Hope certain lawmakers here too in the USA don’t continue to step on Our American Constitutional rights. Long live Our Wonderful US Constitution!!! And the FIRST Ammendment.

 

[Shoshana]

misericordie:

YUP, that’s why I love my dear USA!!! Hope certain lawmakers here too in the USA don’t continue to step on Our American Constitutional rights. Long live Our Wonderful US Constitution!!! And the FIRST Ammendment.

Do not be too quick to exhort your beloved country…yours may well follow suit…

What is the difference between our hate law and your case of Terri Shiavo?

Blessings,
Shoshana

 

[miguel]

Shoshana:

Do not be too quick to exhort your beloved country…yours may well follow suit…

What is the difference between our hate law and your case of Terri Shiavo?

Blessings,
Shoshana

You’re right Shoshana. Judicial power is out of control in this country. The Constitution means what they say it means, regardless of what it actually says…nothing in it about the judicial branch being the supreme branch of government, nothing in it about the right to abortion (and pretty soon euthanasia), nothing in it about the right to porno, nothing in it about the right to sodomy (and pretty soon gay marriage). But these judges somehow keep finding all this stuff in there. This way they don’t have to bother with the long, drawn-out Amendment process, which is in there. I don’t know what makes my countrymen above so confident these judges will continue to protect religious freedom, especially as it clashes more and more with their own secularist agenda.

 

[Jade]

Feanaro's Wife:

For once I am proud to be Canadian… I even share the same province with Bishop Henry.

“Bishop Henry called on Catholics to talk to their political representatives and express their opposition to legislation to change the definition of marriage to allow persons of same-sex to marry. A Complaint filed with the Alberta Human Rights Commission alleges that Bishop Henry’s letter discriminates against homosexuals.”

"In comments to LifeSiteNews.com Bishop Henry noted, “If the Human Rights Complaint is successful, it will prevent me from expressing my views and the position of the Roman Catholic Church. It prevents me and other Church leaders from speaking out freely in opposition to same-sex marriage. It also prevents me from outlining the position of the Roman Catholic Church to those who attend church in my Diocese.”

from:

lifesite.net/ldn/2005/mar/05033001.html

“In fact, Bishop Henry has personally been the subject of the state’s coercive power, starting when an official of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency threatened to challenge the charitable status of the Diocese,”

from:

lifesite.net/ldn/2005/apr/05040104.html

"In addition to the two separate human rights complaints by Calgarians Carol Johnson and Norman Greenfield were launched, Bishop Henry noted that his teachings have spurned a slew of angry letters and even death threats. He said that the death threats were reported to police, “I told them ‘in case something happens to me, you might want to look at these sources.’”

The bishop presented to the media a meticulous legal defense saying, “Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are foundational, and if we’re to have an honest debate in society, all the voices have to be heard, including that of the churches. I think I’m owed an apology for putting me through this rigmarole of harassment and intimidation and attempt to silence me.”

from:

lifesite.net/ldn/2005/mar/05033105.html

There are many more articles on Bishop Henry on Lifesite. Just do a search. We need many more just like him and maybe Canada will have a chance.

Malia

I am in Bishop Henry’s diocses and let me tell you, he’s seen a lot of pursecution over this. Please pray for strength and perserverance for him!

I think the fact that he is coming up against such violent opposition speaks to the fact that what he says is very true- like another poster said- blessed are those who are pursecuted…
Unforunatly, people don’t want to hear the truth…

By the by, thanks for your awesome post Feanaro’s Wife!!

In His Love,
Jade.

 

[st_julie]

I’m glad someone posted the great website www.lifesite.net You will find the whole of Bishop Henrys’ letter. There are many, many Canadians…Christian, Muslim, Sikh etc trying to stem this tide.
We have our own activist judges and it will probably get much worse. I don’t think the government has much power anymore.These judges determine what is a “human right” and Bishop Fred is being sued for a “human rights violation”. Lets pray he gets a good Muslim judge instead of an apostate Catholic one.

st julie

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

Jade:

I am in Bishop Henry’s diocses and let me tell you, he’s seen a lot of pursecution over this. Please pray for strength and perserverance for him!

I think the fact that he is coming up against such violent opposition speaks to the fact that what he says is very true- like another poster said- blessed are those who are pursecuted…
Unforunatly, people don’t want to hear the truth…

By the by, thanks for your awesome post Feanaro’s Wife!!

In His Love,
Jade.

You are welcome! It’s not often (especially here in Canada) that you hear of a Catholic who is actually acting Catholic!

Jade, I was going to send you a PM, but it isn’t giving me the option…

I am always interested in meeting other people who share my interests. Feel free to PM or email me… we could have a good chat sometime.

Malia

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

st julie:

I’m glad someone posted the great website www.lifesite.net You will find the whole of Bishop Henrys’ letter. st julie

You are welcome. I try to visit that site every day. It always has interesting articles and helps keep me up to date on the things that the mainstream media would rather not cover.

Malia

 

[OriginalJS]

This is difficult to believe. Do you have a link to the judicial website where we can review the claims set forth in the complaint (or whatever they call the initial filing setting forth the claim in Canada)? This sounds suspiciously like some other urban myths about lawsuits that crop up from time to time. (e.g. the thief who got locked in the garage of a house he was robbing and had to subsist on dog food and soda pop for days then sued for false imprisonment.)

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

OriginalJS:

This is difficult to believe. Do you have a link to the judicial website where we can review the claims set forth in the complaint (or whatever they call the initial filing setting forth the claim in Canada)? This sounds suspiciously like some other urban myths about lawsuits that crop up from time to time. (e.g. the thief who got locked in the garage of a house he was robbing and had to subsist on dog food and soda pop for days then sued for false imprisonment.)

I assure you that this is no joke

I am not sure where to direct you for “official” documentation (aside from what’s already been posted). If I find anything, I will post it.

Malia