Catholicism - A Hate Crime in Canada?

[Phemie]

This is just a guess, but I suspect it’s because the law forbids words that subject people to hatred or contempt.

Christian charity also forbids us to say things that incite hatred and contempt.

The bishops complained about the hate laws when they were passed. I suspect they’re waiting for something more clear cut to stand up and defend. The website in question sounds rather radical and probably doesn’t represent normal catholic priests and bishops. It would possibly tarnish the image of the Catholic Bishops to come to its defense.

The Catholic website referred to is this one, a thread dating back to October 2006 that commented on the Maclean’s article which is the subject of this complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal.

At the moment, other than screaming loudly to the press, there is not much the Bishops can do. The Catholics in this country aren’t being attacked, the ‘prosecution’ is simply using a tread from this website to show that the article promoted hatred against Muslims. If you read the thread, you’d see that there is hatred against Muslims.

 

[Michael_Neal]

I am going to write them a letter that goes something like this:

Dear Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC),

Please add my name to your list of people being investigated for the beliefs that homosexuality is wrong.

I support the Catholic Church’s position against homosexuality and concur that it is disordered and that there should not be gay marriage either.

I would be honored to be investigated by you.

Sincerely,
Michael Neal

 

[Muzhik]

No one can answer this one for me? I cannot believe that the Catholic Bishops of Canada aren’t doing a thing to fight this so-called “Human Rights Tribunal.”

I think because if they DO speak out, they would be summoned before an HRT on charges of spreading hate. For them to speak out would mean defending the good father in his presentation of Catholic doctrine, morals, and teaching. If they show public corporate support for these Catholic teachings, then they too are guilty “of spreading hate.” Perhaps if the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops were to show their support for the good father, the HRC could amend the complaint to include them, and assign a penalty that would bankrupt the Catholic Church in Canada.

Given the present atmosphere, I think the bishops are doing best by trying to work behind the scenes.

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[Neil_Anthony]

I think because if they DO speak out, they would be summoned before an HRT on charges of spreading hate. For them to speak out would mean defending the good father in his presentation of Catholic doctrine, morals, and teaching. If they show public corporate support for these Catholic teachings, then they too are guilty “of spreading hate.” Perhaps if the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops were to show their support for the good father, the HRC could amend the complaint to include them, and assign a penalty that would bankrupt the Catholic Church in Canada.

Given the present atmosphere, I think the bishops are doing best by trying to work behind the scenes.

<><

Catholic teachings on homosexuality and Islam are NOT hate crimes in Canada. There’s nothing in the Catechism that would fall under hate crime legislation or even be subjected to an investigation by the CHRC.

 

[Crow]

You talk the talk, let’s see if you can walk the walk.

Unfortunately my wife would require some convincing. Can’t go there without her.

But as our children are growing older, the idea of leaving Canada behind altogether is making more and more sense.

 

[deb1]

The Catholic website referred to is this one, a thread dating back to October 2006 that commented on the Maclean’s article which is the subject of this complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal.

At the moment, other than screaming loudly to the press, there is not much the Bishops can do. The Catholics in this country aren’t being attacked, the ‘prosecution’ is simply using a tread from this website to show that the article promoted hatred against Muslims. If you read the thread, you’d see that there is hatred against Muslims.

So they used a thread from an internet forum that has people from all over the world and of all faiths as the basis for a law? That seems silly. This forum is very, very open to many different opinions. Granted it gets messy sometimes but that is free speech for you. Besides I’ve learned a lot about Islam from the Muslims on this board. How can that be bad?

 

[Freshman88]

That’s right, everyone, even the atheists have to pay for them!

Someone already pointed this out, but I wish to emphasize this
**This is false **

One has the choice to put their taxes towards the Public school board or the Separate Public School Board (Catholic school board).

 

[Crow]

If current tendencies continue, it is an obvious outcome that Catholic teachings will eventually be outlawed in Canada.

 

[Freshman88]

If current tendencies continue, it is an obvious outcome that Catholic teachings will eventually be outlawed in Canada.

This is hardly a realistic outcome.

The problem is this specific court and more specifically the manner in which it functions. There have been several incidents in the past few years, and I suspect that changes will be happening in the near future.

This is the land of the True North strong and free. Our Great Dominion will prevail, have faith .

 

[Phemie]

So they used a thread from an internet forum that has people from all over the world and of all faiths as the basis for a law? That seems silly. This forum is very, very open to many different opinions. Granted it gets messy sometimes but that is free speech for you. Besides I’ve learned a lot about Islam from the Muslims on this board. How can that be bad?

Not as the basis for a law.

The prosecution is saying that the magazine published an article that incited hatred against Muslims. To support their claim they used several blogs that commented on the article and also a thread from this website.

 

[jdnrite01]

If current tendencies continue, it is an obvious outcome that Catholic teachings will eventually be outlawed in Canada.

This problem is not just a Canadian problem. In the USA, these types of statutes are also being used to attack traditional Christian beliefs:

This past April, the New Mexico Human Rights Commission ordered Elaine Huguenin, a self-employed Christian photographer, to pay a lesbian couple $6,600 for having declined to photograph their same-sex commitment ceremony.

Catholic Charities in Boston was forced out of the adoption ministry because they refused to put children in homes of homosexual couples.

Boston school teachers have been threatened with termination if they fail to cast homosexuality in a positive light to students.

Philadelphia decided to stick it to the Boy Scouts (who don’t allow homosexuals in leadership positions), charging them $200,000 a year rent to use facilities that other charities use for free.

Christian street preachers in Philadelphia were arrested for reading Bible verses and praying out loud during a homosexual festival.

In the UK, Baptist ministers Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, were handing out leaflets and speaking with four Muslim youths about Christianity in Birmingham on February 19, when Naeem Naguthney, 30, a Muslim police community support officer ordered them to stop preaching to Muslims. “He said we were in a Muslim area and were not allowed to spread our Christian message,” Cunningham told the Telegraph. “He said we were committing a hate crime by telling the youths to leave Islam and said that he was going to take us to the police station.”

Britain: No Gay Adoption Exemption For Catholics

Believe me, the list goes on and on.

 

[deb1]

Not as the basis for a law.

The prosecution is saying that the magazine published an article that incited hatred against Muslims. To support their claim they used several blogs that commented on the article and also a thread from this website.

I had not been on that thread. I prefer threads that just ask Muslims questions. But I did skim the OP first post

I remember when I was young, Nazi’s were allowed to march, despite strong disgust expressed by the communities that they were marching through. Larry Flynt was allowed to publish very crass and untrue things about Falwell’s relationship with his mom.

We were told and I believe it is true, that allowing such extreme freedom of speech, ultimately protects everyone’ right to expression.

I am beginning to wonder if my generation will be the last to have the right to such extreme freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech means that we will hear hateful, ignorant comments that might hurt our feelings. But that we have the right to respond back.

I think that there are many people willing to give up their freedoms for politeness and the desire not to have to stand up for anything at all.

 

[Muzhik]

Catholic teachings on homosexuality and Islam are NOT hate crimes in Canada. There’s nothing in the Catechism that would fall under hate crime legislation or even be subjected to an investigation by the CHRC.

The good father is being brought before the HRT because of an article he wrote that explained how homosexuality was not permitted by Christian (and specifically Catholic) teachings. He did so using quotes from the Bible, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a number of papal writings. To me, the fact that the trial/hearing/summary execution has progressed this far means that, yes, there IS something in the Catechism that would fall under hate crime legislation. Either that, or it’s a situation where it’s not a crime to BELIEVE such things, but it IS a crime to express them. Since the article was written for a Catholic magazine, that by extension means that these truths of the Catholic faith cannot be expressed at all where anyone who may be offended can hear them, such as in a sermon during Mass.

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[childofmary1143]

The good father is being brought before the HRT because of an article he wrote that explained how homosexuality was not permitted by Christian (and specifically Catholic) teachings. He did so using quotes from the Bible, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a number of papal writings. To me, the fact that the trial/hearing/summary execution has progressed this far means that, yes, there IS something in the Catechism that would fall under hate crime legislation. Either that, or it’s a situation where it’s not a crime to BELIEVE such things, but it IS a crime to express them. Since the article was written for a Catholic magazine, that by extension means that these truths of the Catholic faith cannot be expressed at all where anyone who may be offended can hear them, such as in a sermon during Mass.

<><

Exactly. Things will get to that point before they get better.

 

[peregrinus_WA]

According to what I have read, this is from Fr. de Valk’s at Catholic Insight:

Fascism has come to Canada By Editor

 

[Neil_Anthony]

The good father is being brought before the HRT because of an article he wrote that explained how homosexuality was not permitted by Christian (and specifically Catholic) teachings. He did so using quotes from the Bible, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a number of papal writings. To me, the fact that the trial/hearing/summary execution has progressed this far means that, yes, there IS something in the Catechism that would fall under hate crime legislation. Either that, or it’s a situation where it’s not a crime to BELIEVE such things, but it IS a crime to express them. Since the article was written for a Catholic magazine, that by extension means that these truths of the Catholic faith cannot be expressed at all where anyone who may be offended can hear them, such as in a sermon during Mass.

<><

I haven’t seen the article. Do you have a link to it so we can see what he said? Keep in mind, this is just in the investigation phase, it hasn’t progressed beyond that.

I’ve seen people post about homosexuality in a loving Christian way, and other times (on here) I’ve seen posts about it where the hatred was just oozing off my screen. In my experience priests usually err on the side of loving the sinner, and not offending. So I would like to see the article and see if it is typical of how the clergy speak about these issues.

 

[onetimeposter]

If current tendencies continue, it is an obvious outcome that Catholic teachings will eventually be outlawed in Canada.

A very bold prediction and one that isn’t worth the effort to rebuke.

 

[Brendan]

Did you know that Catholic Schools are constitutionally protected in Canada…that is tax funded Catholic Schools…that’s right, everyone, even the atheists have to pay for them!.

In Ontario, the do so only if they want to.

Each person chooses which school board to pay their taxes into.

If an atheist files taxes, that person can elect to pay their taxes to either the public school board, or the seperate (Catholic) school board.

So if an atheist is paying into the seperate school board, it is because they chose to do so.

 

[onetimeposter]

In Ontario, the do so only if they want to.

Each person chooses which school board to pay their taxes into.

If an atheist files taxes, that person can elect to pay their taxes to either the public school board, or the seperate (Catholic) school board.

So if an atheist is paying into the seperate school board, it is because they chose to do so.

Quite correct…the point being that the tax funded Catholic boards can receive funds from anyone…all to support a Catholic system.

There are Muslims that elect to send their children to the Catholic system in Ontario, as they feel it is a better education.

I personally see the Public and Catholic Education systems in Ontario to be equally beneficial to students.

 

[Nan_S]

OK, so it’s a “hate crime” for you to publicly profess your commonly-held, historically-based beliefs, but it’s NOT a “hate crime” for a tribunal to repress those beliefs?

Where did this hyper-sensitive politically-correct tribunal get its power anyway, and how can they be removed?