Jay Currie

Catholic Insight has joined a range of Canadian publications, groups and individuals who have become targets of human rights-based legal attacks recently.

In February 2007, Rob Wells, a member of the Pride Centre of Edmonton, filed a nine-point complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, alleging that C.I. has targeted homosexuals as being a powerful menace, made negative generalizations about them, portrayed them as preying upon children, blamed them for problems in society and the world, portrayed them as dangerous or violent by nature, conveyed the idea that they are devoid of any redeeming qualities and are innately evil, used inflammatory and derogatory language to create a tone of “extreme hatred and contempt,” trivialized or celebrated past persecution or tragedy involving them and called for action to be taken against them. catholic insight

Here is where the harsh reality of freedom of speech kicks in: not everyone likes homosexuality, not everyone approves of Islamofascism, some people believe Jews control Hollywood, some people think Indians are lazy, some people think crazy people should not be on the streets but rather in safe secure places, some people believe women are happiest at home raising children, some people believe immigration is a net drain on the Canadian economy, some people think Al Gore is a liar, some people believe that Americans are bullies, some people believe Africans are incapable of self government, some people believe that Saudi Arabians have a perfect right to keep slaves…people have opinions. Freedom of speech allows them to talk about their opinions and publish those opinions.

Oddly, Catholics believe homosexuality is a sin. I think they are nuts. And they have a perfect right to be nuts. Indeed, they have the right not only to have their freedom of speech protected but also their freedom of religion.

Now, if – like many Muslim preachers – a Catholic priest climbs to his pulpit and demands that his congregation go and behead the first homosexual they see I would haul the man away for incitement. But if he, or a Catholic magazine, merely states Church doctrine as Catholic Insight claims it has:

The magazine has continually emphasized that, with the respect to homosexual activity, it follows the guidance of the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has made clear that persons with same-sex attraction must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity and that every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.

At the same time, however, the magazine notes the Catechism declares homosexual acts are ones of grave depravity and intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law, close the sexual act to the gift of life, do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity and cannot be approved under any circumstances. catholic insight

I cannot see any basis for a hate crimes charge or dragging the magazine before the CHRC. The fact I consider Catholic teaching on homosexuality nasty, spiteful and wrong does not, for an instant, lessen the right of Catholics and their priests and their magazines to express them.

And given some of the anti-Catholic bile which appears in the homosexual press, it might be wise of the homosexual activists to take care in the precedents they set.