Canada must use its coercive powers against gays: Catholic bishop

Though the Theocracy Brigade is much smaller and less influential nationwide in Canada than it is in the United States, it certainly exists.

The Roman Catholic bishop of Calgary (one of the main cities in the western province of Alberta) sent out a pastoral letter purporting to attack gay marriage, but attacking homosexuality in general. That itself isn't news since the Catholic Church isn't fond of either.

The letter might not be especially noteworthy except that it stated : Since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the State must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them in the interests of the common good.

The key phrase: The State must use its coercive power against homosexuality.

The bishop, who has never been afraid to court controversy, played himself off as a courageous warrior. Like many people who say idiotic things, he defended himself by saying he was proud to be un-PC.

"There aren't many people who stand up and say, 'I'm tired of political correctness.' And because I'm tired of it, don't try to silence me every time I open my mouth by telling me I'm a hatemonger."

This train of thought has it that being politically incorrect or being controversial is a virtue in and of itself. Certainly Osama bin Laden and the Ku Klux Klan are also against everything that the 'politically correct' advocate. Does the bishop consider them role models?

Another trait he shares with people who say idiotic things is the belief that any unfavorable response violates his freedom of speech.

"I'm just trying to speak the truth as I see it," he sniffed. "And I should be accorded the freedom to express my opinions and try to influence people to see things as I see them."

If the bishop is free to express his opinions, shouldn't he be so gracious to accord critics the same freedom to express theirs? It's a two way street, Your Holiness.

Calgary's Anglican bishop, Barry Hollowell, asked who gets to define the nature of the common good, and said the use of the state's coercive force rarely produces a common good.

Ironically, Bishop 'Coercive Power' authored a column this summer in The Calgary Sun entitled Courtesy crucial in material world.


Note: the transcript of the pastoral letter can be read here.