What's in a Name?

The future of the publicly funded Roman Catholic School Board in Ontario it seems.

Premier Dalton McGinty, is soon introducing legislation that will mandate all publicly funded schools in Ontario to accept the creation of such a named support group, should any student in a particular school request it, as part of the larger Bill 13 dealing with anti-bullying in schools.

In a May 28, 2012 open letter, Thomas Cardinal Collins, the Archbishop of Toronto stated that the Catholic Church cannot except the name "gay-straight alliance" in its schools as this would condone if not promote the gay lifestyle.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association has since come out in favour of permitting the GSA name in a May 28, 2012 press release on its web site.

According to some if not many, one obvious solution is to cancel public funding of the Roman Catholic School Boards in Ontario. Then Catholic Schools can teach whatever they want in accordance with their beliefs and Church precepts.  Religious freedom is preserved.

Whoa, so this is how the great injustice may end.  The great injustice being the public funding of Roman Catholic school boards while all other faith based schools are funded privately in Ontario.

What to think as an avowed Roman Catholic?  If this means higher personal costs to fund the continued operation of the Roman Catholic Separate School Board, I don't think that this "what's in name" issue is important enough to fall on our swords about.

On the other hand, this is another example of relentless march of secularism that pushes religious issues or concerns to the margin in today's society.  While the Catholic Church says homosexual behavour is "intrinsically disordered", it recognizes that individuals have no choice in their sexuality and that no one should be bullied , ridiculed or discriminated against for reasons of their sexuality.  Keep your religious beliefs to your self and human rights trumps religious freedom rights is the response in this current debate.

I see it differently.  The concept of the great "absolute truths" as passed down through the Catholic Church papal line, interpreted scripture and Catechism is being eroded by relativism like this.  It is easy to rationalize away any particular rule or belief as being dated, out of touch or simply wrong.  It's a matter of individual conscience as to how one lives their life.  But in Catholic theology it's the Holy Spirit working in and through me which in the end directs my decisions and behaviours.  This takes time to reflect on and discern and effort to avoid a rush to judgement.

While this what's in a name issue seems trivial, I need more time to reflect and discern on this before rushing to judgement.  I urge others to do the same.

Religious Freedom

I am an unabashed Roman Catholic and active Knights of Columbus member.  Recently there has been a rising voice in the circles I haunt and in the press that "religious freedom" is under attack.  There have been many times in the past when Roman Catholics have come under attack by the State e.g. see the Calles Law in Mexico  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calles_Law which resulted in desecration of religious objects, persecution and murder of priests a lay members and anticlerical legislation.

Is that happening here?  No of course not, but that could be next according to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as the Supreme Knight in the U.S..

The cause of concern is the Obama administration's law that compels all employers including the Catholic Church, to provide free contraceptives and morning after pills to its employees.  This goes against the Church's culture of life teachings and in the Bishops' eyes, could encourage contraception and abortion.  The bigger issue though is can the State enforce a secular rule on a Church that forces the Church to violate its own tenants?

Closer to home Bill 13 in Ontario requires that all provincial schools implement anti-bullying activities such as setting up Rainbow clubs that promote acceptance of gay students.  Once again the Catholic Church (school board) is caught in a tight spot as it does not support gay lifestyles.

Are the above examples really encroachment on my religious freedom?  i.e. is the State telling me I have to use contraceptives, have an abortion or publicly support gay individuals and lifestyles?  Hardly.  More accurately, these are cases of  church freedom infringement. So is Church and religious freedom the same?  According to many Catholic Bishops and 42 other Catholic organizations, it is as they have just launched a suit against the health plan legislation in the name of religious freedom.  I certainly hope they win.

But its a matter of personal conscience whether or not I use contraceptives, entertain an abortion or out myself as gay.  Not so fast.  As a Roman Catholic I accept that the Catholic Church is the body of Christ and that there is an unbroken chain of papal and episcopal (bishop) command since Christ handed the keys of the Church to St. Peter.  Furthermore, personal conscience to a Roman Catholic means discerning the will of God in each concrete life situation and doing what God's voice tells one to do.  It is not making up one's own mind and living with the consequences as most people naturally think and do in the secular world.

Hence it is a bit of a dilemma to see my Church's freedom being infringed.  My guess is that this will blow over.  It's not making much news in the press so it will be soon forgotten.  Until the State tells me that I cannot worship in the way I wish, cannot join the Church of my choice, cannot think and say what I want about religion without fear of reprisal, my religious freedom seems safe.  Let's stop the hyperbole and get back to church.