April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

religious intolerance

Unchained Melody

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Full wording of the 1967 Abortion Act follows

How the church views women“Women need not always keep their mouths shut and their wombs open.“.. Emma Goldman

Cardinal Keith O’Brien believes the 1967 Abortion Act is full of lies. As it is a document dealing with a woman’s legal right to seek medical treatment. One can only assume that to the Cardinal it is a lie that a woman has a right to seek medical treatment, that anyone has the right to save her life or that any woman catholic or not, has the right to “defy” the father church. [Read more…] about Unchained Melody

Freedom from Religion

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True story: man kills wife, stabbing her in the neck 19 times with a steak knife, is convicted of first-degree murder and appeals on basis that she was unfaithful and, as a devout Muslim, he was protecting family honour.

Nice try, and maybe elsewhere in the world Adi Abdul Humaid might have been acquitted. But the United Arab Emirates citizen made the mistake of murdering Aysar Abbas in Ottawa in 1999 and, ultimately, the Ontario Court of Appeal rejected his appeal.

Superior Court Justice J.A. Doherty said that had Humaid killed his wife for religious beliefs, that alone would have been “a motive for murder.” But it was a moot point because Doherty didn’t buy Humaid’s new religious devotion and, in his 2006 ruling, concluded the story lacked credibility.

Nevertheless, the judge was concerned enough about the nature of the defence argument to write: “The alleged beliefs are premised on the notion that women are inferior to men and that violence against women is in some circumstances accepted, if not encouraged. These beliefs are antithetical to fundamental Canadian values, including gender equality.”

[Read more…] about Freedom from Religion

Thou shalt not steal

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and other commandments that don’t seem to matter.march

It seems passing strange to me that those who so devoutly wish to force their religious beliefs on an entire country are so out of touch with the tenets therein.

When the question was rightly asked why the official Canadian logo appeared on some March for Life banners a spokesperson replied that such theft is a common occurrence. How odd.

The bible I read specifically spoke of theft as wrong, certainly not something to be justified and brushed off.

There is, of course, the real possibility that such use of logo was sanctioned by the Harper Government™. In either case I believe we are owed an explanation.

If the logo was used without permission I certainly hope those involved will receive the same force of law as others have.

Infallable? Well…..maybe not..

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I wonder if Benny looks back fondly on the days when a pope had real authority. Now, just like the Queen, there is more pomp than power.

Why these days a pope can’t even threaten the church members without some spin doctor coming along to say, “Look Benny doesn’t always mean what he says. Smile, nod make him feel good but don’t take him too seriously.” [Read more…] about Infallable? Well…..maybe not..

Politics and Religion

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Rules of etiquette commonly call for the avoidance of certain topics. Chief among those are politics and religion.

It is worth noting that these are treated as two separate items, and rightly so.

When religion is factored into politics neither can work appropriately.

Religion deals with spirituality, with ones belief in being part of a specific god’s community and the leaders therein are charged with representing a specific community of belief.

Politics deals with issues specific to secular communities. An elected representative is charged with representing everyone, not just those who subscribe to a certain belief system. Though some governments tend to forget this. [Read more…] about Politics and Religion

Defective Politics

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The leadership race doesn’t seem to have had the intended effect of strengthening the Liberal party.

Though I suppose one could legitimately argue it has weeded out those with very right wing ideology.

Harper told a crowd of party faithful that the support of former Mississauga-Streetsville Liberal MP Wajid Khan and now of Mark Persaud, a former chair of the federal Liberal party’s multiculturalism committee, shows people are realizing the “failure of the Liberals to match talk with action” when it comes to new Canadians.

This has nothing to do with New Canadians and everything to do with social conservatism.

The conservatives have found a supportive base for their stance against women’s issues, including reproductive rights, for their stance against social programs and their willingness to allow religion to dictate policy.

This statement is very telling

Khan said his “disillusionment” with the Liberals began in 2005, particularly after Paul Martin’s government signed a budget deal with the “socialist” New Democrats to extend the life of its minority government. Khan said his decision to defect was made easier by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion who, he said, has no foreign policy, no economic credentials and no commitment to “family values.”

family values

Code for getting back to the good old days when men were men, sheep were nervous and the poor did the right thing and died off or went into the woods where decent people didn’t have to deal with them.

The NDP might want to take note of this part of that quote

after Paul Martin’s government signed a budget deal with the “socialist” New Democrats to extend the life of its minority government.

If he has publicly stated that he is disillusioned with a party for working with the NDP is there much chance that Harper has any intention of entering into or honouring any agreement with a socialist party?

Next we’ll have calls to check for Reds under the beds..but I digress.

We have seen the disasters that have been created by bowing to the religious right in the States.

Abstinence programs that have resulted in higher pregnancy rates, cut backs of services that are pushing poor people into even greater poverty, children threatened with death for questioning whether scripture is belief or fact, threats to women’s autonomy.

Harper doesn’t even believe this crap himself but he’s very much an ends justifies the means kinda guy, as well as a big spoiled baby who wants to get back at every person who ever thwarted him and their family, friends and supporters.

Canadians are not Father knows Best the way much of rural America is. They are much more likely to not only support but live a life where both partners work and where daycare and other supports are needed.

It is more important than ever that we make sure these people get to the polls. The pulpit masters will certainly be doing their bit to get the fundamentalists out there.