The Irrational Reich

I think it's time for Ted Byfield and his ilk to go join George "Dubya" Bush in Texas. Perhaps between the two of them, they can turn Texas into some kind of Fundamentalist Nirvana based on their uniquely nasty interpretation of Holy Scripture.

In this Sunday's column, Mr. Byfield goes on a rant about how the whole civil rights business that is behind the "gay rights" movement is some kind of Liberal assault on Christianity.

The only reason that the Religious Reich - in particular the Christian Reich - see the gay rights movement as an assault on them is simply because they are slowly losing their right to marginalize people.

Apparently, someone making a human rights complaint about statements that a religious leader made about homosexuality, and how the government should treat homosexuals, this is some kind of assault on Christianity. Bullfeathers! To assert that clergy cannot step over the line from discussion to promotion of discrimination is like asserting that clergy cannot possibly be pedophiles because of their vows to God.

Let's allow the process to do its job, and see what the outcome is. If the Alberta Human Rights Commission gives the complaint before it due consideration, and finds that the Bishop's letter was reasonable, that's fine with me. Equally, if they find that parts of the letter do overstep the bounds of reasonableness, that's fine too. I've studied the Bishop's letter in some detail, and except for a couple of sentences, I don't have any big problems with it. (I disagree with the substance of what he is arguing, but I do not assert that the letter itself is outright hate literature - except for the demand that legislative coercion be used to suppress homosexuality.

Byfield then goes on in his hysterical manner to further suppose that faith itself might be outlawed in this country. Once again, the Religious Reich - in particular loons like Byfield, lose sight of the underlying constitution that guarantees those freedoms. Religion isn't going to be outlawed in Canada. On the other hand, Religion cannot justifiably be used to argue that people should be marginalized either.

The history of organized religion is that it has been used many times over to subjugate, suppress and marginalize people that society as a whole grossly misunderstands. It is time for the religious bodies of the world to come out of their shells, and acknowledge the diversity of humanity in all its forms. Condemning people because of their sexual or gender identity is every bit as false a condemnation as someone's ethnic origins, religious beliefs or cultural past.

The fury of the Ted Byfields of the world should be directed not at the "gay rights" movement that they seem so afraid of, but instead at the rigid interpretation of 2000+ year old scripture that they have had fed to them for their entire lives. It is not merely homosexuals that are marginalized by church teachings - women are, people of different ethnic origin (remember the Crusades?), etc. Before that, Mr. Byfield's oh-so-righteous Christianity was itself persecuted by the Romans.

Remember, Mr. Byfield, the same constitutional rights that protect people from discrimination, also protect your religious beliefs. There is a middle ground, and it is time that you begin to seek it out.