Posted on 07/19/2005 5:16:30 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
OTTAWA, July 19, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Just as Senate approaches the final vote on the gay 'marriage' bill, C-38, Canada's national public radio CBC Radio has aired a commentary by a retired professor from the Royal Military College calling for state control over religion, specifically Catholicism. While parliamentarians dismissed warnings by numerous religious leaders and experts that such laws would lead to religious persecution, former professor Bob Ferguson has called for "legislation to regulate the practice of religion."
"Given the inertia of the Catholic Church, perhaps we could encourage reform by changing the environment in which all religions operate," Ferguson began his commentary in measured tones yesterday. "Couldn't we insist that human rights, employment and consumer legislation apply to them as it does other organizations? Then it would be illegal to require a particular marital status as a condition of employment or to exclude women from the priesthood. "
Ferguson continued, "Of course the Vatican wouldn't like the changes, but they would come to accept them in time as a fact of life in Canada. Indeed I suspect many clergy would welcome the external pressure."
The former professor pitched his idea as a boon to religious freedom. "We could also help the general cause of religious freedom by introducing a code of moral practice for religions," he said. "They will never achieve unity so why not try for compatibility? Can't religious leaders agree to adjust doctrine so all religions can operate within the code?"
Ferguson, would see religion regulated by provinces in the same way professions are regulated. "I am an engineer so the model I am thinking about is rather like the provincial acts regulating the practice of engineering," he said. "For example, engineers must have an engineering degree from a recognized university or pass qualification exams. They must have a number of years of practical experience and pass an ethics exam. The different branches: mechanical, electrical, civil and the like have a code of practice that applies to everyone. Why can't religious groups do the same?"
Continuing his comparison Ferguson stated, "I envisage a congress meeting to hammer out a code that would form the basis of legislation to regulate the practice of religion. Like the professional engineers' P.Eng designation, there would then be RRPs (or registered religious practitioners). To carry the analogy to its conclusion, no one could be a religious practitioner without this qualification."
Ferguson also suggests 'obvious' prohibitions on religion including preaching of 'hate'. "I won't try to propose what might be in the new code except for a few obvious things: A key item would have to be a ban on claims of exclusivity. It should be unethical for any RRP to claim that theirs was the one true religion and believers in anything else or nothing were doomed to fire and brimstone. One might also expect prohibition of ritual circumcisions, bans on preaching hate or violence, the regulation of faith healers, protocols for missionary work, etc.," says Ferguson.
The retired professor concluded his comments aired on CBC yesterday morning saying, "Now what is the point of proposing this? I do it because I am worried that the separation between church and state is under threat. Religion is important in our lives, but it can become a danger to society when people claim that the unalterable will of God is the basis for their opinions and actions. Yes religion can be a comfort and a guide, but we cannot take rules from our holy books and apply them to the modern world without democratic debate and due regard for the law."
Listen to an audio recording of the commentary: http://cbc.ca/commentary/media/20050718JUL18.ram
I think the idea is to cobble a generalized/world religion.
FYI
Well, someone is full of themselves.
Ted will propose it only if he can establish himself as the Bishop of the Church of The Sauce.
On a serious note, the DNC does fancy itself as an American branch of any number of left-wing European Parties. They still worship that quaint, but horribly destructive, mystical religion called Marxism.
"I envisage a congress meeting to hammer out a code that would form the basis of legislation to regulate the practice of religion...."
A serpent. Yea. And the code will be formulated by Immans.
Great idea, leave the Muslims alone and persecute the Catholics. Unless you like snow-shoeing, there's no reason to live in Canada.
Ever notice how all socialist and those who introduce laws and requirements that lead to the enslvement of people ALWAYS say it is to benefit those that it will really hurt.
(cue music): "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony that ALL LIBERALS ARE LIARS"
Another bleating from a charter member of the "government ought to regulate everything" crowd. At least when Henry VIII tried it he wanted to boink Jane Seymour.
Now airing on frequency 666.
Will they be jailing all the people practicing non state-approved religion? Maybe send them to re-education camps? This article sent a shiver up my spine.
We can laugh at this whackjob now, but who knows in the next
10-20 years..
Keep your powder dry.
"..... legislation to regulate the practice of religion. Like the professional engineers' P.Eng designation, there would then be RRPs (or registered religious practitioners). To carry the analogy to its conclusion, no one could be a religious practitioner without this qualification."
No doubt then the government will also find it necessary to regulate the various accoutrements that go along with it... a bible tax, cross tax, prayerbook tax....... Hail Mary authorization stamps....plastic Jesus on your dashboard tax.....gotta fund all that tolerance, doncha know, eh?
Of course you leave the Muslims alone! If you mess with them, they'll kill you!
(steely)
This nutcase would be better off sticking to being retired! In the event that Canada now includes "social engineering" within the realm of Professional Engineering disciplines (which wouldn't surprise me), it would appear that in his quest for imposition of some sort of code of practice, he appears to have forgotten that one, as an engineer, should not be getting involved with engineering disciplines that one knows absolutely nothing about!
The difference is that Engineering has adopted a Code of Ethics without State interference, while religion (and the morality derived therefrom) forms the basis for that Code
BTW, I am a Professional Engineer myself. This idiot should have his license revoked or retired. This reflects poorly on the profession.
Dishonest headline. It isn't "Canadian National Public Radio" it's "Canadian Public Radio" --- the clear intent is to suggest that NPR holds this position, which it doesn't. We can wipe the floor with liberals without making asses of ourselves in the process.
Can you say Sharia?
Hmmm. One of the oppressors of religion by the
state actually oppressed two: Judaism AND Christianity.
Tell me, class. Does anybody know who that was?
I will give you a hint. He wore a funny looking mustache, shot himself in the head and he was a vegetarian who may well have had a venereal disease. (At least his personal physician was a VD specialist.)
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