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
Henry VIII tried it when he wanted to make Anne Boleyn the Queen after he boinked her. Then when he wanted to make Jane Seymour the Queen he just lopped Anne's head off.
Yeah, he said "I do it because I am worried that the separation between church and state is under threat..." so I'll end that separation and there will be no threat then. See? I'm really helping religion, and the Mackrelsanppers will love the external pressure on the old men in Rome.
Yeah, the decapitation-with-a-sword thing is one sure sign that a relationship's going sour.
paging Guy Fawkes, paging Guy Fawkes...
I never understood why non-religious or other-religious folks get their undies in a bunch when someone tells them they are going to bathe in lava after they die.
I am religious (of no particular organized religion) but I could give two turds in a clenched fist if someone tells me I am going to hell. I never find any of these people to be worthy of being God's proxy here on Earth, so I don't bother caring... let alone tearing my hair out and trying to find a guv'ment solution for their condemnation.
APf
Oh, that's a great idea! Instead of Catholics I think that Mr. Ferguson should start with the islamists. March in to their mosques in boots covered in pig poop and tell them how it's going to be.
So...once again...how many divisions does the Pope have? (to steal a line from Joseph Stalin)?
Dean: Socialist victory equals win for Dems
http://www.restoringamerica.org/documents/socialists_in_congress.html
Democratic Socialists of America's Progressive Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives
Taken verbatim from the Internet web site of the Democratic Socialists of America
"The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States, and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International (also in Francais and Espanol). DSA's members are building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly socialist presence in American communities and politics...
Question: Aren’t you a party that’s in competition with the
Democratic Party for votes and support?
No, we are not a separate party. Like our friends and allies in the feminist, labor, civil rights, religious, and community organizing movements, many of us have been active in the Democratic Party. We work with those movements to strengthen the party’s leftwing, represented by the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Only Canadians can come up with such totalitarian nightmares. Margaret Atwood, author of "the Handmaids Tale" came up with a preposterous, unintelligible plot line based on the Canadian extremist notions concerning the future evolution of Christianity in America. How can Canada have so many people willing to present such unrealistic views of human nature?
Maybe its the water.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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Control of religion is control of one's thoughts, one's prayers. I don't see it happenning even in Canada, but when it does, then they will have passed over into the realm of totalitarianism.
Yes. It's called the natural law. And sodomy is, ahem, unnatural.
State controlled, licensed and regulated religion...Hmmm, sounds like O Canada is going the way of failed Communism.
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