Faithful Priest Accused of Hate Crime for Letter on Homosexuality [Canada]

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[Polycarp]

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URL: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/sep/03090205.html

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LifeSite Daily News

Tuesday September 2, 2003

Faithful Priest Accused of Hate Crime for Letter on Homosexuality

Politicians Should Take Heed on Implications of Hate Crime Bill C-250

TORONTO, September 2, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Toronto Star published a 750 word letter on Sunday by Rev. Alphonse de Valk, editor of the Canadian monthly magazine Catholic Insight, concerning the Catholic stand on homosexuality. The paper accepted the letter in response to de Valk's request for an opportunity to respond to the Star's publication last week of a lengthy article by Thunder Bay priest Fr. Scott Gale objecting to the Vatican's recent document on homosexual unions.
See http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/aug/03082502.html

In his characteristic, straightforward style, Fr. de Valk served up the teachings of the Church on the subject unapologetically. "The Church is right. The homosexual condition is a disorder, and homosexual acts are grave moral aberrations," he wrote. However, of ten subsequent letters to the Star responding to Rev. de Valk's article, six accused the priest of hate crime.

Despite the fact that Rev. de Valk merely presented Church teaching on the matter, distinguishing between homosexual acts and persons with homosexual inclinations, he was nevertheless accused of hate. "Homosexual activity rages against God's will," he wrote. Quoting the Bible, he explained, "God ordained the institution of marriage (Genesis 1: 27). He intended that it should be a permanent, lifelong commitment between husband and wife (Matthew 19:5-6); and, He ordained that marriage should exist for loving and cherishing one another and for co-creating children who are protected and
nurtured in a family."

In an interview today, Fr. de Valk told LifeSite that the responses to his article in the Toronto Star claiming he violated hate crime law should be a warning to politicians against passing Bill C-250 which seeks to add 'sexual orientation' to hate crime law. "While homosexual activists claim such a law would not silence debate on the issue, they themselves have accused me of hate for nothing more than asserting the Catholic position on the matter."

See Fr. de Valk's full letter to the Toronto Star:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/sep/030902a.html

See one of the responses accusing him of hate crime:
http://torontostar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1& call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1062367811193

See several articles on the same-sex unions issue from the September 2003 issue of Catholic Insight at:
http://www.catholicinsight.com/article.html

See response to Fr. Gale article by Msgr. Vincent Foy of Toronto
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/sep/030902b.html

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[yoe]

There is hope as long as sane voices can be heard and as yet we are not burning the truth-speakers at the stake.

Hate Crimes & Political Correctness are acronyms for Censorship of Truth.

Anyone with the courage and integrity to speak the truth about anything - need not apply for work anywhere.

[TheCrusader]

"However, of ten subsequent letters to the Star responding to Rev. de Valk's article, six accused the priest of hate crime."

This displays how well organized the homosexual agenda is, and how indifferent too many Christians are. One percent of the population can make themselves appear to be 60% because they work together and never rest. We on the other side of this sexual debauchery issue need to do the same.

[TheCrusader]

"We are now racing toward Gomorrhah and slouching toward the catacombs."

"And I will give children to be their princes, and the effeminate shall rule over them." (Isaiah 3:4)

[lady lawyer]

One part of the International Criminal Court statute -- the "crimes against humanity" is designed to do the same thing -- make traditional religious teaching a crime. There is also language that could be used to imprison church officials for refusing to perform a same-sex marriage. We know that the ICC advocates intend to use the ICC against churches and religious people, because at one point a group of conservative countries tried to get language into the statute that would have made clear that the statute was not to be used against religions. The radical law professors negotiating on behalf of the Western nations, and "volunteering" to represent some small countries that couldn't afford to send a representative, went nuts, and the language didn't make it in.

There is no question but that the left will not be satisfied until they completely silence traditional religious people.

[Capt. Tom]

The left doesn't want debate on sensitive issues . They want to browbeat anyone who expresses an opposing opinion, by name calling or threats.

The reason for shutting down discussion on their agenda is; if you can't talk about it, you can't do anything about it. -Tom

[TheCrusader]

"As I've asked many times, where do the fairies get this clout?"

From the laws they've managed to create, beginning with obtaining "minority status". From gay-friendly Courts with homo judges, and from infiltrating the news media, thus making themselves appear to be a much larger group than they actually are. And finally, from infiltrating the public schools, (we have two homosexual pervert principals in our school system), and the Churches. When Christian Churches preach "tolerance" of perverts from the pulpit, it makes it hard for good Christians to fight this filthy debauchery. So the answer to your question lies in one word: "infiltration"

In a corrupt society that embraces this immoral filth, it's hard to combat it. A great place to start would be for our doctors and researchers to get down off their liberal pedestals and admit that homosexuals are spreading AIDS and HIV around our country by infecting each other with impunity, and then some of the bisexual perverts amongst them spread it to women. Everyone says "I don't care what they do in private", but if what they do in private endangers our whole society they would change their tune.

[Old Professer]

The headline is correct; it is you who is confused. An accusation can be brought or made by anyone while a charge must be brought by legal authority.

I, too, was willing to accept that official charges had been brought just because it came from Canada.

[Ff--150]

Despite the fact that Rev. de Valk merely presented Church teaching on the matter, distinguishing between homosexual acts and persons with homosexual inclinations, he was nevertheless accused of hate

...coming to a state near you, prayer warriors...

[ThomasMore]

Bishop Colli told the Chronicle Journal that he only had a cordial discussion with Fr. Gale and expressed a few concerns. The Bishop and Gale talked about the sermon during a telephone conversation yesterday, which Gale described as cordial. "He wasn't out to malign the church but wanted people to make a decision based on a well-informed conscience and that's what the church expects everyone to do," said the Bishop. The Bishop and Gale appeared to be reflecting the theology of the Canadian bishops' original Winnipeg statement which has for decades been used by many clergy and laity to justify their dissent from the church's teaching on contraception and other moral issues.

Polycarp, this bishop should be excommunicated along with Gale! This is sickening and disheartening!

[Polycarp]

There is some justification for criticism of the Pope in that this kind of heresy is constantly tolerated, even from bishops' conferences.

[kitkat]

****...is met with "homophobia!"***

The response is to call the name caller a heterophobic. Watch him squirm and try to deny it.

[Central_Floridian]

Alot of wisdom in that post of yours.

[jimt]

Not a chance, it's a joke

If so, it's not very funny. There was someone who was charged and fined under similar laws for posting Bible verses condemning homosexuality on a billboard. Another guy was similarly charged and convicted for not printing material submitted by homosexuals. He refused to print it becuase he objected either to them or its content.

I'm not laughing.

[steve86]

Now, it is just another, everyday, believable nightmare of the times in which we live.

In some ways I am happy that nearing 50, I have lived over half my life and won't have to witness this stuff for too many decades more.

[First Amendment]

One percent of the population can make themselves appear to be 60% because they work together and never rest. We on the other side of this sexual debauchery issue need to do the same.

The famous Edmund Burke saying - "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" is something everyone should consider deeply.

I also like this one:

"Hope ... means ... a continual looking forward to the eternal world.... It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.... It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth 'thrown in': aim at earth and you will get neither." --C. S. Lewis

People of faith have been (to a large extent) asleep at the wheel, and if we don't grab control of the wheel, we're all going off the cliff very soon, IMHO.

[Salvation]

**Anyone who speaking out against homosexuality, especially the Catholic church, would be accused of hate crimes.**

We need to pray for them. This is disgusting.

[Salvation]

**However, in Canada, under its current laws, there is a very good chance this priest will indeed be criminally charged.**

Definitely something we need to follow up on here at FR!

[narses]

Thanks for the post!