Well, it's been a hell of a ride, laying rubber all over the road for the past decade. But it's time to call it a day and park the Rogue in the garage. Effective today, I am shutting down my blog to focus my attention on other endeavours. My thanks to the more than 2.7 million people who regularly joined me on these sojourns through news stories over the years that dealt with the places with issues of religion and faith intersecting with public affairs. May God bless you with a continuing desire to learn about and help disseminate the issues of faith throughout the public square. Happy trails in your continuing travels! Fr. Tim Moyle, p.p. Diocese of Pembroke
Reflections from the pastoral ministry of an Evangelical Catholic Priest.
That's distorting the issue. Cakes aside, the law says people can be denied employment or housing because they are gay. Not because what they say or their actions are disruptive, but because who they are. Do Christians really want to align themselves to this behaviour?
ReplyDeleteMichael: The video is only following the same logic that the opponents of the bill used ie) that it would permit bakers (and photographers) from having to serve a gay clientele. That said, I agree that Christians should not rush to align themselves with discriminatory behaviour of any kind. My principle issue is that the Indiana bill was in response to court rulings (strangely enough involving bakers and photographers) in which the government compelled businesses to do something that they were morally opposed to. Put succinctly (I hope), if they refused to serve a client/customer based on his race, gender, ethnicity etc. they should be sanctioned. But if it gets down to an issue of whether or not to offer their specific service in a given manner (like putting a gay message on a wedding cake) the power of the state shouldn't force them to do so. Boycott them... picket them... encourage people not to use their service if you wish. But it's wrong to force them in the manner that the courts in the USA (and H.R.C's in Canada) are is an abuse of state power.
DeleteHere's a link to a story I found on Facebook that makes the point that this debate isn't about equality or discrimination. It goes too far in its conclusions but illustrates its point pretty effectively.
Fr. Tim
http://shoebat.com/2014/12/12/christian-man-asks-thirteen-gay-bakeries-bake-pro-traditional-marriage-cake-denied-service-watch-shocking-video/
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