Despite being a believing and intermittently practising Roman Catholic, I find it impossible to have any sympathy with the Glaswegian firefighters who have been disciplined for refusing to distribute leaflets at the Pride Scotia march.
As you would expect, I am on the liberal wing of the Catholic Church and disagree with many of its teachings on matters of sexual morality. And yet I am usually willing to offer a limited defence of its emphasis on monogamy and abstinence if only as a necessary corrective the twin panaceas of condoms and sex education that secular progressives seem to view as only possible solutions to problems such as HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancies.
But even someone who holds deeply tradional Christian views has no reason to refuse to put out leaflets at a gay pride march. Firefighting and information about fire safety surely cannot apply only to those whose domestic arrangements comply with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Otherwise it's no fire safety information then for cohabiting couples, remarried couples, indeed anyone who is sexually active other than in a first marriage.
Archbishop Mario Conti's support for the men on the grounds that: 'In some cases their religious sensibilities would have been offended' is a disgrace, using religous morality as a cover for the sort of bigotry that is a million miles away from true Christian faith.
1 comment:
Iain,
As the government is keen on consulting faith communities these days, I am a little concerned that they will tend to hear from people like Archbishop Conti, and not from people like yourself.
Is that your perception, and how can this imbalance be remedied?
Post a Comment