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Topics Human Rights Pope calls for Equality
| Pope calls for Equality |
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| Written by joni |
| Monday, 08 February 2010 22:55 |
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In a move that I support (or do I?) the Pope (who leads an organisation that prevents women from gaining a high rank) has called for more equality. Last week, Pope Benedict XVI spoke out about changes to the Equality Bill that were being proposed in the UK. He said: "In some respects, it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is granted and by which it is guaranteed." Indeed it does. Unless you are a woman or gay, in which case you are not equal. So he does not promote equality at all. "Natural law" is what the church relies on to oppose anything homosexual. The Independent columnist E Jane Dickson says: Based on the teaching of St Thomas Aquinas, "natural law" is the concept which has underpinned Catholic attitudes to sex and sexuality since the 13th century. Building on the Aristotelian notion that "in all things of nature, there is something of the marvellous" , Aquinas held that the natural instinct of man to procreate was evidence of his essential goodness. The flip side to Aquinas' theory (which might have surprised old Aristotle) was that sex for any purpose other than procreation was sinful. He was something of a hardliner on this, to the point of insisting that rape and incest, since they might result in conception, were less reprehensible than coitus interruptus. The problem, for some, is that the proposed changes would remove the loophole used by churches where they are legally permitted to discriminate against women or gays to religious posts, but they use to apply to other posts - like teachers. In a disgraceful act of spinelessness, Harriet Harman (the minister responsible) has decided, as The Times reported, to "drop a planned amendment that church leaders from all denominations feared might undermine their freedom to continue barring gays and — in the case of the Catholics — women from the priesthood". Anglicans also put in their opinion, with Archbishop John Sentamu saying that "[T]hat way lies ruin". Of course, the changes proposed are being portrayed as "socialism in one clause" and that it could be "a first step towards the positive discrimination schemes that have proved so divisive in America". Just another slope that we have avoided slipping down, I suppose. Hits: 64 Trackback(0)
Comments (11)
 
I don't worry much about the changes in religious sects...they're often profiteers, charlatans and throwbacks to the middle ages and beyond...full of primates and pontificators and pompous arses...the odd deep thinker who searches for truths in a fog of myth...and sheep herders...doing the odd altruistic thing to attempt to balance out the greedy, irrational elements. They've hogged enuff history, politics, moolah and media space.
I'm tired of politicians who produce FAITH gas everytime they open their gobs...and Popes who SPIN SPIN SPIN & do CONTORTIONIST ACTS but usually end up on the same SQUARE...to compete for attention and try to be the HOOK INTO THE CHURCH for a Human race that should, sometimes does, know better. Put 'em in a museum. N' 1
Tue 09 Feb 2010 12:18:21 EST
N'
It is actually Harman's spinelessness that pissed me off the most, caving in so easily. 2
Tue 09 Feb 2010 12:44:49 EST
Yes, what dya expect? The religious bullyboys put on their doc martens and head kick or call the golf club and tell them to reject the Labor cabinet members...call in favours and ask the media empires to do a bit of stomping by way of searches into donations, use of expenses etc.
I still reckon it's a useful bill...but will be gutted full-bore after the NANNY STATE & BIG BROTHER & so called Libertarian scare-mongers have their way. Probably just an election ploy anyway. Hope not. N' 3
Tue 09 Feb 2010 13:23:31 EST
Oh yea, I forgot...it's Labour over there.
You say tomarto I say tomaato. N' 4
Tue 09 Feb 2010 13:25:23 EST
Quiet on here...did someone open a can of fifty year old pilchards?
N' 5
Tue 09 Feb 2010 13:38:42 EST
And the same loophole is used in Australia by some private schools to discriminate against eg single mothers who are teachers. Here is one example: http://www.theage.com.au/natio...-ghbl.html
This is an example of the largely unseen discrimination that will be allowed to continue under last week's decision by Attorney-General Rob Hulls to grant religious organisations the right to continue to reject employees on the grounds of sex, sexuality, marital and parental status and gender identity. 6
Tue 09 Feb 2010 13:54:47 EST
Min, what a load of poo eh? And pollies refer to this as the "fair-go country". Fancy a school being allowed to kick out a teacher because she has a baby w/out being married.
Now this is one case where the plasma TV will barely make up for the discrimination. N' 7
Tue 09 Feb 2010 14:03:30 EST
The problem seems to be that religious organisation are able to obtain exemptions from Anti-Discrimination legislation..no doubt to keep the churches happy, however this had a flow-on effect to effecting teachers employed in church schools.
I personally believe in the USA system of separation of church and state which is NOT in our Constitution. If a church wants public $s then they should have the follow the same rules as all other organisations. 8
Tue 09 Feb 2010 14:17:32 EST
Gotta love that natural law.
"The natural instinct of man to procreate is evidence of his essential goodness...." How about: "the natural instinct of dogs to procreate is evidence of their essential goodness. It makes about as much sense. 9
Wed 10 Feb 2010 10:25:48 EST
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