Father DeSouza asks: “When did the Bible become ‘hate literature’?”
About 18 months ago, a journalist friend writing a book surveying trends in world Catholicism called to inquire about whether, apropos of my totalitarianism article, I thought it likely that priests in Canada would, in my lifetime, have to go to prison for preaching their faith. I said then what I believed to be true: No. After the Boissoin ruling, that is manifestly not the correct answer.
The Charter of Rights enumerates freedom of religion as its first freedom. Freedom of the press is its second. As a priest first and a journalist second, I should be comforted. Yet I am not. Those freedoms are at risk in Canada, an attack not only on pastors and journalists, but on citizens of a free country. The enemies of liberty got Rev. Boissoin. They tried to get Bishop Henry. They are going after Ezra Levant. Everyone with a pulpit or a column should ask: When will they come after me?
Of course, when the few Canadians who could be bothered did complain about Sven Robinson’s bill C-250 back in 2003 — we were roundly condemned as troglodyte homophobes.
Another reason to wear appelations like “racist”, “bigot” and “redneck” with pride — as employed by today’s ignorant idiot scolds, they’ve become synonyms for “prophet”.
Anyway: isn’t is sad that a sensible guy like Fr. de Souza still felt obliged to answer “No” to that question?
It was obvious to me, Little Miss I Don’t Have a Collar or Degree in Theology here, that the answer was “yes.” Or, more accurately, “well, duh.” But then, I don’t get interviewed for books too damn often, either…
It is important us activists not to rely too heavily on Professional Christians ™ like de Souza for guidance or support. They still are, conciously or not, prisoners of ambition, politeness, station, upbringing, not-wanting-to-lose-their-newspaper-column and so forth.
We however must remain as fearless and independent as possible.
