Take, for instance, Calgary’s outspoken Bishop Fred Henry, who wrote a letter to this paper offering a strong defence of Campus Pro-Life (although, a pro-life bishop defending a pro-life group might fall into the “dog bites man” news category). He defended the “freedom to inquire, speak, publish, (and) debate” even if it leads to “error and abuse.” So while others may bemoan the “offensiveness” of Campus Pro-Life’s display, the bishop has rightly noted that freedom of expression trumps the (non-existent) freedom to not-have-my-delicate-sensibilities-ruffled.
And yet, in now leading the charge against the forthcoming Atheist Bus Ad campaign, Bishop Henry has morphed from a champion of the right to offend to a poster boy for the I’m Offended Industry.
Suddenly we are to now tremble in awe at the mighty power of the O-word: Bishop Henry is “offended” by the ads. To which we ought to say: so what?
