I realize that the Canadian leftosphere today is some kind of outraged over this exciting new development in ... in ... well, breathtaking, naked homophobia and seething, hateful religious "values." But let's all calm down, shall we, and take a closer look.
Yes, it looks bad, but let's not jump to conclusions. As my mother used to tell me when I was a sprout, when life hands you lemons, put them in the freezer for several hours until they're rock hard, then use them to club a Blogging Tory into unconsciousness. Um ... wait, that can't be right. Anyway, where was I?
Oh, right ... let's not get unduly perturbed over this since a careful reading of that article opens up a world of fascinating possibilities. Consider, in particular, this part (emphasis added):
The Conservative government is planning measures, including a Defence of Religions Act, to allow public officials, such as Justices of the Peace, to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
Yes, this would allow ignorant, religious fuckwits in Canada to take public funds, and then use those funds to discriminate against other Canadians. But, as they say, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Or one good turn deserves another. Whatever. The point here is that, if publicly-funded religious individuals in Canada are allowed to openly discriminate, then it would follow logically that all Canadians who hold a public position should be able to do likewise.
I mean, surely no one is suggesting that taxpayer-funded bigotry be restricted to only the devout, are they? If Canadian Christians are granted that kind of freedom, it would seem inarguable that all taxpayer-financed Canadians will have the same choice to associate, or not, as they see fit based on nothing more than their personal beliefs. And, oh, the possibilites are endless.
For instance, teachers in Canada's public school system might decide that they just don't feel like teaching students who are strict Biblical creationists. (Such students are typically a royal pain in the ass anyway, so booting their sorry asses out the door of the science classroom can't help but be an improvement.) And why stop there? Why, indeed?
Left-wing university professors will, I'm sure, absolutely revel in their new-found power, giving any annoying right-wing students the old heave-ho. Boy, that's going to quiet down the political science classes in a hurry, isn't it? But, oh my, this is just the beginning since, if public employees have the right to decide who they're going to serve, it makes only logical sense that private citizens should have at least that amount of freedom.
I can see it now:
WANTED
Receptionist for occasional typing and office work.
Should have basic knowledge of Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Catholics need not apply.
Or how about:
IMMEDIATE OPENING
Automatic transmission repairperson.
Should have intimate knowledge of both domestic
and foreign models.
No Jews.
Yeah, I can see where all of this might come in handy. Of course, I'm sure there will be griping from Canada's religious wingnut community but, come now, if they're bound and determined to discriminate against other Canadians based on their personal beliefs and convictions, surely they wouldn't be so two-faced as to deny the rest of us the same freedom, would they? After all, fair's fair, right? To paraphrase those folks when they're fuming and sputtering about "gay rights," it's not like they'd be so hypocritical as to demand a "special privilege" that they wouldn't extend to the rest of us. Right?
So chill out, folks. Let's all sit back, relax, crack open a cold one, and watch how this develops. But, if you have any foresight, you might want to get those "No Mormons Allowed" posters ready, just in case. No sense leaving that until the last minute 'cuz, if you do, you generally end up doing a sloppy job.
And you don't want that.
6 comments:
So what would stop someone from starting a religion with, as a central religious text, a List of Enemies? Excerpts from this list and its assorted threats will be of course protected speech and publishable anywhere.
Also the beer volcano and stripper factory of course.
Not that I would condone the establishment of such a religion, of course. But if there is one out there, your ideas intrigue me; do you have a newsletter?
This was a good one, CC.
As the asserted fall back position of a failed 'free vote' to revoke equal marriage in Canada, it certainly does sound like it's the "well, we can't stop them from marrying, but we'll legislate so you can pull a Phelps clan act and picket the weddings to call for their divinely instructed deaths in legally protected bliss" compromise.
These are people running the country. The /country/.
I suppose that this is logically consistend, however, in order to fulfill your scenario, those other public servants would have to be quite devout in their beliefs (religious, one might say) to besmirch their name by singling out mormons or jews or right-wingers for exclusion.
So even if a teacher could evict a troublesome creationist child, I don't imagine the parents/teachers associations would be too keen. You'd have to really not like creationists, like hardcore christians really don't like gay marriage.
So it's okay, then, Olaf, as long as you're really bigoted?
in order to fulfill your scenario, those other public servants would have to be quite devout in their beliefs (religious, one might say) to besmirch their name by singling out mormons or jews or right-wingers for exclusion.
Well, Olaf, you right whingers all claim that liberalism is a religion we lefties faithfully cling to.
...public servants would have to be quite devout in their beliefs (religious, one might say) to besmirch their name by singling out mormons or jews or right-wingers for exclusion.
I notice that christian fundamentalists are perfectly willing to besmirch their names by revealing themselves as ignorant homophobes. Why should they get all the fun?
You'd have to really not like creationists, like hardcore christians really don't like gay marriage.
My dislike for creationism and its proponents easily qualifies.
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