Calgary's bishop putting girls' health at risk

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

So it's okay for a Catholic bishop to hold traditional Catholic beliefs so long as he keeps his mouth shut? It's worth pointing out that the media turned to Henry again and again for comment whenever these social issues came up. Pretty sure they aren't calling up local imams for comment whenever sex education or LGBTQ bathrooms come up.

It's sad how few Canadians today really believe in pluralism.

I'd take it one step further. His positions on the HPV vaccination and LGBT school club issues have been consistent, logical and warranted from the Diocese's angle.

On the HPV issue:

People tend to forget or ignore that parents did not need Diocese's approval to vaccinate their daughters at all. Everyone knew that - parents, children, media, doctors and teachers. Diocese has zero administrative control over Catholic Board of Education; none. This was entirely a clash of conflicting beliefs in what's right and what's wrong. Catholic doctrine does not allow for pre-marital sex. The fact that many Catholic kids do it anyway is irrelevant to the dilemma; in the eyes of the Church, they shouldn't. So, issuing a spiritual approval of the vaccination protecting kids having sex from HPV would have been a public acknowledgement of the doctrine impotency, or a moral conundrum for the Diocese. So, Bishop Henry had to stay with the doctrine, as he was installed to do.

On the issue of LGBT school clubs:

Again, some people are quick to narrow this conflict to homophobia and bigotry, because it allows them to resort to labeling without looking into the issue at depth. But it is much more to do with the right of Provincial Government to impose secular principles onto the constitutionally established separate education system. Minister Eggen, without any discussion or consultation with multiple boards of education issued an order that required "...the support for the establishment of gay-straight alliances (GSAs) and queer-straight alliances (QSAs)…” in all schools. This was arguably against the recent 2015 Supreme Court decision about the rights of Catholic parents that have children enrolled in Catholic educational institutions and the rights of these institutions to frame education within the tenets of their faith. Bishop Henry called Eggen's approach totalitarian and, as a Catholic leader, he had a point - this was a complicated constitutional rights issue that should have been discussed at more length and involving legal experts.

[Fuzz]

The solution to both of those issues is that we shouldn't allow religious institutions to be involved in the education of children. People always like to argue that their is hardly any religious component to the Catholic school system, so it shouldn't matter but here are 2 clear cases where their doctrine is harmful to society as a whole.

[PsYcNeT]

"Traditional" is code-word for "historically justified bigotry" apparently.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

"Traditional" is code-word for "historically justified bigotry" apparently.

I'm getting ready to crack open a delicious Big Rock Historically Justified Bigotry Ale as I type.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I'd take it one step further. His positions on the HPV vaccination and LGBT school club issues have been consistent, logical and warranted from the Diocese's angle.

On the HPV issue:

People tend to forget or ignore that parents did not need Diocese's approval to vaccinate their daughters at all. Everyone knew that - parents, children, media, doctors and teachers. Diocese has zero administrative control over Catholic Board of Education; none. This was entirely a clash of conflicting beliefs in what's right and what's wrong. Catholic doctrine does not allow for pre-marital sex. The fact that many Catholic kids do it anyway is irrelevant to the dilemma; in the eyes of the Church, they shouldn't. So, issuing a spiritual approval of the vaccination protecting kids having sex from HPV would have been a public acknowledgement of the doctrine impotency, or a moral conundrum for the Diocese. So, Bishop Henry had to stay with the doctrine, as he was installed to do.

On the issue of LGBT school clubs:

Again, some people are quick to narrow this conflict to homophobia and bigotry, because it allows them to resort to labeling without looking into the issue at depth. But it is much more to do with the right of Provincial Government to impose secular principles onto the constitutionally established separate education system. Minister Eggen, without any discussion or consultation with multiple boards of education issued an order that required "...the support for the establishment of gay-straight alliances (GSAs) and queer-straight alliances (QSAs)…” in all schools. This was arguably against the recent 2015 Supreme Court decision about the rights of Catholic parents that have children enrolled in Catholic educational institutions and the rights of these institutions to frame education within the tenets of their faith. Bishop Henry called Eggen's approach totalitarian and, as a Catholic leader, he had a point - this was a complicated constitutional rights issue that should have been discussed at more length and involving legal experts.

The HPV vaccine protects people who only have 1 sexual partner.
It also protects people from other methods of getting the virus.
No where in getting the HPV vaccine does it promote sex before marriage.

Jesus the Shepard gathered his flock and spent extra time finding the ones who strayed to protect them from wolves. That parable alone supports the use of the HPV vaccine not to mention that celebrate teens could marry a non celibate person and be exposed. There is no basis for the supposition that getting vaccinated would change teen behaviour.

So instead he allowed children to be put at risk. That said the parents who didn't vaccinate their kids (only 15% did) are stupid and the public system where 30% still don't vaccinate are also stupid.

Essentially his actions to fight vaccination resulted in roughly half of kids not getting vaccinated which will directly result in deaths. There is no basis in Catholsism for this. It is as indefensible as Jenny Mcarthy's crusade against vaccines.

[N-E-B]

His line of thinking is outdated and doesn't fit with the way society is moving. To say he's a piece of #### is a bit ridiculous, but this is good that he's gone. Was never a big fan of his.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

His line of thinking is outdated and doesn't fit with the way society is moving. To say he's a piece of #### is a bit ridiculous, but this is good that he's gone. Was never a big fan of his.

The next bishop will be the same, and every bishop after that until the Vatican changes the rules. It's not he said anything groundbreaking, or even surprising.

[jeffporfirio]

The Bishop is just being consistent with the teachings of the Catholic church. We may not agree with him, but it's the teaching of the Church. If anything, the Catholic church has been consistent over time.
Don't understand the hatred for the Catholic church, when the majority of other Christian religions, Muslims and Jews hold the same views on abortion, same-sex marriage, and LGBT issues.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by jeffporfirio

Don't understand the hatred for the Catholic church, when the majority of other Christian religions, Muslims and Jews hold the same views on abortion, same-sex marriage, and LGBT issues.

The Catholic church has a hierarchy with official spokesmen for critics to express their hatred for. And they're mostly white. So punching up, privilege, etc.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by jeffporfirio

The Bishop is just being consistent with the teachings of the Catholic church. We may not agree with him, but it's the teaching of the Church. If anything, the Catholic church has been consistent over time.
Don't understand the hatred for the Catholic church, when the majority of other Christian religions, Muslims and Jews hold the same views on abortion, same-sex marriage, and LGBT issues.

The majority of other Christian religions (protestant) are open to abortion, same-sex marriage, and LGBT issues. They have changed over time to reflect the changed values in society, something the Catholic church seems very reluctant (slow), to do.

[FlamesAddiction]

The Roman Catholic Church is not against vaccines. This bishop is being an asshat and no one should listen to him - Catholic or otherwise.

[PsYcNeT]

Not to mention we Jews (outside of the small Hasidic and Ultra-Orthodox sects) are notoriously laissez-faire when it comes to social issues. Non-Orthodox (Conservative, Reform, Kabbalist) Jews adopt a live and let live stance more often than not, and frequently sit strongly on the left side of social discourse.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

They "request" (not "require") the baptismal certificate, but I believe you can still register without one if there is space in the school. Catholic students get priority though.

I can confirm this. Both of my kids are in Catholic school, neither my wife nor myself are baptized Catholic.

Henry was a dinosaur. Good riddance.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by jeffporfirio

The Bishop is just being consistent with the teachings of the Catholic church. We may not agree with him, but it's the teaching of the Church. If anything, the Catholic church has been consistent over time.
Don't understand the hatred for the Catholic church, when the majority of other Christian religions, Muslims and Jews hold the same views on abortion, same-sex marriage, and LGBT issues.

Then new pope says Catholics must apologize for the marginalization of LGBT people.

There was nothing in Catholicism regarding being against vaccines.

How is the bishops stance consistent with these teachings.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The solution to both of those issues is that we shouldn't allow religious institutions to be involved in the education of children. People always like to argue that their is hardly any religious component to the Catholic school system, so it shouldn't matter but here are 2 clear cases where their doctrine is harmful to society as a whole.

I'd argue you need to put the words "publicly funded" in front of the word "education."

I don't think it's reasonable to totally eliminate private religious schools, however the fact that the Catholic school board is publicly funded has always struck me as ridiculous.