In June 2010, New South Wales MP, Clover Moore, introduced a bill to legalise adoption by homosexual couples.

One adoption agency, Anglicare, threatens to withdraw its adoption services if such laws are introduced – and has written to MPs urging them to vote against the bill.

Anglicare’s chief executive, Peter Kell, says adoption is not a “gay rights” issue — but must be based, first and foremost, on the interests of the child.

“Men and women complement each other, and the optimal care for children really consists of being in a family with both a mother and a father” he said.

* * *

Now NSW Cabinet looks like “exempting” both Anglicare and Catholic Agency, Centacare, from the legislation.

Community Services Minister, Linda Burney, says Cabinet will discuss amending the bill to allow these agencies to refuse involvement in adoptions by homosexual couples

She said, “I think the exemption is sensible, and I think it’s important that it’s there.”

* * *

The word “exemption” is, of course, very out of place in this debate.

The child’s interests come first.

Those seeking to protect helpless children from inappropriate placement are not seeking an “exemption” for themselves . . . .

No, they are seeking to assert the rights of the child – and the rights of God.

The State has no business trampling on those rights

Governments who disregard this understanding must be defied, disobeyed and undermined.

* * *

Adults’ perceived “rights” must never trump those of the child. 

Discrimination isn’t always bad.

In the context of adoption, discriminating in favour of traditional married couples is good.

The Victorian government is conducting a review of “Identity Motivated Hate Crimes” .

Its terms of reference include whether legislative changes are needed to “ensure criminal offences and penalties appropriately reflect the serious nature of conduct motivated by hatred of, or prejudice against, a particular group”.

Sounds OK.

But you can’t help wondering what it really means.

* * *

The Inquiry (which consists of one hand-picked lawyer) will consider whether the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act should be amended to create a new offence of “Homophobic Harassment”.

“Harassment” being defined as “conduct that offends, humiliates, insults or ridicules” a homosexual person.

Whether there is an offence will relate, not to the intention of the accused, but merely to the feelings of the plaintiff.

Canada, New Zealand and Britain all have “hate crime” laws. None of them is as unjust, spiteful and malevolent as this. All require that for a crime to exist, there must be violence or a threat of violence or an intention to distress the victim.

* * *

Comments based on religious belief will, in Victoria, not be exempt.

Say out loud that, as a Catholic, you consider homosexual acts to be wrong — and if a homosexual person claims to be offended, you’ll be staring down the barrel of being arrested.

The fact that Catholics condemn homosexual acts, not out of hatred, but from a loving desire that those involved might find a better life and be rescued from their disordered tendency . . . that is no help at all.

* * *

The official position of the Catholic Church on this issue is exactly right.

It includes these words:

“it is deplorable that homosexual persons have been, and are, the object of violent malice in speech and action . . . . the intrinsic dignity of each person must always be respected in word, action and law.”  (Congregation of the Faith, 1986)

The Church disapproves of the unnatural acts themselves, but has no hatred or ill-will towards those afflicted by such tendencies.

Don’t forget that, in Africa, Catholic workers provide more support to AIDS victims than any other group.

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is full of realism — a mixture of good news and bad news.

Jesus warns his disciples that they will encounter dangers on all sides — that’s the bad news . . . .

However he promises them supernatural and invincible help — which has to be good news.

We, dear reader — called to be Christ’s disciples today — the message applies to us, too.

* * *

From John’s gospel:

“But when the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses . . . .

They will expel you from the synagogues: yes, the hour is coming that whoever kills you will think that he does God a service.

These things I tell you, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.”

* * *

If you are trying to live as a follower of Christ, you will have experienced persecution of some kind or other already.

If not, you soon will.

Our greatest Australian, BLESSED MARY MACKILLOP, certainly was not immune from persecutions.

After one unfortunate incident involving an unsympathetic bishop, she wrote:

“We have had much sorrow and are still suffering its effects, but sorrow or trial lovingly submitted to does not prevent our being happy — it rather purifies the happiness.”

* * *

The Christian religion is a religion of joy. Think about these words written by Isaac Watts:

“Joy to the world: the Saviour reigns.

Let men their songs employ.

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

repeat the sounding joy . . . .

“He rules the world with truth and grace.

And makes the nations prove

the glories of his righteousness

and the wonders of his love.”

Yes, God rules the world. Whatever happens, God is in charge.

However bad it seems, there is something there that he is trying to teach you.

Part of that lesson will be for you to see his love in everything.

The two holiest times of the Christian year — Christmas and Easter — are routinely ruined by the profit-makers.

Yet the next most holy day, Pentecost (this year Sunday May 23), they ignore.

Perhaps Mothers’ Day, also in May, is a better present-flogging opportunity, so Pentecost isn’t needed.

No signs in shops, nothing in the media . . . .

* * *

The Church, however, makes a very big deal of Pentecost.

Jesus instructed his disciples in advance about the coming of the Holy Ghost (the Paraclete) at Pentecost.

Today’s gospel reading at Mass:

Jesus said to his disciples, “Now I am going to the One who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

Because I have spoken these things, sorrow has filled your hearts. But it is expedient for you that I go. If I do not go, the Paraclete will not come. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world of sin, of justice and of judgement:

Of sin, because they do not believe in me;

Of justice, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;

Of judgement, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will teach you all truth. He will not speak on his own behalf, but he will speak what he hears, and declare to you the things that are coming.

He shall glorify me, because he will receive what is mine and declare it to you.”

(John’s gospel, chapter 16)

* * *

Pentecost: the day the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles — the day the Catholic Church launched its mission of evangelising the world.

Suddenly they came out from hiding and went onto the front foot — challenging the world with the Gospel, defying the risks . . . .

Persecutions soon followed — and, within weeks, the first execution.

Believers today have the same mission: by the power of God’s Spirit to live the Gospel – and to cheerfully accept the consequences.

Last night a bloke was talking on ABC radio about religion and science.

He said something like: “I am not against religion because it turns people into terrorists, but because it makes them stupid.”

He stopped then until the audience realised that he thought he had been clever and wanted to be clapped.

They clapped.

I can’t give you the exact details, but it doesn’t matter.

Tune into the ABC yourself — radio or TV or online — any night. There is practically always somebody of celebrity status trotting out some lines about how religion is for losers.

* * *

David Coppedge was an information technology specialist and administrator on NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn, the most ambitious interplanetary exploration ever launched.

That was until his employers demoted him for allegedly “pushing religion” by loaning interested co-workers two DVDs supportive of Intelligent Design.

Mr Coppedge is suing them.

“For the offense of offering videos to colleagues, Coppedge faced harassment, an investigation cloaked in secrecy, and a virtual gag order on his discussion of Intelligent Design,” said his attorney, Casey Luskin.

(The  supervisors who disciplined him have admitted never having received any complaints regarding Mr Coppedge’s conversations about Intelligent Design.)

“Intelligent design is not religion.” Mr Luskin said, “Nothing in the DVDs that Coppedge shared, deals with religion. Even if they had done, it’s unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee, based on what they deem to be religion.”

* * *

Mr Coppedge’s case is one of many.

Anyone who thinks that today’s culture of science allows open discussion of evolution etc., is badly mistaken.

Last Friday, British Catholic bishop, Richard Williamson, was fined 10,000 euros by a German court for “holocaust denial”.

He had been fined 12,000 euros earlier this year over the same charge, but he refused to pay — hence the new trial.

The court convicted him because he said in a television interview broadcast in January 2009, that “200,000 to 300,000 Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps, but none of them in gas chambers”.

* * *

Background:

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, superior of the Society of Saint Pius the Tenth (SSPX), consecrated Bishop Williamson and three others as bishops in 1988 without the blessing of Pope John Paul II, who then proceeded to excommunicate all five of those involved.

The validity of this excommunication was always contested, and was reversed by Pope Benedict in January 2009.

Pope Benedict then announced that there would be formal discussions between the Vatican and the SSPX over their differences, especially concerning the “reforms” of the Second Vatican Council  of 1962-65.

These discussions are now taking place, providing the SSPX with an opportunity to explain the doctrinal reasons it believes to be the basis of the Church’s present difficulties.

* * *

It seems that modernist elements in the Church are seeking to discredit Pope Benedict by drawing attention to unfashionable views of Bishop Williamson, whom he reinstated.

For them, Germany’s bizarre laws prohibiting free expression of opinion regarding certain historical events must seem a “godsend”.

The laws could equally logically be considered a “Satan-send” — depending on who is right about the Second Vatican Council.

The problems with that Council include its teaching that the Catholic Church is not the one and only true Church established by Christ – as the Church had taught for the previous 19 centuries.

The Council also spawned the new Mass liturgy which downplays the supernatural aspects of the Faith, including the Real Presence of Christ and his sacrifice in the Eucharist – as the Church had taught for the previous 19 centuries.

* * *

The Council’s supporters in the Vatican currently have the numbers — but it could be argued that it is the SSPX which has the Faith.

Pope Benedict certainly isn’t one of their most fanatical enemies.