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.

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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.

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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.

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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.