Readers Speak Out: February 14, 2021

Insulting stance

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has no trouble seeing the log in Donald Trump’s eye while ignoring the blinder covering his own eye!  

Recently, Trudeau was quoted saying: “Canadians are deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy in the United States, our closest ally and neighbour. Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the U.S. must be upheld — and it will be.”

How can Trudeau make such a statement when he doesn’t allow pro-life candidates in the Liberal party? He is destroying democracy in Canada at the highest level. Adding insult to injury, Trudeau does nothing to defend the life of the unborn, the elderly and those who are most vulnerable due to their mental health. And he sends millions of dollars to countries to fund abortion. 

 “A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love,” says Pope Francis.   

Don Hall,

Hamilton, Ont.

Time to listen

I support pro-life but am constantly disappointed by the strategies pro-life organizations use. The rights of women to choose abortion will not be overturned by legislation; the voters won’t allow it. A U.S. study found that the top three reasons for abortion were child poverty, lack of access to birth control and birth control knowledge and lack of access to sex education.

Could Catholics on the left and right join together to give women realistic alternatives to abortion? Left and right should be able to agree on a significant reduction in child poverty. Even the most conservative would agree that sex education, within a Catholic context, is superior to ignorance. Both left and right would consider birth control a lesser evil compared to abortion and even the most conservative Catholics would approve of natural birth control.

For abortion to be significantly reduced, the left and right of the Church must listen to one another with intelligence and respect.

Mark Creedon,

Toronto

Celibacy support

Re: God’s Word on Sunday (Jan. 24):

I always like to read Fr. Scott Lewis’ commentary on the Sunday readings. I was pleased to see him write “Paul is perhaps guilty of making some sweeping and unwarranted assertions.”

I, too, have felt Paul is a bit too old fashioned for the current world, and especially about a woman’s place. However, I actually interpreted Paul’s words as supporting the celibacy of priests and nuns in the Catholic Church, which I believe gives them more time to absorb the Scriptures and share it with family persons who definitely are busier with raising and financing children.

Iona D’Cruz,

Toronto

Aspiring figure

Re: Feed the culture of life (Jan. 10):

I enjoyed Mary French’s article and her observation that what “sets Christians so rebelliously apart is that our faith is so full of celebration, joy and thanks.” We see this in Sue Mosteller’s (profiled in Michael Swan’s article) lifelong association with L’Arche, a community that seems the very quintessence of what Ms French is talking about and something that each of us might aspire to. 

Edwin Lang,

Markham, Ont.

Re: Debate on Bill C-7 (letter to Canadian senators):

Dear Senator,

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Canada states in para 2 that everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

1. freedom of conscience and religion;
2. freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

I am asking you to do your part to uphold the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as is your duty as a Senator, so as to ensure that any person, especially medical and religious professionals, who cannot agree to participate in medical assistance in dying (MAiD) because of their consciences, are protected by this same Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as is their expectation.

I am asking the Senate to demand an amendment to Bill C-7, if not to dismiss it altogether as a heinous indignation to human dignity, so as to ensure freedom without reprisal for health care and religious professionals from being involved in medical assistance in dying and to guarantee that such choice not be considered a criminal offense. This would clarify the wording of Criminal Code sections related to MAiD and assure the objective of parliament is evident to the provinces. The existing language must be amended because it blatantly contradicts our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and does not furnish sufficient protection under the law for those who’s conscious differs. 

If the law does not protect conscience rights, then a country of criminals will be created. No one has the right to dictate what another thinks or believes. It is the very fact or our ability to think, reason and believe that sets us apart from the rest of creation. To compromise that so as to suit a disordered agenda is to relegate the dignity of our humanity to nothing more than a banal existence. We become lesser than the beast in the wild, who cannot reason to an end but rather only depends upon instinct to act, because we have chosen to abdicate the responsibility of our human rights and dignity and its fundamental principle to respect the same rights and dignity in others.  Enshrining into law the axiom:  "If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!" does nothing but justify a willful violence against ourselves and a disregard for our inherent human dignity.

Fr. Timothy P.V. Nelligan,

Ottawa, Ont.