unintimidated

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Oct 30, 2007

"Pell Backs Discrimination against Gays" gasps the headline of this Simon Lauder story from Australia. Sydney's archbishop appears to realize perfectly well that, by upholding Church teaching in the public sphere, he's being painted as the first cousin to a klansman. Doesn't seem to rattle him.

Cardinal Pell sees a looming battle between religion and its right to discriminate against gay people, and the push to remove discrimination from laws.

"At the heart of this attack on the concept of exemptions for faith-based agencies, lies a false analogy between alleged discrimination against homosexuals and racial discrimination, and this is already beginning to appear in Australia," he said.

He says it is wrong to compare the ban on inter-racial marriage in the US decades ago with today's ban on gay marriage.

"Same-sex marriage and adoption changes the meaning of marriage, family, parenting and childhood for everyone, not just for homosexual couples," he said.

Refreshing, and encouraging as well. At the point in the dispute where we've come to expect a bishop to backtrack and apologize and cover his retreat with unconvincing effusions of esteem, Pell not only stands his ground but takes the fight into the other guys' territory. He acts as if souls were at stake.