Tuesday digest II

- What's with James Loney?

The guy is alleging that the Catholic men's organization Knights of Columbus (of which I happen to be a member) is shutting down a youth leadership camp because he worked there in the past.

The Knights say this is a bogus claim and that Loney's homosexuality (which apparently to Loney is the main reason why the camp at which he no longer works has been put on hiatus) has nothing to do with their decision to suspend operations for this year.

He says: "I feel very sad that this act of discrimination against me as a gay person is really impacting the whole Catholic community of Ontario".

Loney said he and his supporters agonized over whether or not to go public with his allegations.

"It was a decision we made after a great deal of thought and prayer, and some agony,'' he said.

"We are doing this because we care about the church, we care about young people and we care about the kind of church they are coming into.''

I have a few things that I would say to Loney if he were listening.

First, no one really cares that you are gay - including the Knights of Columbus - except you and the terrorists who would have chopped your head off had they found out when you were in Iraq this spring. It is supremely self-centred to suggest that the fate of an entire non-profit organization rests on who you and you alone do and do not find attractive.

Second, there are many other Christian organizations that go beyond tolerance and acceptance of homosexuality, but in fact, celebrate it, according to their interpretation of Christ's teachings. Why can't Loney quietly leave an organization that he feels no longer at home in and go join one that he thinks better represents his personal belief system?

I'm also pretty sure that most Catholic youth today are aware of the Church's teachings on morality and are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves what to think about it.

The gay lobby is always saying that all they want is respect. What Loney is doing goes far beyond demanding respect. What Loney is doing is asking that one group within society (the Church) change in order to suit him, which is the equivalent of trying to impose one's point of view on another. Isn't that exactly what the gay lobby says that the forces of conservative religion do far too often when it comes to matters of personal morality? In the name of diversity, tolerance, and inclusivity, Loney should accept the fact that there may be some sectors within society that may have different values than he does. That's the beauty of living in a free country , the antics surrounding Margaret Somerville's honorary degree from Ryerson notwithstanding.

I would also say to Loney that if he really wants an example of persecution of homosexuals, he should stop defending terrorists in his spare time and look at how gay people are treated in Islamic countries rather than engaging in the oh-so-tired-and-predictable routine of bashing the Catholic Church, the institution which was just fine for him to be a part of as a youth counsellor for many years before he found fame and fortune as a far-left poster boy.

(And although it's admittedly presumptive of me to suggest such a thing, with the annual Gay Pride parade right around the corner, I think that's what's driving Loney's claim more than anything else.)

I stand by my prediction that he will run as a star candidate for the NDP in the next federal election.

- Newt as President? I wonder if he carries too much baggage from his personal life to win the GOP primary.

- Ever wonder why the Left is more worried about global warming than the Right? It pretty much boils down to this: critical thinking and a sense of proportion.