It seems that quite a lot of reaction is building up concerning the case of PC Cogman who has been sacked from Norfolk Police for using the internal email system to express his Christian belief that homosexual acts are sinful.
This is clearly a case of one right being allowed to "trump" another. Some observers have said that he should not be allowed to use his employer's email system to express his views; but the occasion for him doing so was the use of his employer's facilities in order to express a strong pro-gay view by heavily promoting "Gay History Month" and putting pressure on officers to wear a pink ribbon.
According to the law as it now stands, it is an offence to discriminate against homosexual people by refusing to provide goods and services. While it is only to be expected that the Police Service will enforce this, the law does not require the Police Service to issue pink ribbons and "Gay History Month" literature any more than it requires the distribution of bibles or prayer cards.
Since the facilities of the Police Service have been given over to promoting pink ribbons and "Gay History Month", PC Cogman was entirely within his rights to use the internal email system to promote the alternative, Christian, view of the matter: that one should hate the sin but love the sinner, and that homosexual acts are sinful. Indeed, it can reasonably be presumed that as a someone holding to traditional Christian morality, PC Cogman believes that all sexual acts outside of marriage are sinful.
Some have characterised one of his communications as sending material about "curing" homosexuality. In fact, there are many Christian groups who take the view that homosexuality is not necessarily a fixed condition but that with prayer, friendship and sympathetic counselling, a person may be able to change. Whatever one thinks of this view, it should not be ruled out a priori as "discriminatory" or even as harrassment.
Some Police Officers will have strongly pro-gay views, others will have traditional Christian views. In the former case, you are not only allowed to express your views freely, but you will be given liaison officers and part of the police budget will be made available for the promotion of your views. In the latter case you are not only not allowed to express your views freely but you will be sacked if you do.
5 comments:
It's the same with certain views in the academic community. And don't for a second think "open discussion" and "the scientific method" will be upheld when people are afraid you have a "Christian agenda".
Your opinion counts, your freedom counts... but only if you agree with the current majority.
PC Cogman is not alone. It seems that in China gay penguins have been stealing eggs from their "straight" neighbours.
Funny, until you read the fatuous assertion that there are "numerous examples of homosexuality in the animal kingdom". All part of the gay lobby's attempt to prove that same sex attraction is "normal" or "natural".
I agree with your sentiments entirely Fr Tim.
Funny though isn't it - the legal structure and the laws which have kept order and democracy alive (until now) in this Country and which England 'exported' all over the world in its colonial heyday, were founded solely upon the Judaeo-Christian tradition of moral virtue and family values. These are the same values that the legal system now wishes to distance itself from and marginalise for the sake of politically correct expedience and the spirit of the times! A tree cut off from its roots will simply wither and die. What then?
So where has it all gone so horribly wrong? It's because we have squeezed God out of our oh-so-busy, modern, materialistically minded and increasingly secular lives.
I think PC Cogman is a very brave man indeed and pray that he and his family come through this time of trial. God looks after His own.
Anyway, better pick up my spade and get back to digging my end of the South East London Catacombs!!!!
Dear Father Tim
Thanks for these thoughts.
Our 'light reading' for this week has been from, the then, Cardinal Ratzinger's book Europe - Today and Tomorrow. On page 69 is a quote that could be speaking of this very situation (and others you have recently highlighted such as that blasphemous statue).
'Suspicion of the law, revolt against the law, will always arise when law itself appears to be, no longer the expression of a justice that is at the service of all, but rather the product of arbitrariness and legislative arrogance on the part of those who have power.'
Does George's end of the 'South East London catacombs' perchance have a branch line out to North Wales?!!!
The truth, I'm sorry to say, appears to be that this policeman was sacked for disobeying orders. He was told not to use the Force's internal e-mail service to express his views about homosexuality but he continued to do so. His case in law, I suggest, is very slight.
On the other hand we can but hope that his case will provoke some debate over why homosexuals should be allowed to promote their views about homosexuality whereas other people should not.
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