Letter to MPP, Toby Barrett

Today's Hamilton Spectator again included a letter to the editor which addressed the problem of the Roman Catholic School Board's decision not to allow Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in their schools. The Catholic Board has made it clear that they are against bullying, but they also oppose any movement which might justify homosexuality as a practice within the Catholic community. The main idea of the letter was that we should all get used to it: homosexuality is a right and liberty which is here to stay. But at the same time, people who hold such sentiments ought to know that this is just what our concern is: it is here, and will not be revoked without a fight; but that means that we as Christians have to ask these people if we are welcome in this society anymore.

Some time ago I sent a letter to my MPP, Mr. Toby Barrett, concerning an article in the Spectator about Bill 13, the anti-bullying bill aimed specifically at protecting homosexuals in the publicly funded schools. This piece of legislation, if adopted and enacted, will effectively make any opposition to homosexuality illegal. The legislation will force upon the Roman Catholic school system an adoption of the recognition of homosexuality, and therefore be a precedent for any group that would step on the rights of Canadians. My question to Mr. Barrett asks, What about the rest of us who are Christian but not Roman Catholic? And what about what we as Christians teach by example to our children at home?

This is the letter I sent him:


Dear Mr. Barrett:

As a Canadian citizen living within the Haldimand Norfolk electoral riding I am somewhat concerned about a report in the Hamilton Spectator concerning a bill now being discussed at Provincial government levels.

The report is headed Board says no to so-calloed 'gay-straight alliances'. This article in the Jan. 17, 2012 edition is about how the Catholic School Boards are handling the pending legislation, called Bill 13 in the article, concerning bullying of homosexuals and such in the schools. The Minister of Education, the article says, insists that the gay-straight clubs in the schools be "issue specific." "That means boards won't be able to lump them into broader 'equity' groups, as some Catholic schools have done."
In short, what I get out of this is that the Province of Ontario is going to enforce upon every parent of every child going to a publicly-funded school to conform to this new set of morals, which now includes homosexuals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered, and queers.

My concern in the article is that the Province of Ontario is imposing upon authority that is not its own. The Catholic believer's loyalty is being divided between what the Pope or the Church says is right and what the Province says is right. The government is stepping in to claim a higher authority in matters of religion. The Catholic Church says that homosexuality and such is immoral, while the Province is stepping in to outlaw such notions in the schools, even the Catholic schools.

The point I wish to raise with you, sir, is to ask, What about the rest of us? By "the rest of us" I am referring to Christians who are not Catholic.

People like myself believe that those included under the acronym of LGBTQ are immoral, having given themselves over to the lusts of the flesh. They define themselves by the sexual desires they claim to have. I do not doubt that they have these desires, but it is clear that they allow their sexual desires to guide their spirits and souls, instead of having their spirits rule over their bodies. The difference between morality and immorality is often just that, the difference of whether the "lusts of the flesh" rule over the spirit or the spirit rules over the flesh. Gluttony and drunkenness and habitual smoking are also caused by desires, but we have no difficulty in seeing that these come from such desires having too much control of a man's faculties, faculties which are governed by his spirit and soul.

Whether I am right or wrong should not really matter to the government of Ontario. They are my religious beliefs which the Province has no right to infringe upon. The fact that I would contend that my beliefs are based upon Bible teaching, rather than being Bible teaching dependent upon my beliefs, is not really the question here. The Bible has authority over me, but the government has promised not to impose upon my personal beliefs even if the Bible's teachings were somehow dependent upon my beliefs. After all, it has legislated that all religions are equal and equally to be respected.

My question is where would I fit in if Bill 13 was passed? If I had children in the public system, and I was teaching my child to live the doctrines of the faith each hour of the day, would that mean that I may not send my children to the public schools anymore unless I changed my beliefs?

Are Christians such a minority now that the interests of those given to their sexual passions are a greater concern, and should be less alienated than the Christians? Are we, then, the new minority group subject to bullying, bullying by the government of Ontario?

It is already the case, and has been for some time, that we are not welcome in the public school system unless we conform our beliefs to the status quo. Keeping religion out of the publicly-funded schools means keeping our beliefs as just that, our beliefs, and respecting other beliefs as equal and equally valid. The problem with this is that our beliefs are not like that at all. We do not claim any validity for our beliefs because we believe them; we claim validity in that they are incumbent on everyone, the believer and unbeliever the same. The school boards may be able to enforce keeping our beliefs out, but I do not understand at all the notion of keeping Jesus or God out. One would be better off trying to keep atmosphere out. He's there; He's not welcome but He's there: He can't not be there. Putting God out has had the result that Christians are actually put out, not God. That is why we have to have separate schools for Christians: the government has made it so.

Now this bill would make it even more so. My children and grandchildren will be taught at home that giving in to the lusts of the flesh is immoral, but at school they will be forced to submit to the doctrine that even traditional marriage is nothing more than a giving in to the lusts of the flesh, no different than the LGBTQ people. Real traditional marriage will no longer be recognized, and will be despised. Children will not be recognized as blessings from the Lord in holy matrimony, but merely as chattel to sexual desires. Homosexual unions will not be made holy; holy matirmony has already been made unholy, and homosexual marriage equal to it. This is already the case in Ontario. It is now law. Now the government wants to impose upon my religion and my responsibility to my children and grandchildren.

This is my concern regarding the article in the Spectator, about Bill 13. It is my responsibility as a citizen to bring this concern to your attention, since any such bill being passed will bear upon me as a citizen. I hope you will give these concerns some thought.

I wish you all the best in your responsibilities representing Haldimand Norfolk at Queens Park. I also wish you God's blessings for courage and strength of faith in fulfilling your calling.

faithfully yours,
John Vandervliet,
Dunnville, Ont.

Mr. Barrett's office sent me the following reply:

Mr. Vandervliet:

PC member Elizabeth Witmer had a private member’s bill dealing with bullying. It was quite different and was pushed aside with the introduction of Bill 13.

I will forward your questions on the minister’s office for response.

There is no reason for bullying in our schools and we need to ensure all students are protected. Hopefully all parties can get together and move forward.

Thank you

Jeff Helsdon

Office of Toby Barrett