Canada, Education / Schools, Gay, Politics, Religion

Apparently, God Hates Rainbows Now

By  
on

I was a very good student in Catholic school (except for the Catholic bits). But a quick Google search reveals that God explained rainbows to Noah as follows: “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Now, I’m not one of those guys who actually believes that one dude put two of everything on a boat. I’m not even one of those guys who knows so little about biology that I think you can repopulate anything with just two. But if you do believe in such stories, surely God’s bow is, like, a good thing. Surely there is nothing that man can do to defile that which was given by God as a sign of peace.

According to some Catholic schools in Canada, however, rainbows have caught “the gay,” and are now evil…

Here’s the rainbow controversy facing some Catholic high schools in Canada. From Parent Central:

Rainbows — both in images and words — are being discouraged in some Catholic schools because they are seen as too politically charged for the anti-homophobia clubs that want to use them.

One Mississauga school told students not to put up a rainbow flag at a recent anti-homophobia event, so the students at St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School baked rainbows into their cupcakes instead.

“I thought it was unfair,” said student organizer Leanne Iskander of not being allowed to display the rainbow flag or other such signs.

“Rainbows can represent anything — you can’t just ban rainbows.”

Normally, I’d just laugh at the silly Catholics twisting themselves in knots because they believe in a petty Jesus who harshes on people for loving each other. But something else in this story caught my eye: Catholic schools in Canada have “anti-homophobia clubs”? That’s progress. That’s downright hopeful. That’s great that Catholic schools are at least trying to integrate Jesus’s teachings of love instead of the dogma of hate… oh wait, it’s state-mandated:

Sponsored

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic board says the rainbow flag wasn’t banned outright, but that a bookmark designed in the school was preferred, with coloured stripes that referred to events for the entire social justice week, not just the Friday anti-homophobia day.

The rainbow ruckus is the latest example of the tension facing Catholic schools directed by Queen’s Park to help schools fight homophobia while seeking to uphold the Vatican’s stand against gay sex.

Sigh.

Obviously, I have no problem with the state directing Catholic schools to do something to stop gay bashing. But this is another example of the law’s inability to change hearts and minds. I mean, literally, there are some in the Catholic church who would rather make rainbows into an evil symbol than embrace gays and lesbians as brothers and sisters. That’s sad that people feel this way, but there isn’t a law or public directive that’s going to change their minds.

You’re not going to change people’s religious views with laws. That’s a great reason to keep religious views out of the lawmaking process. The last thing we need is for lawmakers to run around trying to outlaw rainbows.

‘Rainbow’ ruckus hits Catholic high school [Parent Central]

Sponsored

Topics

, , , , ,