They say it's a loosing battle.
The Ontario Legislature is currently entertaining two separate Bills known as The Accepting Schools Act and The Anti-Bullying Act. It's true that bullying is a reality (as it has been) in many if not all of our schools, and the aim of these two pieces of legistation appears to be the adoption of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) as part of all High Schools in the province. In fact, GSAs are explicitly named in the above-mentioned legislation.
Toronto's Cardinal Archbishop has recently been portrayed as being at odds with Ontario's Premier because this past Monday, the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario issued Observations on a recent change in government policy re: proposed anti-bullying legislation, which follows upon a previously-submitted Brief submitted by the Catholic Bishops of Ontario to the Standing Committee on Social Policy re: Bills 13 and 14. and since Cardinal Collins is the current President of the ACBO, his name appears at the end of these two documents, although the comments made are spoken on behalf of all the Catholic Bishops of Ontario.
In essence, the Bishops agree that all schools should be safe and welcoming places for everyone, regardless of race, colour, gender or orientation. They recognize that All of those who care about Catholic education are committed to assuring that Catholic schools are formed by the principles of the Gospel, in which all people are treated with love and respect. As we Christians put it, not as some pious platitude but as a practical norm for life: Catholic Schools must be places where each person is received as Christ.
The question that is raised however is that one particular form of bullying should necessitate (by means of legislation) only one particular form of responding with love and respect, namely the creation of GSAs. One thing is certain: the debate will continue, in the public forum as well as in the Legislature. The outcome will no doubt shape the world in which we live.
The Ontario Legislature is currently entertaining two separate Bills known as The Accepting Schools Act and The Anti-Bullying Act. It's true that bullying is a reality (as it has been) in many if not all of our schools, and the aim of these two pieces of legistation appears to be the adoption of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) as part of all High Schools in the province. In fact, GSAs are explicitly named in the above-mentioned legislation.
Toronto's Cardinal Archbishop has recently been portrayed as being at odds with Ontario's Premier because this past Monday, the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario issued Observations on a recent change in government policy re: proposed anti-bullying legislation, which follows upon a previously-submitted Brief submitted by the Catholic Bishops of Ontario to the Standing Committee on Social Policy re: Bills 13 and 14. and since Cardinal Collins is the current President of the ACBO, his name appears at the end of these two documents, although the comments made are spoken on behalf of all the Catholic Bishops of Ontario.
In essence, the Bishops agree that all schools should be safe and welcoming places for everyone, regardless of race, colour, gender or orientation. They recognize that All of those who care about Catholic education are committed to assuring that Catholic schools are formed by the principles of the Gospel, in which all people are treated with love and respect. As we Christians put it, not as some pious platitude but as a practical norm for life: Catholic Schools must be places where each person is received as Christ.
The question that is raised however is that one particular form of bullying should necessitate (by means of legislation) only one particular form of responding with love and respect, namely the creation of GSAs. One thing is certain: the debate will continue, in the public forum as well as in the Legislature. The outcome will no doubt shape the world in which we live.
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