An Easter Poem for Cardinal Keith O'Brien

Posted by Hayley on Apr 24, 2011 in atheism | 2 comments

If expressing your freedom of speech,
requires the discrimination of people
who you view as sinners, and not equal,
Then who is really the aggressive one?

You can read O’Briens full sermon, in which he calls my choice (and the choice of millions of others) to not believe in a God aggressive here. I find it quite hypocritical that in the same sermon in which secularism is called ‘aggressive’, this man had the audacity to then say that it’s okay for Christians to discriminate against gay people because homosexual lifestyles do not fit the way they practice their religion, and the punishment of these Christians who treat homosexual couples as sub-human is wrong.

“Recently, various Christians in our Society were marginalised and prevented from acting in accordance with their beliefs because they were not willing to publicly endorse a particular lifestyle.  You have only to ask a couple with regard to their bed and breakfast business;  certain relationship councillors; and people who had valiantly fostered children for many years of their particular experiences – and I am sure they are not exaggerating them!” – Cardinal Keith O’Brein

You know what though? Even as a person who chooses to live independently and not by the word of some God, I will defend Keith O’Brien’s right to say such ridiculous things to my last breath because I believe that everybody deserves freedom of speech. I’m not so confident he would do the same. What a lovely non-aggressive man.