Bishop Henry pontificates on LGBTQ rights

The Alberta government has established LGBTQ guidelines for the province's schools. This story would not be complete without comments from Calgary's Bishop Fred Henry. The good bishop has excoriated the guidelines as "anti-Catholic" and "totalitarian."

He claims that Catholic schools, which will be subject to the guidelines, already require that all students be equally respected. Considering that is the whole point of the new guidelines—to ensure that LGBTQ students are equally respected—it isn't easy to appreciate Henry's complaints.

He states that, "Our teaching is rather simple and direct. God created beings as male and female." God (I prefer "nature" but I'll gracefully use the bishop's term) did indeed create beings as male and female, and She did it for a purpose—procreation. By committing himself to celibacy, it would appear the bishop is thwarting God's purpose, not exactly a lofty position to lecture from.

In any case, when God created male and female, She didn't make it that simple. She created males who prefer sex with other males, and persons that are physically male but psychologically female, and other variations on the theme. Conservative souls, such as Bishop Henry, prefer things "simple and direct," black and white, male and female, while God loves variety.

Considering the bishop personally denies God's sexual purpose, and rejects Her delight in gender diversity, perhaps he should refrain from speaking on Her behalf.