More Morgentaler

There is a religious order who is returning their founder's Order of Canada, because they feel it was dishonoured by the appointment of Morgentaler to the Order:

Religious group returns 'dishonoured' Order of Canada

An Order of Canada given to a woman now being considered by the Vatican for sainthood will be returned by the religious community she founded as a protest over the same honour being given to abortion doctor Henry Morgentaler.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty, a Russian aristocrat who started Madonna House more than 60 years ago in rural Ontario, was given the award in 1976 in recognition of a "lifetime of devoted services to the underprivileged of many nationalities both in Canada and abroad." Ms. Doherty died in 1985 and her cause for canonization as a saint was started in 2000.

Kool and the Gang. Let them return it; they are entitled to their opinion, and all hugs and kisses that come along with it. What prickles up my balls is their dishonesty:

"We're not out to bash anyone," said Susanne Stubbs, an executive director of the Catholic community of about 200 lay people and priests in Eastern Ontario, who was a friend of Ms. Doherty.

They then proceeded to bash people:

"We're trying to focus on the award in the understanding of most people that it's for someone who has done a good thing for Canada. The medal itself, which I have in front of me, was received with gratitude. The unanimous opinion [here] is that he did not do something good for our country.

"The medal has been dishonoured."

The gall of the religious really bothers me. They claim the moral high ground, and then shit all over everyone else from above. Not all of them do it, I know, but the choking smugness of their position makes me angry, particularly because if I were to point it out, they wouldn't see it, and I'd be insulted. I want them just for a minute to act with honesty and integrity. I want them to quit lying for god. If he exists, I understand he can take care of himself.

More bashing ahead:

In a letter sent to Michaëlle Jean, the Governor-General, executives of Madonna House said Ms. Doherty would not have judged Dr. Morgentaler and nor do they. "Yet we have to protest the serious misdirection our country and many of its leaders, in our view, appear to be taking, as exemplified by the award and glowing citation given him for his misguided work."...

...Ms. Doherty took great delight in receiving the medal and as far as Madonna House is concerned it will always be a part of her history, Ms. Stubbs said.

She said a delegation will be in Ottawa today at Rideau Hall but no one is quite sure who they will be able to give the medal to.

Ms. Stubbs said the community feels a lot of pain in returning it because it did mean a lot to Ms. Doherty.

"At this time we feel so bad about this happening to Canada that we want to return the medal as a symbolic gesture. We can't think of any gesture that would speak so loudly. What else can we do?" [emphasis mine]

To say they aren't insulting anyone, and then to proceed to insult Morgentaler and the Order selection committee, and also the rest of Canada is duplicitous and really very shitty. They say they aren't judging Morgentaler, and then judge us for canonizing him (pun definitely intended).

This woman is a self-righteous, smug, puffed up bitch, and what's worse, she wouldn't see it if she read this. Of all the religious blind spots, this might be the most curious to me.

A spokeswoman for Rideau Hall said no one has yet returned a medal since the announcement about Dr. Morgentaler's recognition. It had been reported that a Catholic priest in Vancouver would send his medal back but he has yet to do so, the spokeswoman said.

I like that last bit. The priest has been convicted of child abuse, and recently stripped of his licence to practise psychology. That dude sure has the moral high ground.