Facts and Opinions

I read the other day that gay teens will be allowed to choose the name of their own clubs, certainly an advancement for minority rights and freedom of expression. I read today that the Catholic Church is under attack because  gay teens are allowed to choose the name of their own clubs; it is nothing less than the overthrow of Religious freedom in Ontario. 

What is a reader to do when faced with competing story arcs. In a ideal world, the reader has the necessary education or experience to critically analyse each story and come to a conclusion. The reader will weigh each position separating fact from opinion; and only then declare one position to be an accurate description of events.  

We do not live in a ideal world. Even if most of us had the skills to analyse critically all the information that passes before us, how many of us would? The short answer is not many. It takes a lifetime to develop opinions and biases; they are comforting and we very get protective of them. Stability is a valued commodity especially among the older crowd. In the young you get and odd contradiction; that of being more fierce in the promotion of their views and at the same time a greater willingness to change in the face of new facts. Facts are powerful agents of change, opinion is commentary and  dependent on perspective.

So what side of the issue you are is highly dependent on who you are and what you already believe. On your indoctrination to date. On what is fact and what is opinion.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. It is the transformation of opinion into fact that the citizen must have the critical eye out for. It is a necessary transformation; because opinion has less value than fact in determining what action or position is correct. So there is an imperative to establish which is which. 

Canada is a secular state. We do not accept the supremacy of religious teaching with regard to our laws. For the purpose of law the catholic church's positions are statements of opinion not fact. They may insist that being gay is wrong and should not be promoted in any way including naming rights for clubs, but have no right to prevent it. Such an injunction is not an attack on Religious freedom, the Church is not being required to change doctrine to embrace homosexuality, only to offer no impediment to the exercise of  the certain rights belonging to these students. 

The other side argues that the Charter guarantees the Catholic Church the right to practice its religious beliefs without interference by the state. They are right. Religious freedom is  protected.  Catholics argue that requiring the Church to accept a club name (or the club itself most likely) is tantamount to forcing the Church to support  homosexuality against its will. The state is then guilty of interfering with Church doctrine and preventing the free exercise of religion. It hinges on the belief that the clubs are on Church property, the students choose to go to Catholic Schools and so have voluntarily submitted themselves to church rules. Participation in the Catholic school system automatically strips you of or subordinates your rights to that of the Catholic church. Not a fan of that position. 

The government was correct to allow those students naming rights.This is my opinion and perspective based on the facts as i understand them. I do not expect to change any minds. Belief is powerful. It helps us make our way in the word. But it should never be allowed to be substituted for fact. Belief is mutable and so unstable and not a foundation to build a society on. I'll take facts.