Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe

Bloc Quebecois leader mocks Biblical Christianity in Commons

In a May 6 speech criticizing the Conservative Government for defunding various pro-abortion groups, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe made remarks mocking Christianity which have shocked even members of the Commons, reports John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews.com.

With laughs and guffaws coming from opposition benches last week, Duceppe blasted the Conservative Government for the "ideological decision" to fund "religious groups that believe in the imminent return of the Messiah and translate the Bible into African and Asian dialects."

In a follow-up comment Duceppe went further, saying sarcastically, "Will it really help women to send preachers … to Africa or to have the Bible translated. What a huge help and so essential."

Mary Ellen Douglas of Campaign Life Coalition reacted with disgust to Duceppe's remarks. "How sad and deplorable that a Canadian political leader would disgrace Parliament with such anti-Christian comment," Douglas told LifeSiteNews.

Even though the Conservative Party has provided more funding to women's groups than any other previous government, Duceppe said he was concerned with cuts to, as he put it, "pro-choice women's groups."

Duceppe concluded, "How can the government explain that it is spending up to $800,000 on religious groups or sects - because that is what they are - while cutting funding for organizations that are helping women battle poverty on the ground?"

Conservative Minister of State Diane Ablonczy was so taken aback by Duceppe's anti-Christian remarks that she raised a Point of Order about it in the Commons.

While saying she respected freedom of speech, especially in Parliament, she noted that the Bloc Leaders invective "was what I consider to be an intolerant attack on Canadians who hold beliefs that are contrary to his own." Ablonczy added, "In my view, the remarks that he made were bigoted and divisive. This kind of rhetoric, in my view, is completely unacceptable in our pluralistic society. "

The Minister noted that freedom of religion is protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and that she found it "deeply disturbing that the Charter of Rights and the rights that are guaranteed to Canadians would come under attack in this very House through the very intolerant and specifically targeted words of the leader of the Bloc in question period."

Ablonczy concluded: "I would respectfully ask the Bloc leader to reconsider his language in attacking in this House the Charter Rights of other Canadians."

The Speaker in the Commons, Peter Milliken said that he felt he could not deliver a ruling on the Point of Order raised.

Campaign Life's Douglas praised Minister Ablonczy for "standing up against the bigoted approach."

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TAGS: Canada freedom of religion Bloc Quebecois Gilles Duceppe mocking Christianity

[05/13/2010]

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