Don’t cross this line, or else.
The problem in making this kind of threat is you are forced to carry it out and if you don’t you lose all credibility.
That is what has happened to Alberta Education minister David Eggen. How much credibility does the minister and Alberta Education have after drawing two lines in the sand only to have them crossed.
Line No. 1. Earlier this year the minister told schools and school boards that they must have policies in place that protect students identifying themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ).
Pastor Brian Coldwell, chair of the Independent Baptist Christian Education Society, which runs two schools in rural Parkland County, said his board would not comply. And Coldwell was true to his word.
No. 2. Instead of taking some sort of action against the board, Eggen launched an inquiry, headed by an Edmonton-based lawyer, focusing on whether the Independent Baptist Christian Education Society is complying with its responsibilities under section 16.1 of the School Act.
Yes, it is true private schools do have some autonomy. That is why they don’t receive the same amount of funding as their public counterparts. However, when they blatantly disregard Alberta Education, whether it be curriculum or policy, there should be tangible consequences.
Here at the Leader, we have received numerous letters saying that being LGBTQ is a choice and it is considered a sin in Christianity. The latter is debatable. While most Christian churches still ban the ordination of LGBT clergy — a growing number of churches are allowing openly LGBT clergy to serve and perform same-sex marriages, the United Church of Canada for one. This would therefore suggest being part of the LGBT community is accepted and allowed under Christianity.
The editorial staff at the Barrhead Leader believe it is a choice, just not one some people believe it is. It is a choice to be true to oneself.
The moment of discovering one’s sexual orientation is a realization of who you are. For our heterosexual readers, did you actually make a conscious decision to be straight? Probably not, more likely it was a realization that you were attracted to the opposite sex. Why should someone who is LGBTQ be any different?
And just as important why should public money be going to a school that condemns people for realizing who they are and being true to oneself?
Yes, in Canada we do have the right to freedom of religion, and people are free to believe and practice it in their own homes, churches, synagogues and temples and maybe even in a private school if it is funded entirely by tuition. However, if the majority of funding comes from the public purse, not so much. That is the line Eggen has to draw and one that he has to make sure is not crossed.
