Throughout his presentation, [Michael] Valpy referred to articles written by McGill University professor Dr. Margaret Somerville, discussing her views on the need for greater religious input into public policy.
Somerville has written extensively about the importance for the moral and ethical teachings of the church to have a place in the public sphere.
He said Somerville believes that “Canadians wrongly have given religion a pink slip. Abandoned from the arena of public discourse, dismissed religious voices and views from the public sphere, public square over the last 20 years.”
It’s not religion that’s been given the pink slip, it’s the Anglican Church of Canada. They communicate with perfect clarity. No one want to buy what they’re selling, however.
Senior Priest, I don’t think you’re being fair to either Valpy or Somerville. The speech was given at a Catholic forum, and Somerville is one of the most conservative academics that I know. Somerville was certainly not referring to the ACC in her original remarks, nor was Valpy in his commentary. Their is a problem in society that is broader than the battles within the Anglican Church.
Sorry … typing too fast .. that should be “There is a problem …”