No to Martin and Cotler.

Consensus by manipulation

Governments in western society have, since the eighteenth century, acted increasingly in defiance of both divine law and natural law. They have also, increasingly, dared to take on the role of defining the principles of moral law. For many years, these governments, including the present Government of Paul Martin and his Minister of Justice, Irwin Cotler, have adopted the philosophy of utilitarianism and individualistic pragmatism as the basis on which their laws are written and enacted. In this philosophy there is no room for objective moral truth based on human nature. The law is reduced to being a method whereby conflicts between interested parties, in regard to selfish preferences or choices, are resolved by the achievement of a 'consensus'. This 'consensus' defines not what is morally true but what is 'politically correct.'

Note that this 'consensus' is achieved by rhetorical manipulation. Wolpe and McGee, two prominent American bioethicists, state that " ... in modern bio-technical controversies, public debate must be shepherded and fostered by an elite that is prepared to seize rhetorical primacy, and to mold existing institutions or create new ones for that purpose" (Pragmatic Bioethics, 2003, p. 190). Such pragmatic principles and such manipulation of public opinion are applied across the board in Canadian politics. The latest example is Mr. Cotler's forthcoming legislation to change the definition of marriage. The false assumption here is that the basis for 'consensus' ethics is the notion that our knowledge of the truth is founded on our subjective concepts of reality, rather than on objective reality itself. Under the latter, Parliament has no right to pass objectively evil legislation in the first place.

In Canada, the manipulated 'consensus' approach is presented as a 'tolerant' way of dealing with problems which are attributed to cultural diversity and philosophical pluralism. But abortion, euthanasia, in-vitro fertilization, human embryonic stem-cell research, and homosexual activity are animated by hedonism and moral relativism, which comes with the belief that there is no permanent truth. They are attacks on the dignity of the human person. They are evil. And being evil, they can never be considered to be human "rights" as the courts, the media, and the government claim they are.

Politics is both the art and science of human government, and the total complex of relationship between people living in society, including that between the individual and the state. These relationships are regulated by man-made law, and also at a more fundamental level, by God's divine law. Christ said to the Jews, "Render to Caesar, the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are God's" (Mt. 22:21). Since the Jews had accepted Roman rule, they had accepted the duty to pay the Roman taxes, but they should not compromise their religious duties. In Christ's teaching, therefore, the citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons, or to the teachings of the Gospel. God's law, the eternal law, is God's Wisdom as a directive norm for human action as found in human nature. Man was created by God with an end or destiny which is to live in unity with God in an eternity of happiness. God gave man his eternal law, which if obeyed, leads to this end.

Natural moral law is " ... the rational creature's participation in the eternal law," states St. Thomas (I-II, Q. xciv). Those actions which are in conformity with it lead to our destined end and are morally good; those which are not are wrong and immoral. If man does not repent of such immoral actions, they may lead to his eternal damnation. Man is left free to choose to obey or disobey God's law, but is not free to choose the consequences of his actions. These consequences, either for good or evil, will last for eternity.

Christ charged the Church with the responsibility to teach all nations. 'All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.... Go you therefore and teach all nations" (Mt. 28:16). Even Cicero, the Roman stoic (106-43 B.C.) realized that God's law, the moral law, and man-made law should be coherent, and that government law (positive law) cannot contradict reason and still count as 'law' (The Republic).

Man-made law

In 1995, Pope John Paul II told the United Nations Assembly that, "detached from truth about the human person, freedom deteriorates into license in the lives of individuals, and in the political domain, it becomes the caprice of the most powerful and the arrogance of power" (October 5, 1995).

The modern Canadian state has pre-empted God and substituted itself in His place as the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong. We cannot and will not accept it. Let us not in a blase manner declare that the cause is lost--as some do--and that, therefore, we may as well accept the inevitable.

We call upon bishops to speak publicly on the spiritual consequences for our legislators and upon the latter to oppose the legislation forthrightly.