you have two choices: leave, or stay in and work to change it; in a supposedly freedom of religion society you don't try to get the government to force the church to change to suit you.
“I wonder if Corcoran reads The Catholic Register,” I mused. “It bangs on about how lousy the human rights tribunals are for freedom of speech and religion. Someone dragged up Catholic Insight magazine before one because it kept writing against homosexual practices. Someone dragged up some Knights of Columbus because they wouldn’t rent out their hall for a lesbian wedding. Someone dragged up the Anglican Church, claiming it wouldn’t ordain him because he was Sri Lankan. How do you prove that, I’d like to know. Meanwhile, the process is a punishment because, no matter what, there are lawyers to pay.”
“It’s scary,” said my friend.
“You bet,” I said. “And what I find scariest in Corcoran’s demands, apart from the prospect of ordinary Catholics losing thousands of dollars, is that he wants the state to force the bishop to reinstall him as an altar server, publish an apology and give a homily against gossip. Can you imagine? The state forcing a bishop to give a homily of its choosing?”
“Sadly,” said my friend, “I can.”
“So can I,” I said, “but this isn’t Stalinist Russia.”
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