[Acrylic-bob]

Ok, Ok, since most of you don't seem able to make the connection here, let me offer a brief explanation for my posting. First off, despite his attending St Mary's, I didn't realise that Greg was catholic, however small the 'C'. But this only goes to make the situation even worse. As a catholic of more or less my generation, educated in the same diocese, I would expect him to have some familiarity with the church's position on Birth Control and Abortion. The thing about catholicism is that, unlike Anglicanism, you cannot pick and choose which elements of it you choose to believe, you have to take the whole lot or you are not a catholic. Those are the rules and they have not changed in two millenia and are unlikley to change any time soon, despite what some may claim to the contrary as a result of the second Vatican Council (Vat II).

So, for Greg to go wandering through the lobbies of Parliament voting in favour of Abortion is manifestly contrary to the teachings of the faith he claims to profess. Such a position is untenable in the deputy director of the CES, particularly given the possibility that Catholic schools will be forced to direct teenage girls to “termination” services. (He also voted against an amendment affirming a child’s need for a father.)

For me I couldn't care one hoot about Greg's religious beliefs, that is a matter for him and his conscience. What does bother me is the apparent hypocrisy of accepting a position within an organisation that requires belief on issues with which one is demonstrably at varience. A bit like claiming to be jewish to get a job in a synagogue and bringing bacon butties to work in your lunch box.

Catholic parents are justified in questioning the CES and the Bishop's Conference about Greg's appointment. There is something about this which does not 'smell' right.

NB The phrase "the culture of death" is used in catholic circles to describe any philosophy or system which does not hold all life to be sacred and which promotes abortion, artificial birth control and euthanasia.