Politics
Thursday August 11, 2005
Women in Catholic Countries “Oppressed and Denied Fundamental Human Rights” says Abortionist Morgentaler
Calls for euthanasia legalization and end to religious hospitals
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ORILLIA, Ontario, August 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Notorious Canadian abortionist and abortion activist, Henry Morgentaler, in his acceptance speech after being awarded the Annual Couchiching Award for Excellence in Public Policy Leadership, claimed the so-called campaign to legalize abortion continues despite opposition from religions, like the Catholic Church, which he referred to as a “bastion of patriarchy” and an “opponent of women's rights.”
“The struggle of women for emancipation and equal rights as well as for rights specific to women such as control over reproduction and the freedom to make those decisions, has come up against thousands of years of patriarchy, embodied and represented by religion,” Morgentaler claimed in his speech at the prestigious 74th annual Couchiching Conference in Orillia Friday.
The abortionist continued, “Most of the great religions were created thousands or hundreds of years ago, in patriarchal societies, and to this day, with few exceptions, they are the bastions of patriarchy and opponents of women's rights…If you look at the Catholic Church for example you see a 2 thousand year-old institution which does not allow women to feel equal to men by denying them access to the priesthood and is adamantly opposed to a woman's right to abortion.”
Morgentaler specified that the Catholic Church and the Muslim religion specifically were two prime examples of such institutions: “The Catholic Church is not the only male-dominated religion opposed to women's rights; the Muslim religion is equally opposed. It is no wonder that, in most countries dominated by these two religions, women are oppressed and denied fundamental human rights, of which the right to abortion is only the most visible example.”
In a continuation of his anti-religious tirade, Morgentaler, a prominent member of the atheistic Humanist movement added, “I think that laws based on supposedly holy books like the Bible should be examined critically and removed if shown to be unjust and obsolete.”
Morgentaler argued that abortion is the reason for Canada’s diminishing crime rate: “Fewer unwanted children are being born, consequently fewer babies are being abused, neglected, or brutalized, with a result that fewer young men grow up with a rage in their heart which leads to violence.”
“How conveniently utilitarian,” wrote Interim writer Charles Moore in an editorial written after Morgentaler made an identical statement in 1998. “Abortion as the solution to crime! Why didn't I think of that? If we carry that rationale to its logical conclusion, why don't we abort all children of disadvantaged or potentially abusive parents?”
Not content to be the instigator of infanticide alone, Morgentaler also called for legalization of euthanasia and for an end to religious hospitals, which he blamed for an unjust restriction to abortion. “There is no more reason why hospitals should be denominational and impose religious restrictions, which limit access to medical care such as contraception and abortion.”
Pro-lifer Maria LeBlanc, in a letter to the editor responding to Morgentaler acceptance speech wrote, “I’d hate to meet Morgentaler in the hereafter. It’s going to be long.”
The Couchiching Institute awards dinner is attended by influential and wealthy Canadians and prominent government representatives. There is no indication so far that any of them objected to the Canadian abortionist’s speech which many observers would classify as hate speech.
See the full text of Morgentaler’s speech at:
http://www.couch.ca/conference/MorgentalerAcceptance.html
See previous article on Couchiching conference
Infamous Canadian Abortionist Henry Morgentaler Set to Receive Public Policy Leadership Award
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/aug/05080206.html
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