Speaking of Which…
By In disturbing news from frequent commenter Thad’s alma mater (and, OK, I admit, mine), further evidence that cultural reactionaries always see social change as legitimate as long as it’s not done via a judicial opinion:
A McGill professor is encouraging Canadians to reject the new same-sex “marriage” legislation.
Douglas Farrow, associate professor of Christian thought at McGill University in Montreal, proposes that Bill C-38 is “illicit legislation, the binding nature of which must be contested.”
The change to the legal definition of marriage assumes a “positivist view” of law – one that “admits few givens, and no firm limits, for political or juridical authority.” The positivist view contrasts with the classical tradition, which, like the preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, links belief in the rule of law to belief in the supremacy of God.
Contrary to popular wisdom, says Farrow, it is the positivist rather than the classical view that has tyrannical tendencies. The new legislation, he claims, extends these tendencies by marginalizing families and faith communities, which are the proper “home” of natural rights and freedoms.
After indicating the threat to natural rights and freedoms posed by the legislation, Farrow offers several practical suggestions for opposing it, including advice for clergy, parents and professionals. He adds that “there is an urgent need for participation in the political and legal processes by which this land is governed.”
Farrow calls for “vigilance against the growing statism that, under the cover of a perverted ‘rights’ discourse, now threatens us with a new and dangerous Leviathan.”