National University Of Ireland Bans A Religious Group From Giving Out Cards Against Engaging In Homosexual Behavior

card that they call "hate speech"

An Irish university has been accused of heavy-handed censorship after it suspended one of the most influential lay Catholic groups in Ireland from its campus for distributing alleged "homophobic" material.
The National University of Ireland, in Galway (NUI Galway), suspended the Legion of Mary as a college society last week after the distribution of posters with the headline, "I'm a child of God. Don't call me gay."
Up to 70 complaints were made against The Courage Community, a Legion of Mary linked group responsible for the posters pasted up in the university's library.

The A4 posters offered those of "same sex attractions" to "develop an interior life of chastity … to move beyond the confines of the homosexual label to a more complete identity in Christ".

In response to the complaints, the NUI Galway said it was committed to protecting the liberty and equality of all students.

The university said it had reviewed the actions of the society in the context of the college's code of conduct and policies governing harassment notice what they call harassment, this paper does not insult "gays" only says they should not engage in homosexual behavior. It said this led to the immediate suspension of the Legion of Mary, which is understood to have only a few members in its college society.

The societies chairperson at the university, Patrick O'Flaherty, said he had been contacted by a number of students who were upset or felt threatened by the content of the poster.

In a statement, the university said it would not condone the production and dissemination of any material by students that "discriminated" notice what they call discrimination against other students. The Legion of Mary has since apologised for any hurt caused.

But one of the main organisations opposing censorship around the world criticised the university's decision to suspend the Catholic lay group's presence on the campus.

Index on Censorship's spokesman and senior writer at the group, Padraig Reidy, said: "While the view expressed in the flyer may seem archaic on a modern Irish university campus, it doesn't constitute intimidation nor threats. NUI Galway claims it is 'committed to protecting the liberty and equality of all students', but I don't think they've given any serious thought to the religious liberty or free speech of the Legion of Mary students."

The legion was once one of the most powerful Catholic lay movements in the Irish Republic. It was founded in Dublin on 7 September 1921 and now has a presence in 170 countries.

In its mission statement, the legion says it "sees as its priority the spiritual and social welfare of each individual". Its statement says: "The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish."

(Guardian) highlights ours

Following a meeting of the University Societies' Co-ordination Group, the decision was taken to immediately suspend the society pending a full inquiry.

A statement from the university said NUIG has a "pluralist ethos" and would not condone the production and dissemination of any material by students that discriminates against other students.
(Irish Independent)

To Understand what Liberals "Think" about freedom of religion read this Editorial by The Pro Homosexual (Based out of SF) Salon


In a promising blow against blazing ignorance this week, the National University of Ireland in Galway has suspended the school’s Legion of Mary after the group distributed leaflets encouraging students to “move beyond the confines of the homosexual label.”

The literature, which sparked “70 official complaints to the Students’ Union and college services,” directs “persons with same-sex attractions and their loved ones” to the Courage Community group — an organization that promotes “an interior life of chastity.” The 33-year-old Courage Community, endorsed by the Holy See and boasting 100 chapters around the world, aims to discourage gay men and women from “accepting the secular society’s perspective and opting to act on their same-sex desires” and “constantly trying to get their needs met in ways that ultimately do not satisfy the desires of the heart,” and instead embrace the “freedom” of chastity. Yes, that sounds so much more mature and liberating than having, say, loving adult relationships. The Galway Legion of Mary pamphlets included the directive, “I’m a child of God. Don’t call me gay.”

Fortunately, even in a predominantly Catholic country, this kind of insulting twaddle is becoming increasingly less acceptable.
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But while the now withdrawn handout doesn’t constitute official hate speech – nor does the official message of Courage Community itself – its message does contribute to a hostile environment, and perpetuates the ugly idea that homosexuality, even if it can’t exactly be “cured,” needs to be contained.

In the U.S. this year, the California federal appeals court upheld a ban of gay “conversion” therapies, signaling a deeper understanding that the concept of free speech should not extend to dangerous and destructive practices. The Catholic Church is still a long way from fully grasping that Jesus had exactly zero to say about gay people, that a bunch of celibate men in long black dresses yapping about what constitutes “freedom” for anybody else is ludicrous and that love is a blessing, full stop. Welcome to the 21st century, everybody, where being gay isn’t a shameful disorder that needs to be suppressed for the comfort of heterosexuals. You’ll like it here. Of course, freedom of speech means extending that freedom to ideas we disagree with and even dislike intensely. But it is not censorship for a place of learning to take the responsible step of saying that it’s not cool to distribute “Don’t call me gay” literature. It’s enlightened. It’s what real courage looks like.