OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with James Loney
Church Bans Peace Activist Over Gay Marriage Stance
Poor James Loney. The Christian peace worker, made internationally famous after being held hostage in Iraq for several months, has been barred from speaking at another religious shindig simply because he’s gay.
Loney was booked to speak at Sacred Heart Cathedral yesterday night by a Roman Catholic group, but cathedral staff forbade the event after discovering the speaker was gay. While officials indicated the ban was due to Loney’s views on same-sex marriage, he was not scheduled to speak on the topic.
You’ve got to admire James’ courage, though. Sticking to your faith in a church that actively denounces your existence can’t be easy. After nearly giving up his life for his religion, Loney has now been barred from quite a few religious events because he’s gay.
In October, The Campaign Life Coalition successfully lobbied to ban him from speaking on the subject of social justice at a church-sponsored peace conference, calling him an “unrepentant, active homosexual;” the year prior, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton rescinded their annual funding of a peace forum because Loney was the keynote speaker on the theme of “The Price of Peace.” But the real kicker was two summers ago, when the Ontario Catholic Youth Leadership Camp shut down entirely because the Knights of Columbus, who financed the camp, said that having Loney working there signaled that the camp was “promoting the homosexual lifestyle.”
- Catholics forbid speech by gay ex-hostage Loney [Globe and Mail]
Peace Activist Ejected By Church
Poor James Loney. The Roman Catholic peace activist and former Iraqi hostage has been booted from yet another Church-sponsored shindig because he’s gay.
Archbishop James Weisgerber uninvited Loney from speaking at a social justice conference this weekend after the Campaign Life Coalition lobbied to have him nixed. Maria Slykerman, head of the right-wing organisation, urged parishioners to call and write the Archibishop, calling the guest speaker an “unrepentant, active homosexual.”
Loney was to speak on the subject of peace and justice. Irronnyyyy…
While Loney said he respectfully disagrees with the Archibishop’s decision, other speakers weren’t quite as forgiving. Nerina and John Robson, two of the conference organizers and scheduled speakers, have dropped out. When contacted by the press, Nerina was frank and honest about her withdrawl: “How can I speak at a conference on social justice when it is committing such an unjust action?”
- Catholic conference retracts invitation to former Iraq hostage [CBC News]
- Catholic Church bars gay ex-hostage [Winnipeg Free Press]
- Gay peace activist disinvited from conference [Winnipeg SUN]
Church Rescinds Peace Funding Over Gay Speaker
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton has rescinded their annual funding for the Challenge for Change peace forum because this year’s keynote speaker, James Loney, is gay.
Loney, incidentally, is the Roman Catholic peace activist that was held hostage in Iraq for several months. But, of course, the church simply shan’t be promoting peace if it means letting his kind speak. What meaningful input could he possibly shed on the subject, anyway? Scoff!
The forum somehow managed to go ahead without the Diocese’s $500 donation. This year’s theme was “The Price of Peace.”
- Church won’t fund Loney speech [The Waterloo Record]
Sorry, Kids: Youth Camp Closes
The Ontario Catholic Youth Leadership Camp has officially closed its doors after one of its employees, James Loney, turned out to be gay. Loney, incidentally, was the Christian aid worker that was kidnapped earlier this year in Iraq. Uh, good thing he’s now back in Canada where people are more tolerant…
Anyhoo, while Loney doesn’t have definitive proof of why the camp closed, the Knights of Columbus, which finances the camp, was clearly nervous about this whole “gayness” deal. In a phone call, the knighties made it clear that having Loney on board signaled that the camp was “promoting the homosexual lifestyle.” The 14-year-old camp closed immediately thereafter to revise its mission statement. (Uh, overreact much, knighties?)
Well, sorry kids. But there’s always next year! Well, unless us pesky homosexuals don’t quit or uncloset ourselves, anyway. Happy summer vacation!
