The Atheist Foundation of Australia found the conversation on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday 1 April extremely disturbing. Below is the transcript on the ABC’s Q&A website between presenter Tony Jones and Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge in reference to homosexuality.
TONY JONES: “So, sorry, can we just confirm what you’re saying there? So if it is not chosen, that means God has created it?”
MARK COLERIDGE: “No, not necessarily at all. It can be — it can be a warp in the creation to use that rather unfortunate expression.”
This was a statement from a man who is celibate, overseeing his part of a failing empire which has no credible evidence in support of its claims to supernatural knowledge. What can be more warped than pontificating about what he thinks are the thoughts of an imaginary friend when the consequences are so dire?
In typical style of praising only his alleged god for the good things and excusing it for what his church deems bad, Mark Coleridge added considerably to the existing prejudice toward homosexual people with this ignorant comment.
The Catholic Church, and indeed most religions, are floundering out of their depth about homosexuality and many other social issues. They are causing real harm to people, and even death, by reinforcing an anachronistic attitude about homosexuality that worldly-educated people have long ago realised was false.
Mark Coleridge can and should apologise personally for such a hurtful comment, but he can never say it was wrong according to present Catholic theology.
President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia David Nicholls said, “It is shameful that the media leave these comments unchallenged.”
See: www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3717805.htm
David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
MAITLAND SA 5573
Phone: (08) 8835 2269
Email: [email protected]
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