A principal of a Catholic school in New Zealand affirmed traditional marriage in the school newsletter. Lunacy, wretching, screaming, vomiting, and hair pulling rapidly ensued.
Students created a Facebook page protesting the comments, a teacher has been fired for speaking against the principal, and a media firestorm has been created.
The teacher is on the television now telling everyone that the school is mean to gays. Without watching the video, all you need to know about this teacher is that he wears a scarf inside the television studio and he says that Christians should be tolerant. Yeah, he’s that guy.
TVNZ reports:
Stanton (the principal) wrote in the newsletter: “My religious objection is aligned with church doctrine on marriage.”
He said New Zealand society and laws have a Christian base and “should we become non-biased in applying faith-derived values to marriage one could argue for polygamy.”
He noted that same sex couples argue for a “right” to children.
“My fear is we are moving towards a society where children become an ‘entitlement’ or ‘right’ and therefore commodities,” Stanton wrote.
“I acknowledge that possessive parents are not exclusively found in same-sex relationships but I contend that such relationships may be more disposed towards such a mindset.”
Studdart told Close Up he has no issue with the principal’s stance on gay marriage.
“I fully understand, it’s a Catholic school. It wouldn’t be my opinion, but he’s entitled to his.
“My real problem with it, separate from the students issue really, is where he contended, to use his words, that somehow gay parents would be lesser parents,” said Studdart.
The principal declined a request by Close Up to appear on the programme but sent a statement affirming that the college “welcomes, and will always welcome parents and children from same-sex families”.
In his statement Stanton said: “I find difficulty in reconciling that with comments, made by very few, that the newsletter encourages intolerance and discrimination against gays.”
But Studdart said a teacher’s first duty of care is to the students and making classrooms safe.
‘We were always told to be tolerant’
How come those who march under the banner of tolerance are always telling everyone to shut up? And why do they wear scarves inside?
