Ooops .. missed the rest of the article:
Some faculty members who relied on the coverage said they were surprised and upset at the sudden end to benefits, which could raise their out-of-pocket costs for contraception by hundreds of dollars a year.
It hadnt occurred to me that this would ever be an issue, said Tina Davlin-Pater, an associate professor in the department of sports studies.
Davlin-Pater, an athletic trainer who is not Catholic, said she viewed the denial of birth control coverage as an indication that its still OK to discriminate against women in todays world.
Some, like biology chairperson Dorothy Engle, are surprised by the universitys decision to cut off access to faculty and staff, citing Xaviers typically ecumenical feel and openness to students and employees from a diverse pool of religions.
Read more about the debate surrounding Xaviers policies here.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/03/us-usa-contraception-university-idUSBRE83215320120403
It will be interesting to see if other Catholic universities follow the lead on dropping the coverage or if they will continue to provide coverage for contraceptives that the church officially dubbs sinful.
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(Canada) Gvmt minister rebukes bishops on Catholic sexual teaching: Youre not allowed to do that anymore!
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TORONTO, Ontario, April 4, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) Catholic schools will no longer be allowed to teach the Catechisms doctrine that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered, says a cabinet minister in Ontario Premier Dalton McGuintys government.
As politicians debated a bill that would force Catholic schools to launch gay clubs on March 29th, Member of Provincial Parliament Glen Murray (Toronto Centre) lashed out against Ontarios bishops over Catholic teaching on homosexuality.
I have to say to the bishops: Youre not allowed to do that anymore, said Murray, an open homosexual who serves as McGuintys Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, according to the Hansard transcript.
Im not allowed to say to the Catholicsnor should Ior to other Christians or Muslims or Jews, that because of your faith youre intrinsically disordered, he continued.
I would never say to you that anything that goes on in your family with the person you lovecan you imagine me describing a husband-and-wife relationship as inherently depraved? he added.
Suresh Dominic of Campaign Life Catholics said Murrays comments amount to a declaration of war against the Catholic Church and all people who support traditional moral values.
Weve been saying all along that McGuinty wants to dictate what the Church can teach in its schools and here it is straight from the governments mouth, Dominic added.
Murray made the comments in a debate on Bill 13, known as the Accepting Schools Act, which seeks to impose tougher consequences, including expulsion, for bullying and hate-motivated actions, but has been largely framed around the issue of homosexuality.
The bill requires all schools, including the publicly-funded Catholic schools, to start clubs for homosexual students, which can be called gay-straight alliance or another name.
Over 2,000 parents and concerned citizens rallied outside Queens Park last Thursday calling for the bills defeat.
Pro-family advocates charge that gay-straight alliances encourage the normalization and affirmation of the homosexual lifestyle, and promote homosexual activism by tying youth into a cross-continent network of activists.
And Ontarios Catholic bishops have opposed the controversial clubs, saying they encourage early self-identification as homosexual, and have instead begun setting up a network of clubs under the name Respecting Differences.
The anti-bullying bill follows a year-long campaign to force gay-straight alliances on the Catholic schools, but activists have nevertheless been dissatisfied, charging that the bill stops short of forcing the GSA name.
As a result, Ontarios New Democratic Party has promised an amendment that would require schools to use the name gay-straight alliance.
Despite Murrays statement that the bishops are not allowed to teach Catholic teaching on homosexuality, in the same speech at the legislature he said: Theres no one here thats suggesting that we shouldnt teach a Catholic perspective in our schools.
It is about celebrating diversity. It isnt about taking Catholic teaching out of Catholic schools, he continued. Its about putting life-affirming, positive images and stories around gay and lesbian children, Muslim children, kids and women of all shapes.
Murrays comments are the most clear public statement from the government thus far that it intends to forbid Catholic teaching on homosexuality in the Catholic schools. The right of Ontarios Catholic schools to receive public funding while imparting the Catholic faith is guaranteed under Canadas Constitution.
In January 2010, a Ministry of Education spokeswoman had refused to answer direct questions from LifeSiteNews as to whether the governments equity and inclusive education strategy would be used to forbid the controversial Catholic teaching.
In April 2011, another Ministry spokesperson said the mandatory homosexual clubs could not help students to reform their sexuality.
In the fall, former Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne said the education system is the governments single most important avenue to tackle homophobia. She said she was very disappointed by the refusal of Catholic school boards to allow gay-straight alliances but that she expects the boards will all come around.
Current Minister of Education Laurel Broten has labeled opponents Bill 13s pro-family opponents as homophobic.
In December, Murray said that by 2013 all prospective teachers in the province, both for the Catholic and public school boards, will be required to undergo focused training in sexual orientation and gender diversity.
Premier Dalton McGuinty, who identifies himself as a Catholic, has said that he aims to change the provinces attitudes on homosexuality, noting its a process that should begin in the home.
LifeSiteNews.com did not hear back from Glen Murray by press time.
.. Ping!
...nobody’s holding a gun to the heads of those employees who don’t like it...they’re free to find an employer that offers that as a benefit, if they feel so strongly about it.
I need to know how he can tell when a CHILD is gay or lesbian? Are they born with a sign on their foreheads? Are their genitals different? And are STRAIGHT MALES an extinct species? IS HE NUTS?!
Election. Incumbent Toronto Centre Liberal MPP Glen Murray, right, celebrates his re-election Thursday night with supporters at his election night event held at the Foxes
Just because I like to see what the scumbags look like.