In our predictions over the last few years that Catholicism would eventually be regarded as hate speech, many chose to label myself or Karl as crazy-minded, tin-foil hat types. This was in spite of actual events occurring that seemed to indicate that we weren't so far off the reservation.
Indeed, they called us mad!
Let's examined a recent item from Spain, though. Per Zenit:
Spanish prosecutors have opened an investigation into newly chosen Cardinal-desginate Fernando Sebastian Aguilar after a homosexual-rights group accused him of hate speech for calling homosexuality a "defect". AFP reports that the public prosecutor for the southern province of Malaga, Juan Carlos Lopez, had opened a preliminary inquiry "to clarify whether the allegations constitute a criminal offence.”
And what did he actually say?
The 84-year-old archbishop emeritus of Pamplona said in a newspaper interview last month that a lot of people “complain and don't tolerate it, but with all respect I say that homosexuality is a defective way of manifesting sexuality, because that has a structure and a purpose, which is procreation.”
He compared homosexuality to his own high blood pressure -- "a defect I have that I have to correct as far as I can". He added: "Pointing out a defect to a homosexual is not an offence, it is a help because many cases of homosexuality can be recovered and normalised with adequate treatment."
Catholicism expressed openly = outrage.
A Spanish same-sex rights group lodged a complaint against the cardinal-designate, saying he violated the constitution's guarantees of dignity and non-discrimination and for "clearly inciting hate and discrimination".
Do I think he will wind up being prosecuted for this? Maybe. Do I think he will be convicted? Probably not.
Do I think that this will become more and more commonplace very quickly? Yes. Once the attempts to persecute the Church in this way are normalized, then we will see convictions.
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