Catholic Church in Scotland asks MSPs to vote against Gender Reform Act

[fromorbit]

Latest announcement pulls no punches says it is unsafe for children and risk's women's safety.

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland Statement on Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

The Church is pastorally sensitive to the experience of those who desire to have a body and identity other than their biological sex. They are to be met with compassion and a particular care and support in the challenges and distress that come with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
We are gravely concerned about the changes proposed by the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
The Bill introduces a system of self-identification, allowing a person to change their legal sex without the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria or having to consult a doctor. Removing this requirement and denying the important medical oversight that goes with it, will inevitably reduce the opportunity for crucial healthcare, support, and protection for vulnerable individuals, including children.
Children must be protected from making permanent legal declarations about their gender which may lead to irreversible elective interventions, including surgery. Lowering the minimum age from 18 to 16 and introducing a system of self-identification will put more children and young people on this path. Our concerns are amplified by the intervention of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, which has described the Bill as ‘unsafe’ and likely to harm young people.
Women’s organisations also have recorded their own concerns about the Bill, principally that the proposed reforms will increase risks to the safety of women and girls by men self-declaring as female and accessing women-only spaces. There are also real concerns that the proposals will mean a female healthcare practitioner will no longer be guaranteed for women and girls, even when it is requested.
The freedom to hold the reasonable view that sex and gender are given and immutable and disagree with the idea of gender as fluid and separable from biological sex should be upheld. Particularly for those who work in education, healthcare, the prison service, or as marriage celebrants who, from both reasonable and religious perspectives, hold an understanding of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
We urge members of the Scottish Parliament to uphold these freedoms and to oppose this Bill.

archedinburgh.org/bishops-highlight-concerns-over-gender-reform-bill/

Of course the Church has been long opposed to the act and has consistently questioned its basis in accordance with Catholic doctrine which sees gender theory as being both against Church doctrine and being unscientific and has been sending in regular missives to that effect to the Scottish government for years. Yet Catholic opposition is hardly mentioned.

Despite their absolute opposition we have seen no-one trying to stop people attending Catholic Churches. Edinburgh University has a Catholic chaplaincy no-one has denounced it as transphobic or blockaded mass.

No-one is being photographed outside the house of Catholic bishops because they are "anti trans".

No-one has been trying to get priests arrested for having opinions or get Catholics fired.

Meanwhile small groups of feminists gathering wanting women to be safe and to watch a film are being targeted more than representatives of a religion of 1 Billion people that thinks transgender theories are evil which is what the Pope has said multiple times.
www.catholicleague.org/pope-brands-transgender-theory-as-evil-2/

I mean historically being denounced by the Catholic Church tends to lead to terrible outcomes. You would think there would be more concern considering this is a Church which is responsible for running a bunch of schools in Scotland and has 700,000 believers in Scotland. As usual male dominated insiututions get to say what they like on gender issues, no matter their position, and they are still respected.

Maybe the Catholic Church will host viewings of the film and defend women wanting to view it???

Honestly I think no one is paying any attention to the Catholic Church because they are seen as irrelevant and no one expected them to “be kind” ie roll over and cede rights in the way that women were expected to. The beliefs which gender identity ideologues hold about women have been severely put to the test, we were meant to be submissive.

Why is the Church getting involved in politics? This is so frustrating!

TRAs neither need nor want anything from the Catholic Church, everything they want, they want to take from women.

Because the politics is impacting on the Church and its members.

This is true , Christianity is general is seen as a bit moribund. Perhaps the TRAs could go and intimidate worshippers at their local mosques?

That would be ......interesting.

That's a very strong statement and I'm really pleased with their intervention. And yes, thats a very salient point about why Catholic Churches are not being picketed by TRAs, but any gathering of 'heretic' women is.

“The freedom to hold the reasonable view that sex and gender are given and immutable and disagree with the idea of gender as fluid and separable from biological sex should be upheld. Particularly for those who work in education, healthcare, the prison service, or as marriage celebrants”

hmm, that doesn’t describe my understanding of the GC position.

My belief is that sex is immutable and important, whereas gender (to the extent that it is defined at all) can be fluid and separable, but is just not very important. Wear what you like, your preferences and characteristics should not be limited by your sex… BUT Separation of sexes for sport, and dignity & safety is necessarily based on sex, nothing to do with gender.

This piece seems to take the ‘GC = sex-based stereotyping’ approach, which, I think, is the antithesis of what GC actually is. Or do I have that wrong/have I read it wrong???

It is my Catholic faith that keeps me sane in this age of insanity

Don't give them any ideas.

@SnoozyLucy7 why shouldn't they? The spiritual is political

the reasonable view that sex and gender are given and immutable and disagree with the idea of gender as fluid and separable from biological sex

You're quite correct, waterwitch - the church seems to be arguing that 'gender' is 'given' (presumably by god) and 'immutable' - this is directly opposite feminist positions which would say that 'gender' is - at least largely - a social construct. There's a range of views within feminism on the nature/nurture aspect of 'gender', but I doubt many would argue that it's 'fixed'.

Yep, it’s fair to say that the Catholic Church are not, and never have been gender critical

they firmly believe that women are like this, and men are like that. And if you’re a woman who isn’t like this you should damn well pretend to be.

they are an excellent example of an organisation gender critical feminists could work with on the single issue of preventing the GRR from passing, and pretty much nothing else

an organisation gender critical feminists could work with on the single issue of preventing the GRR from passing, and pretty much nothing else

Yes, and that’s fine by me. This issue is too important to be sidetracked.

You are right. The Catholic Church are not Gender Critical - they are Gender Catholic.

They hold that the roles of men and women i.e Gender are set out in a combination of the Bible, and the current doctrine of Church developed over time. Church doctrine is influenced by the Vatican's scientific section so they have stances on Evolution - long accepted - and other matters which have scientific arguments behind them as well as theological ones.

Secular feminists might ally with the Church on some matters like genderism on others like Abortion agreement is impossible.

Obviously the Church would conflict on other matters. No sex before marriage/divorce is wrong.

Also they may have traditional views on gender in many circumstances i.e traditional stereotypes of what men and women should do the role of a mother and father etc. Obviously Catholic feminists exist and are an interesting set of people.

The fact genderists ignore the Church frequently is interesting in itself. Yes it doesn't have much power/influence in Scotland. In the United states and elsewhere it does i.e Poland. It actually plans and lobbies very effectively. The Supreme Court which just reversed abortion has six Catholics, two Protestants, and one Jew and most of the Catholics are conservative. This is not a coincidence and does not reflect US demographics. The fact US TRAs are obsessed with UK feminists rather than powerful Christian lobby in the US is another way their misogyny is coming back to bite them. They have succeeded in mobilising more British women by arguing with them online while ignoring stuff going on in their own country.

Well I disagree with the Catholic Church on most things but their push back against Named Person was really important so I wholeheartedly welcome this.

Points about male led institutions being left alone by the TRAs are well made

Catholic Church (I'm a lapsed Catholic) are experts in telling people to trust men in dresses because they are who they say they are. And convincing some women to go along with it.
In Ireland, they've just exchanged blind faith in one religion for another. Which puts men in a position of control.
And of course, they are opposed to women priests , married priests and equal marriage.
I'm pleased they are saying something but, as with hearing gender critical stuff from the Tories, it breaks my heart a little.