In England, When the Pot Calls the Kettle Black, the PM Listens

Catholic priests hardly have a reputation for rugged heterosexuality. Remember the worldwide scandal, which continues to bear strange fruit, about priests molesting kids in droves?

No matter: Do as I say, not as I do. Catholic priests are demanding exemption from a new British equality law that demands that gays not be discriminated against in adoption proceedings.

They say the law would force Catholics to go against the teachings of the church. Never mind that the priests are hardly in a position to criticize any group when it comes to the treatment of children. And, needless to say, they don't generally ask potential adopters if they covet their neighbor's wife or take the Lord's name in vain.

The shocker is that T.B., who's wife and children are Catholic, is rumored to be thinking about granting the priests an exemption—as is his Opus Dei (read: Loony Tunes of the Mel Gibson variety) communities secretary, Ruth Kelly. However, Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, gave reason a voice when he said, "If we take the view as a society that we should not discriminate against people who are homosexual, you cannot give exclusions to people on the grounds that their religion or their race says 'we don't agree with that.'" I mean, I know British law isn't exactly the same as U.S. law (they don't have a constitution), but the reason for granting basic rights through foundational law of whatever sort is to pre-empt people claiming that, for whatever reason, they have the right to treat a particular group badly.