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Elected Liberal MPs are under Justin Trudeau’s direct order that, in any legislation that touches on the abortion issue, they must — mindless of their faith, their previous professions on the subject, or their conscience — vote the “pro-choice” dogma. Pro-abortion is the party line. And it is the only line allowed.

This is very odd. I should clarify that I am not debating the pros and cons of abortion per se. Leave that for another time. But I am pointing to an irreconcilable dilemma facing any individual with genuine religious convictions who wishes, in this age, to stand for public office.

Lawrence MacAulay, a Catholic, and a Liberal MP from PEI, provides the most recent illustration of this dilemma.

Poor Mr. MacAulay for a while imagined that he could still vote how he actually thought and felt on the abortion issue. After all, he was elected before Justin Trudeau had demanded full submission from all MPs in this area. Now, MP MacAulay has learned that he must suffocate his real views, and vote quite the opposite of how (I presume) his faith and his own inclination would have him vote. An MP turning himself into a logical and moral pretzel to stay in line with his party is not an inspiring sight.

What kind of politics are they which require an MP to renounce his deepest moral commitments; indeed, to go beyond renunciation and declare himself positively in favour of ideas and actions that his faith condemns, his Church forbids, and his conscience cannot abide?