And the
United Church of Canada, meanwhile, is endorsing the Supreme Court’s move as a positive step towards justice. In a submission presented to the court by the UCC last October, the church spoke in favor of the right of religious officials and congregations to decide for themselves whether to allow same-sex marriage services for homosexual couples. A *Worldwide Faith News *report quotes the UCC’s program officer for human rights, Choice Okoro, as saying that the church “believes that equality and religious freedom can live side by side, supporting each other and building a stronger society.”
However, Rev. Gordon Young, a Newfoundland pastor, told
AP that redefining marriage would undermine “the divine institution that God put in place for the order of our society.” He says the government has no right to redefine marriage and doing so will lead to breakdown. Although Canada’s Prime Minister Paul Martin calls homosexual marriage an equal rights issue, Rev. Young encourages members of Parliament to reject the plan to legalize it nationwide.
**Candian Conservatives – Any Recourse?
**Brian Rushfeldt, president and co-founder of the
Canada Family Action Coalition, says he was not surprised at Thursday’s unanimous opinion by the Canadian Supreme Court, stating that homosexual marriage would be constitutional in Canada. He says there appears to be only one remedy to the situation.
“If they do pass this law,” Rushfeldt says, “the only recourse after that is to elect a conservative government with a good majority so that we can get something passed through our Parliament again to correct the problem.”
The pro-family leader feels conservatives’ options are limited at this point, and it may be that the only way to reverse the liberal government’s direction would be to put a new government in place. “That’s the only recourse that we have,” he says. “If they do introduce a piece of legislation in Parliament, then that’s where we have to defeat it because, if it gets introduced and passed, then we’ll definitely see the definition of marriage changed.”
Rushfeldt is convinced that most of Canada’s citizens would support a Canadian Defense of Marriage Amendment. “If we were to put this to a vote, I am very, very sure that the majority of Canadians, by about 70 percent, probably will oppose homosexual marriage,” he says.
The head of the Canada Family Action Coalition says the organization will be working to mobilize citizens across Canada in an attempt to head off the liberal government’s efforts to extend marriage rights to homosexuals. “We’ve got to rally the troops across Canada,” he says, urging citizens to contact members of Parliament and tell them, “If you do not support marriage as [being between] a man and a woman, we’re coming after you next election and you will be out.”
However, Rushfeldt says once Canada’s lawmakers have been warned, the conservative and pro-family grassroots need “to follow that up with action” and really make sure they work hard at electing a conservative majority of government leaders who will defend traditional marriage.
headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/102004a.asp
)
