American Religious groups funding against Same-Sex Marriage in Canada?

[HamiltonHabs32]

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler is underestimating the intelligence of Canadians if he thinks they might need protection from the opinions of Americans.

Some American organizations opposed to same-sex marriage are giving money and services to their Canadian counterparts. One example is a batch of two million postcards printed in the United States, entitled "Keep marriage between a man and a woman," which the Canadian Knights of Columbus have distributed here in Canada.

Some Canadians might feel offended at nosy or intrusive behaviour from our southern neighbours, but they are free to ignore it, or to listen and then agree or disagree. That's what our Charter right to free speech is all about.

The Story

[GliderGuider]

1. I got a letter from an MP

Using the web site at www.equal-marriage.ca, I sent e-mails to all 308 MPs. I got 3 acknowledgements, wich isn't too bad for what amounts to little more than spam. (The site has tips for contacting them and actually does recommend phone calls and real snail mail.)

The one letter that truly warms my heart is from Jim Prentice, Conservative from Calgary Centre-North. He's a Presbyterian. I immediately jumped to conclusions about where he stood on this issue.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to Mr. Prentice.

Here's a little bit of what he had to say, from a letter dated 02/02:

"For me, the marriage question is one of individual liberty - of
constitutional liberty.

~snip~

Set aside the legal debate, and ask the very simple question. What moral or political authority do we have to deny gay Canadians the issuance of a government marriage license?

The answer in my mind is clear. We have no such right at all because whether two people of the same sex marry, and how and whether their gender enters into the relationship, is none of the government's business, providing they do no harm to anyone else.

"Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is overeign."
- John Stuart Mill

I am a conservative, and this is the philosophy that guides me in public life.

If we have the right, as a society, to prohibit homosexual Canadians
from civil marriage because their idea of a marriage differs form ours, do we have an equal right to prohibit some Christians, Muslims, or Sikhs from preaching aspects of their faith, which are not shared by the majority of Canadians? By parity of reasoning, would we not have an equally valid entitlement to suppress the literature, political opinions or political association of those who hold views different than our own?

I have come to the conclusion that I will stand in defence of the
constitutional right of homosexual couples to civil marriage, even though their definition of marriage is not my own. I will be equally vigilant in defending religious marriage and religious freedom..."

[HamiltonHabs32]

2. nice

Nice to see you got some replies, and I really like the way Jim puts it. I hope Canada can be civil about this and we can get it done without any problems.

[CatBoreal]

3. Very nice...

I quoted Mr. Prentiss in the letter I sent to my MP. Still haven't heard from him yet.

*SIGH*

Good stuff!