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Equality
- In Our Faiths - News from 2003
November 6, 2020
Christians
should support same-sex marriage
 Theologian
Vaughn Roste, the son of two Lutheran pastors, has written an article
outlining ten reasons why Christians should support gay marriage.
Most of the reasons proposed against equal marriage, he says, are
in fact arguments against homosexuality in general. If religions are
to remain relevant in contemporary society, they must not deny any
possible influence of the Holy Spirit on today's world.
Read
"Ten reasons why Christians should support same-sex marriage"
August 20, 2021
Blind
Faith
 The
Interfaith Coalition on Marriage and Family, a collection of faith groups
cobbled together from Catholic, Evangelical and Islamic traditions have
requested leave to appeal the Ontario same-sex marriage decision to Supreme
Court of Canada. The group is asking the state to support their faith-based
bigotry. If gay marriage is allowed, they feel their religious traditions
are compromised.
Read
Blind Faith: Faith-based bigotry seeks state support
August 10, 2021
Quaker
support for equal marriage
 Canadian
Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) issued a
statement on August 8 which supports "the right of same-sex couples
to a civil marriage and the extension of the legal definition of marriage
to include same-sex couples." The Friends have a long history of
supporting human rights and witnessing against injustice. We appreciate
having their contribution in this debate.
Read
"Quaker support for equal marriage"
August 6, 2021
Vatican
collaboration with the Nazis
 "Germany
in the 1920's was a very enlightened place. Berlin was just as free as
Toronto is now. There was a flourishing homosexual culture there ... Gays
and Lesbians began to feel fully accepted in society and after a decade
of liberation no-one took the political warnings seriously." Lawyer
Bruce Walker's essay reveals what history teaches us about attacks on
freedom & same-sex marriage.
Read
"What history teaches us about attacks on freedom"
July
31, 2003
The
Inquisition targets same-sex marriage
 The
Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as
the Inquisition, released a hate-filled document telling Catholic politicians
to act according to Church policy rather than adhere to state laws, when
it comes to deciding on the issue of same-sex marriage: a "legalization
of evil". Homosexuality is depicted as "a serious depravity",
"intrinsically disordered", "gravely immoral" and
"deviant".
Read
"The Inquisition targets same-sex marriage"
July 24, 2021
Spiritual
abuse by the Catholic Church
 Following
our victory in court and the federal government's decision to legislate
same-sex marriage, Canadian Catholic bishops renewed a call to their faithful,
urging them to speak out against equality for gay and lesbian couples
who seek their Canadian Charter right to marriage. The bishops are abusing
the spirituality of their faithful by using religion to turn congregants
against homosexuals.
Read
"Spiritual abuse by the Catholic Church"
April 17, 2021
The
Words of the Living God
Canadian Coalition of Liberal Rabbis
 An
intervener in the Ontario Court of Appeal same-sex marriage case has joined
the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto in discrediting faith-based
opposition to gay marriage. The Canadian Coalition of Liberal Rabbis for
Same-Sex Marriage will argue that the inclusion of same-sex partners in
the definition of marriage augments religious freedom in a pluralist society
with secular laws.
Read
The Words of the Living God
March 25, 2021
Fido
Fidelius? Will Canada go to the dogs?
Westboro Baptist Church
 The
chair of the parliamentary marriage committee continues to be ineffective
in maintaining the dignity of proceedings and participants. Minutes released
today show gay love was again linked to illegal acts of bestiality & incest.
Tolerance of gays was said to cause the destruction of civilizations.
This process is called a cruel joke & stacked deck, in part, due to agendas
of members like Liberal Pat O'Brien.
Read
details of the Westboro Baptist Church testimony
March 18, 2021
Same-sex
marriage? How about no rights at all?
 The
Canadian Christian Women's Organization For Life used the parliamentary
hearings as a platform to go beyond same-sex marriage and argue for the
removal of existing rights for the LGBT community. The testimony spoke
against the use of condoms, appeared to support state mutilation of gays,
and even managed to bring Saddam Hussein into this unchallenged testimony.
Read
details of CCWOFL's testimony
March 5, 2021
Catholic
Women's League
Spaced-out testimony
 As
minutes slowly trickle out from the proceedings of the marriage hearings,
conducted by Parliament's Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights,
it becomes clear that some opponents to same-sex marriage are filled with
bizarre and hateful notions. The most recent example is found in minutes,
published today, from the February 11 appearance of the Catholic Women's
League.
Read details
of the Catholic Women's League testimony
February
27, 2003
United
Church Supports Equal Marriage
"Others may argue that including
same-sex couples undermines society's understanding of family. It is the
experience of the United Church that non-traditional family forms may
equally advance these family values."
United Church of Canada
 In
the absence of timely minutes
from the Parliamentary hearings on marriage, the United Church issued
a press release yesterday that urged Canada's politicians to end marriage
discrimination. The press release outlined key points from a Feb. 13 presentation
to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
During the presentation, the United Church told the federal government
that Canada's largest Protestant denomination supports same-sex marriage.
Each year, the United Church blesses over 15,000 marriages in Canada.
|
United
Church & Homosexuality
| 1984 |
All
human beings are persons made in the image of God |
| 1988 |
All
persons, regardless of sexual orientation are eligible for ordered
ministry |
| 1992 |
Same-sex
covenants introduced |
| 2000 |
Sexual
orientation is a gift from God. |
| 2002 |
Congregations
begin sending same-sex marriage registrations to provincial
governments for registration. |
|
During
the hearings it has become apparent that opponents of equal marriage are
obsessed with sex. These groups and politicians believe that marriage
is defined by reproduction involving male/female genital contact. The
United Church deflated this archaic position.
"Procreation
can no longer be cited as a defining dynamic of marriage in Western society.
Ironically, in Canada, we do have heterosexuals who marry with no intention,
and in some cases, no ability of having children, and yet we have same-sex
couples with children who cannot get married."
Another
tactic employed by those who wish to maintain discrimination against gays
and lesbians is to claim that clergy would be forced to marry same-sex
couples.
"This
is not true," said the United Church. "The separation of Church
and State in Canada means clergy are not required to marry couples when
it would be contrary to the faith community's religious beliefs. One example
is the refusal of the Roman Catholic Church to marry someone who is divorced."
The
problem, of course, is that some faith groups do not want a separation
of church and state. They wish to impose their values on the rest of Canada
and have church doctrine reflected in Canadian laws. This collaboration
to maintain faith-based bigotry in the public arena is unraveling thanks
to faith groups, like the United Church, that are demonstrating Christian
alternatives to the spiritual abuse practiced by others.
Click
here for more about the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice
and Human Rights
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