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Canadian Government Indicates Religious Freedom Dependent on Supreme Court

OTTAWA, December 3, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Canadian government appears to be leaving a critical call on religious freedom in Canada completely up to the decision of nine unelected and unaccountable Supreme Court Justices.

In the reference decision on same-sex 'marriage' to be handed down Thursday, the Supreme Court will rule on whether constitutional protection of freedom of religion will spare priests and other religious leaders from being forced to perform homosexual 'marriages'.

An exchange in the House of Commons today exemplified the Liberal government's abdication of its responsibility to actively protect the freedom of religion that has existed in Canada since its inception. In fact, some critics have said the government's court reference is just the latest Liberal scheme to facilitate more court-imposed social change on the nation, while allowing the Government to again avoid directly getting its hands dirty with the deed.

Conservative MP James Bezan noted that "in Manitoba people licensed as marriage commissioners have been told that they have to perform same sex marriages or turn in their commissioner's licence." He added that "Eleven commissioners have been forced to resign and two are refusing to quit in defiance of this injustice. All that these commissioners want is to be able to provide the same services that they have been providing faithfully for years."

Bezan noted that the actions are "clearly an infringement on their freedoms protected by the charter" and asked, "Will the government correct this discrimination and force the government of Manitoba to reinstate the commissioners who were forced to resign and defend those who refuse to quit?"

Paul Macklin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, responded to Bezan saying, "Clearly something like this is inappropriate as we would see it and why we went before the Supreme Court of Canada to ask what their interpretation would be on our reference, to see whether or not freedom of religion was going to be protected. In this particular case, we are awaiting with interest that response which will be coming to us next Thursday."

Jhw

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