OTTAWA, February 2, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Liberal government is lying to Canadians in regard to its same-sex marriage Bill C-38, says REAL Women Canada. The women’s group points out that the preamble and also section 3 of the Bill claim that officials of religious groups are protected from performing same-sex marriages, if it is contrary to their beliefs.
“These are absolutely meaningless provisions,” says REAL Women. “The federal government knows that the Supreme Court of Canada in the same-sex marriage reference case specifically stated that religious rights are matters of provincial jurisdiction only and that the federal government has no authority over them,” the group explained.
Marriage commissioners in several Canadian provinces have been ordered to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex partners, despite their religious beliefs.
“The federal government can do nothing to halt this trampling on the religious beliefs of these commissioners, despite its statement in the preamble that ‘everyone’ has freedom of conscience and religion which will not be affected by this same-sex legislation.”
The group warns that “in every case where religious rights have competed with homosexual rights, the Supreme Court of Canada has ordered the trumping of homosexual rights over religious rights.”
REAL Women added, “The parade of cases to diminish religious rights on same-sex marriage issues has already commenced with a BC lesbian couple claiming discrimination because a Catholic men’s organization, the Knight’s of Columbus, has refused to rent their hall for their marriage celebration.”
See yesterday’s LifeSiteNews.com reports on the same-sex marriage bill:
Deception, Propaganda and Puzzling Opposition Mark Day One of Canadian Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Cotler Revealingly Praises “Constitutional Revolution” Caused by the Canadian Charter of Rights
The Conservative Party Position – Pro-Marriage or Not?