OTTAWA, January 20, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Polygamy may be the next redefined marital status, once lawmakers legalize same-sex “marriage,” according to critics of an “urgent study” commissioned by Paul Martin’s Liberal government, as reported by the CanWest News Service Thursday.
Legal challenges to marriage laws from polygamist groups are likely once marriage is redefined to include same-sex couples, according to Conservative Justice Critic Vic Toews. Such groups may exploit the new definition, saying they have a religious right to have multiple wives.
“This government understands it has a problem on its hands,” said Toews. “Once you change the definition of marriage from one man and one woman, and you move to two persons, what then is the distinction between two persons or three or more persons? If I was a lawyer defending polygamists, I’d say, ‘Hey, this is a constitutional right, a freedom of religion.’ Why can’t freedom of religion trump this new definition of marriage?”
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