[troutman]

Originally posted by calf@Sep 16 2004, 07:37 PM
Thorny issue.

Personally, I wish the government would indoctrine a seperation of church and state, which isn't the case in Canada. The word marriage is, IMHO, a religious word - it has several different religious connotations, is a word developed by different religions, which have been around longer than governments. I can totally see how churches get all riled up when 'gay marriage' gets thrown around, because that's their institution and goes against their beliefs - it's their right. If a certain church believes gay marriage is a-ok, then that's their right too.

What I think the government should do is instead of having 'marriage' licenses (a religious term), they should have 'civil unions' (or something along those lines) for all couples, gay and straight. Give all couples the same rights they'd have if they had a marriage license now.

My thoughts

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
a) freedom of conscience and religion;

15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

28. Notwithstanding anything in this Charter, the rights and freedoms referred to in it are guaranteed equally to male and female persons.

33. (1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15 of this Charter.