[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Cheese

well didnt Alberta Cons write legislation banning Gay marriage in churches? Cant remember?

The National Conservatives IF given the chance of a full majority Govnmt would be no different IMHO. Even now they are planning a bill that allows churches a way around the whole Gay marriage syndrome....

Without preventive legislation, some government members fear that church groups and individuals would be taken to court for uttering negative remarks about gays that other members of society view as discriminatory.

That is why the measures are being considered in two parts: to protect individuals from having to perform same-sex marriage, and to protect free speech.

The measures the Conservatives are pondering resemble a private member’s bill unveiled this year in the Alberta legislature, which would have allowed civil service marriage commissioners to refuse their services to gays.

That bill, introduced by Alberta MLA and PC leadership candidate Ted Morton, would also have forbidden anyone from being punished legally for speaking out on or acting on their beliefs against gay marriage.

Im sure that this would NOT be the only area that the churches or religious right would/might influence the Can-Cons.

There's a big difference between banning gay marriages in churches (as you suggested), and givnig chuches the right to refuse to perform marriages that do not meet their religious view of waht a marriage is.

The debate over civil servants refusing is a toally different debate, altogether, but suffice it to say no one was BANNING gay marriages in churches, simply giving the churches the choice.