RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER SIEGE IN CANADA: Janet Epp Buckingham

...Let me give you the short list of who is facing some sort of legal action right at this moment in defence of their religious freedom in relation to the redefinition of marriage:

1. Bishop Henry is facing two human rights complaints in Alberta for comments he made in a pastoral letter on the marriage issue.
2. Kevin Kisilowsky has made a human rights complaint in Manitoba to be allowed to continue acting as a marriage commissioner, providing civil marriage services, even though he refuses, on the basis of his religious beliefs, to solemnize a same-sex marriage.
3. Claude Eliot the mayor of Gander, NF, resigned his marriage commission because solemnizing same-sex weddings is contrary to his religious beliefs.
4. A Knights of Columbus group is facing a human rights complaint in British Columbia for refusing to rent its hall, on property owned by the Archdiocese, to a lesbian couple for their wedding.
Bill C-38 does not protect these people. Just think about the list of people potentially impacted by the redefinition of marriage:

Teachers who will be forced to teach about same-sex relationships and validate same-sex marriage to their students without accommodation for their deeply held religious beliefs. See the Chris Kempling case.
Students who will not have their religious beliefs respected but will be forced not only to learn about theses issues but also to reproduce what they have learned on tests.
Politicians will be required to give congratulatory certificates on significant anniversaries of same-sex couples.
Printers will be required to print invitations for same-sex weddings. See the Scott Brockie case.
Halls, caterers, florists, musicians, etc. will all be required to provide their services without discrimination to same-sex weddings.
This requires many, many people to validate same-sex weddings. It is not just a private matter between two people, it impacts all of society. Gunter rightly argues that religious freedom is under siege in this country.

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posted by Eve at 4:32 PM VOTE

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