Hypocritical Catholic Church

[strandinthewind]

Comments and emphasis supplied:


Canadian Senate OKs Gay Marriage

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

TORONTO — Canada's Senate late Tuesday voted to adopt landmark legislation to legalize gay marriage nationwide despite fierce opposition from Conservatives and religious leaders. The bill could be signed into law as early as Wednesday.

The bill grants same-sex couples legal rights equal to those in traditional unions between a man and a woman, something already legal in a majority of Canadian provinces.

The legislation drafted by Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority Liberal Party (search) government easily passed the Senate, which essentially rubber-stamps any bill already passed by the House of Commons, which passed it late last month.

The bill becomes law when it is signed by Canada's Governor-General (search). Once that happens, Canada will become only the fourth country in the world to legalize gay marriage (search) nationwide, after the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.

The 47-21 Senate vote came after years of court battles and debate that divided families, religious groups and even political allies.

Martin, a Roman Catholic, has said that despite anyone's personal beliefs, all Canadians should be granted the same rights to marriage. [That is called separation of Church and State - a concept nonexistent in the US despite the Const. express intent to the contrary ]

Churches have expressed concern that their clergy would be compelled to perform same sex ceremonies. The legislation, however, states that the bill only covers civil unions, not religious ones, and no clergy would be forced to perform same-sex ceremonies unless they choose to do so.

The Roman Catholic Church, the predominant Christian denomination in Canada, has vigorously opposed the legislation, saying that it would harm children in particular. [You mean like the RCC did by not doing anything to protect little boys and little girls from knwn pedophiles ]

In the United States, Massachusetts is the only state that allows gay marriages; Vermont and Connecticut have approved same-sex civil unions.

Though hundreds of foreigners have come to Canada to seek civil ceremonies since gay marriages were first allowed in Ontario and British Columbia in 2003, not all countries or states recognize the unions.

The U.S. government does not recognize same-sex marriage, and most states refuse to acknowledge marriage certificates from gay and lesbian couples, regardless of where they wed.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163054,00.html

[DrummerDeanna]

Hypocritical Catholic Church? You're title is a little redundant there, Jason

I can say that as I'm Catholic

Anyway - excellent point you made on the statement about harming children - I'm so sick of hearing the church's opinion on everything. ugh.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

Hypocritical Catholic Church? You're title is a little redundant there, Jason

I can say that as I'm Catholic

Anyway - excellent point you made on the statement about harming children - I'm so sick of hearing the church's opinion on everything. ugh.

Deanna, those were my thoughts exactly. Isn't hypocritical right in its def in Mirriam Webster's?

I like Canada's social policies much better. Why's it gotta be so cold? Although I am proud to call MA my home since we are progressive. Still, there is plenty of pandering to big business here too.

[tynan88]

Canada does not get the credit it deserves on the world stage unfortunately I don't think in anything, they have situations there, other places under conservative rule can only dream of

[xxxmx]

if i had never moved to a floridian beach, i certainly would have moved to a canadian beach. but it's just way to cold there. canada always gets slagged because, well, because it's canada.

i am so impressed with progressive gov'ts. some people realize that things change, and laws should change accordingly. moreover, i just hate it when people try to restrict the rights of others just because they don't agree with it. well you know what, if you hate the idea of legalized gay marriage - i recommend that you not try to legally marry someone of the same sex. i think that all thin-lipped white dudes with reptillian eyes (hey spark) should be banned from politics. where's the law on that? it's just as subjective and exclusionary. blech...

[catinthedark]

from Canada! Toronto specifically...

Where it is currently... 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit with the humidity. And has been around there, or hotter, for the past two or three weeks straight.



And... I remember this past winter, there were lots of posts about blizzards and cold from people in the US while I was sitting here with no storms and milder than normal temps.

So come on up!!! This is a great country! It's not ALL cold - honestly - Vancouver and Victoria? Akin to San Francisco.

But on the original post, I am really proud of my government in this area. Especially Prime Minister Martin. I have to say I do really admire how he governs - not allowing his personal beliefs to get in the way of what's best for the country.