Government hearings on same-sex unions. (News in Brief).

Ottawa -- The federal government's public hearings on marriage "rights" for same-sex couples commenced on January 28, 2003, in Ottawa. The House of Commons Justice and Human Rights Committee heard submissions from groups on both sides of the issue. The debate was occasioned by recent court decisions, particularly that of July, 2002 in Ontario. There, three judges gave Parliament 24 months to change the marriage laws of the land in such ways as to include homosexuals. This led Justice Minister Martin Cauchon to set up the hearings.

The Committee was first addressed by officials of Statistics Canada. Census data were presented showing a total of 34,200 households headed by same-sex couples across Canada. This is 0.5% of all couples living together.

Those supporting the legal recognition of marriage for "gays" included notably the Law Commission of Canada. Its president, Nathalie Des Rosiers, had just participated in an "information session" with Rev. Brent Hawkes, pastor of Toronto's Metropolitan "church," thus indicating her own bias. Then the Metropolitan "church," which claims equal status with the Roman Catholic religion though it is no more than a self-appointed outreach group started 40 years ago by the homosexual activist "Reverend" Perry Tory in San Francisco, made its own submission to the committee.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRS), which has delivered many "gay-friendly" decisions, also argued for including "gays" in the marriage definition. It has also asked for intervenor status in cases challenging the definition of marriage in court.

Chief advocate for including "gays" in marriage was EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) and its several supporting groups. Their spokesman, John Fisher, made the claim that "providing same-sex couples with the equal right to marry will not harm religious institutions in any way."

The United Church, as was to be expected, is also in favour of changing the legislation to include same-sex couples "within the definition of marriage." The Canadian Council of Churches--of which the Catholic Conference of Bishops is a member--favours the inclusion of "gays" but won't actually appear before the committee. Meanwhile, the submission of Church Alive, a special group of United Church members, rejected the stand of their church as the tyranny of a small minority. It also exposed major errors in the Metropolitan "church" brief.

Among the earliest submissions on the opposing side was that of Miss Rita Curley from St. Ignatius Parish, Ottawa, ON, who delivered a feisty rejection of legalizing same-sex couples, much to the rage of "gay" activist MP Svend Robinson (see below, "Has the CWL lost its Catholic relevance?")

Five Christian-based organizations addressed the committee to recommend that the present legal definition of marriage should remain unchanged. The CCCB was represented by Archbishop Andre Gaumond of Sherbrooke, QC, and Dr. Marlene Smadu of Regina, a board member of the bishops' Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) They argued that marriage should remain an "opposite-sex institution and refuted arguments that "marriages" of same-sex partners would do no harm. It would destroy the meaning of marriage, they said.

Opposing briefs were also presented by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Canadian Christian Women's Organization for Life, and the Canadian Family Action Coalition (CFAC). These presenters were cross-questioned by two homosexual committee members, Real Menard, BQ, and Svend Robinson, NDP. The latter, who that same week had tabled a Commons motion to extend marriage to homosexuals, has made the claim that such an extension "will strengthen that institution."

Other committee members, such as Liberal Pat O'Brien (London-Fanshawe), made a point of challenging the homosexual position by pointing out that the exact opposite would take place with the institution of marriage ending in the garbage bin replaced by wild individualism allowing everything and anything, including polygamy and every perversion under the sun.

The Ottawa hearings have concluded and the Justice Committee is now holding hearings in cities across the country during the month of April. The Committee is scheduled to report to parliament at the end of April.

For your information:

In addition to the hearings on the definition of marriage (above), the House of Commons Justice Committee is also holding hearings on the private bill of homosexual activist MP Svend Robinson to place "sexual orientation" under the hate crime legislation. This is Bill C-250.

Furthermore, Robinson introduced his own private member's Bill C-392 on February 14, 2003, calling for the legalization of homosexual "marriage." The goverment itself has, as yet, not introduced any bill.

Editor's note:

Readers should remember that marriage should not be defended only because the Catholic Church deems it a sacrament. Marriage between man and woman was created by God at the beginning of time, and is the fundamental building block of our society. An attack on marriage is an attack on society, quite apart from its being an attack on religious institutions as well. See "Marriage and the State, " Editorial C.I., Jan/Feb. 2003, p.3).