March 1, 2005
The Right Honourable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
K1A 0A6
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
Dear
Mr. Prime Minister
RE: Bill C-38 Civil Marriage Act (Same-Sex Marriage Legislation)
This
letter is in regard to the legislation recently introduced by your government
into the House of Commons which would legalize same-sex marriages.
Your
government apparently intends to pass this legislation on the basis of equality
under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. There really is no inequality; men
and women are already equal. A man has the right to marry a woman and a woman
has the right to marry a man. That should be sufficient.
This
legislation is not an issue of finance, health, tax, education, industry,
commerce, or other “intellectual” issue but instead is an issue primarily of
personal faith and belief. Sadly, the issue is not even fundamentally about
homosexuality, heterosexuality, constitutionality, or even minority rights; it
is ultimately an attack on the sovereignty of God.
The
real, true, and time honoured meaning of marriage has been known by all since
the beginning of time: the legal union of one man and one woman as husband and
wife. No impertinence is intended but it is really quite ludicrous to think
that anyone anywhere anytime needs to have “marriage” redefined.
The marriage covenant, ordained by God, is very clearly designed and intended to include one male and one female. "He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh'" (Matthew 19:4-5).
Marriage,
as we all presently know it, is the longest standing time honoured human
institution in history. Marriage is not a man made concoction; it is an
institution ordained by God.
Many
of those who are opposed to the legislation believe that the very best for each
one of us as individuals and as a nation is as outlined in the Bible, which is
what they believe to be God's written Word and revelation to us; His handbook
to mankind. He is the Creator and it was part of His plan to write a manual to
go with His created works. As much as we may not like it, His counsel through
His Word says:
- “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22).
- “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners (that’s all of us), for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching…” (I Timothy 1:8-10).
From an intuitive perspective, we may not
agree or like what God instructs but these are not His suggestions; these are
God’s commands and not believing in what God says does not make it untrue. God
has designed us very specially and He knows in His awesome love that which is
best for us and He wrote it accordingly. It is quite probable that very few of
us understand how much God really loves each one of us!
One
may choose to believe that there is no God. However, just in case there is a
God, surely one would believe that He has the power to either bless or to curse
a nation, and if that is a possibility, then surely one would want to err on
the side of blessing, rather than cursing. This, in itself, should be
sufficient reason to consider carefully what He has written and to write laws
accordingly as our lawmakers have done at times in our nation's history.
Unfortunately,
those who speak against homosexuality are increasingly being labeled as ones
who dislike or even hate homosexuals. The irony is, in fact, quite to the
contrary, that in most cases, those who are opposed to the proposed legislation
by reason of personal faith genuinely care very much for others including
homosexuals, so much so that they desire God's very best for every human being.
Without question, we need to be genuinely loving and caring of homosexuals as
individuals who, like each of us, have infinite value and worth, but we can do
that without affirming or condoning the behaviour.
We
should never lose sight of the fact that God loves each one of us, homosexuals
and heterosexuals alike, and as individuals, we have a God given responsibility
to display that same love towards each other. Nevertheless, God asks us, for
our own well-being, to honour His commands with respect to our own sexuality.
God’s purposes are thwarted when we choose to do it our own way.
If
our government, by way of the laws it passes, chooses, for whatever reason, to
make concessions to homosexual unions, then that is exactly what the reference
should be: homosexual union, homosexual life partnership, permanent homosexual
relationship, same-sex union, same-sex partnership, or whatever. One may call
the union of two or more homosexuals anything one wants but it certainly isn’t
“marriage.” To call it marriage is intellectual dishonesty. With such a law, we
would then have same-sex brides, same-sex grooms, same-sex husbands, and
same-sex wives. If asked, a heterosexual husband would need to respond that he
is married to an opposite-sex wife. Absurdity will have risen to the highest
level!
One
might be inclined to dismiss this position because it may be perceived to be a
right wing or Christian perspective. It is worth noting, however, that every
major religion in the world acknowledges the wrong of homosexuality.
Legalization of same-sex marriages consists in rejecting all counsel of
history, religion, faith, nature, and common sense. We seem to be more
concerned with offending a small segment of our society than in doing what most
know is right. We have become a nation which tolerates everything but stands
for nothing.
If
there are many Canadians who because of their faith and beliefs understand
homosexuality to be wrong, then why would others who have no similar strong
convictions argue so vehemently against those individuals of faith? Shouldn't
the strong convictions of many be honoured?
It is
a dark time in our nation when we blatantly reject and ignore what many
reasonably understand to be God's Word. When we reject Him and His Word,
whether we acknowledge it or not, there will be consequences. Fortunately, the
God of this Universe is rich in mercy and slow to anger, but one does not need
a prophet to know that in the long term no nation on earth will survive intact
the sanctioning of homosexual behaviour. This proposed legislation constitutes
one of the greatest assaults on the blessings, permanence, and stability of our
nation.
Marriage
was established thousands of years before we had a nation, a Constitution, or a
Charter. If the Charter can now be used to justify same-sex marriage, then it
really only points to a flawed Charter. It is marriage as we all know it that
should be honoured first, not the Charter! Sadly, we have it all backwards!
No
constitution or Charter should be used to defend or justify something that may
be considered morally wrong by a very significant proportion of the population.
When we denigrate the sacred and time honoured institution of marriage by
making it something that was never intended, we begin the gradual but eventual
destruction of the family and history has shown that only strong families build
strong nations.
When
any group, minority or otherwise, tramples on what many believe, with reasonable
justification, to be a sacred and sanctified institution, we have reached an
all time low with respect to honouring others in our country.
When
Mr. Harper, Leader of the Conservative Party, suggested that polygamy will be
the next thing to be legalized, you mockingly responded, “Polygamy is against
the law, and as far as I'm concerned it will always be against the law.” You
may have forgotten that homosexuality itself was against the law until the
Liberal government legalized it in 1969. When we throw out God's Word as the
absolute standard, there is no standard worth having. If same-sex marriage can
be legalized under the Charter, then virtually anything can be legalized and
readily justified, and it will be. It makes a farce of the Charter.
The
Canadian Bill of Rights of 1960 affirmed that “the Canadian Nation is founded
upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God.” Sadly, since that time,
governments across this land have deliberately and methodically chosen to
displace and dismiss God while at the same time elevating the “rights” of
minorities. Proper provision should be made for every minority group in this
country but not at the expense of dishonouring God. To willfully pass such
legislation is to deny the supremacy of God. We should not deceive ourselves;
ultimately, God will not be mocked and it will be at our own peril, both as
individuals and as a nation. What in 1969 was called sodomy may soon be called
marriage! Why has this happened? This has happened because there has been a
blatant rejection of absolute moral standards. Instead, we have allowed God’s
instructions for living to be replaced by what we think and “feel” may be
right.
It
would be a travesty for the solemnization of marriage to become the
sodomization of marriage. The proposed legislation is not something for which
this nation should be proud. Same-sex marriage is an oxymoron of the worst
proportions.
If we
truly desire that “God keep our land glorious and free,” as our national anthem
bids, we would be wise to honour Him when given the opportunity, such as now!
I ask
you and your government to pass and uphold laws which respect and honour the
sanctity of marriage of one man with one woman only.
I
thank you in advance for your consideration.
Yours
truly
Randall
F. More, P. Eng.
cc
The Honourable Irwin Cotler
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Department of Justice Building
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0H8
E-mail: Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca
E-mail: Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca
Mr. Stephen Harper
Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
E-mail: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca
E-mail: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca
M. Gilles Duceppe
Leader of the Bloc Québecois
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
Leader of the Bloc Québecois
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
E-mail: DucepG@parl.gc.ca
E-mail: DucepG@parl.gc.ca
Mr. Jack Layton
Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
1001-75 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON
Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
1001-75 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON
K1P 5E7
E-mail: jack@fed.ndp.ca
E-mail: jack@fed.ndp.ca
Mr.
Andrew Telegdi, M.P., Kitchener - Waterloo
22
King Street South
Waterloo, ON
N2J 1N8
Email: andrew@kw.igs.net
