[Wilhelm Tell]

I do not consider the article to be scare-mongering. Canada used to be farily easy-going and tolerant until political correctness took over. The fact that the United States has stronger Constitutional protections does not mean we are immune to throwing away freedom. Just in the past year, the Supreme Court approved campaign finance reform -- they plainly said that peaceful political speech can be banned in the name of a vague idea of fairness. We are already well on the road for Constitutional protections to be thrown away over every strange politically-correct notion.

[hunter112]

The fact that the United States has stronger Constitutional protections does not mean we are immune to throwing away freedom.

No, any country can surrender liberty, but it's never going to happen here, French-style. There will always be loud voices for freedom, even if they're in the minority. Political trends ebb and flow, but basic freedom always wins out. That's why the pro-gay-marriage side is winning this debate, they've successfully framed the issue as one of freedom. Merely reframining it as the freedom to discriminate against homosexuals is not going to move hearts and minds in the electorate.

You can carve out conscience clauses, we've done it on abortion. Churches have always, and will always, have the right to define who they will confer a blessing on when it comes to marriage. I don't know any court that has forced a Catholic church to marry someone who has been divorced, that will not go through the hoops needed to do a formal annulment.