Saskatchewan officials must perform gay marriages

National Post ^ | 1/11/11 | Barb Pacholik

[markomalley]

In giving a resounding "no" to proposed laws that would have allowed Saskatchewan marriage commissioners to opt out of uniting same-sex couples on religious grounds, the province's top court was very clear about the potential impact of such legislation.

"It would be a significant step backward if, having won the difficult fight for the right to same-sex civil marriages, gay and lesbian couples could be shunned by the very people charged by the province with solemnizing such unions," Justice Robert Richards said, authoring Monday's majority decision for the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.

Justice Gene Anne Smith, writing a second decision for the court, noted the argument put forward by the religious commissioners could be claimed by those who sell marriage licences or rent halls for weddings.

"But more than this, it could just as easily, and with as much validity, be made by those who provide rental living accommodation to married couples, and even those who provide restaurant meals or entertainment to the public.

"The desire of individuals providing these services to the public to withhold the service from same-sex couples, on grounds of religious disapproval of same-sex relationships, is hardly restricted to marriage commissioners . . . It is fair to ask, then, why it is particularly important to accommodate marriage commissioners' religious beliefs in this respect."

In the end, the five-member court was unanimous in rejecting both of the government's proposed laws: one allowing all marriage commissioners to refuse to perform civil marriage ceremonies that are contrary to their religious beliefs; and another granting the exemption only to those commissioners who held office when gay marriage was legalized in November 2004.

[markomalley]

I am anxiously awaiting the decision out of Canada the religious ministers of all stripes must perform homosexual "weddings"

[Catsrus]

Coming soon to a state near you. This is sad!

[HarleyD]

This is their end goal; force ministers to perform gay marriages or be sued. This isn’t about “rights” but about trying to destroy religion.

One wonders if people with heterosexual morals have any rights.

[pnh102]

I'd like to see them force muslim imams to sanction such "weddings."

I can't help but find it funny how liberals are all so gung-ho about the "separation of church and state," except when it comes to this issue.

[Gene Eric]

>> HarleyD: This isn’t about “rights” but about trying to destroy religion.

>> Article: to perform civil marriage ceremonies that are contrary to their religious beliefs;

The absurdity is the notion that homosexuality is a civil right. Once a “civil right”, it’s no less a “crime” to deny homo marriage than to refuse business services to Blacks for example. It’s #ed up.

Regarding civil marriages, religious beliefs seem irrelevant since it’s a “civil” marriage. To exercise one’s religions beliefs, the marriage should be administered by the particular religion, not through “civil” means.

I anticipate serious blowback if the govt attempts to force a religion into performing homosexual marriages it refuses to administer. For example, I seriously doubt the govt will be able to force the Catholic Church into performing homosexual marriage.

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

does this apply to Native Americans running the casinos? jes’wantin’ to know

[newzjunkey]

Our courts have ruled similarly in various cases.

If you don't want to carry out the duties required of being a particular gov't employee, you should find another line or work.

We saw this same thing in CA when the state supreme court overturned Prop 22 and gay marriage briefly became legal.

As an employee of the gov't you must serve everyone and treat everyone equally under the law, whatever it happens to be.

[CanaGuy]

Pierre Trudeau was responsible for introducing the law on the decriminalization of homosexual acts (the late 60's). It was a sad day when sodomists could no longer be arrested. Trudeau famously defended the new law by telling the country that "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation"......

Today, unfortunatly, it looks as though the state has no qualms about sticking its nose into the churches of Canada. It won't be long before we see priests and pastors jailed for refusing to perform gay marriages.

What annoys me is that there was never a referendum on same-sex marriage. The courts suddenly declared it ok. Whatever happened to the concept that parliament makes the laws and the courts implement them? We're ass-backwards up here; the justice system is running the show, and our members of parl. are cowards.

[IrishCatholic]

That's the goal. Canada has a tradition of trying to suppress Christianity. I remember in 2005 the attempts to declare the Bible “Hate Speech” and the Catholic Church as illegal by the human rights commission as reported in the Toronto Star.

[wbarmy]

Than they need to quit or just stop. If enough religious leaders are willing to put their “selfs” on the line for this, than enough people will wake up. In the US many ministers went to jail for their beliefs before we got freedom of religion. Hundreds of Baptists and other ministers were jailed all over the 13 colonies because they would not follow whatever state religion there happened to be.

True Christians know where the prize is.

[fwdude]

I am anxiously awaiting the decision out of Canada the religious ministers of all stripes must perform homosexual "weddings"

It's not a hard stretch. Sodomites will attack any institution that in anyway suggests that their behavior isn't legitimate. They will force their Marxist state to the furthest reaches of freedom. We'll be where Canada is in less than 10 years barring a miraculous generation of spines in our government and general population.