EDMONTON, AB
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13978 At the prayer Rally in Edmonton, just over 400 people showed up at Ann McLelland's office. A hand ful of pro same sex marriage were there in opposition.
I was asked to lead a prayer and a short statement on behalf of the layity.
The following was what I read. I had to stop every now and then for applause from those gathered:
THE LAY FAITHFUL ARE NEVER TO RELINQUISH THEIR PARTICIPATION IN ‘PUBLIC LIFE’,
THAT IS, IN THE MANY DIFFERENT ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, LEGISLATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE AND CULTURAL AREAS, WHICH ARE INTENDED TO PROMOTE INSTITUTIONALLY THE COMMON GOOD"
GUIDED BY OUR FAITH AND CONSCIENCE,
THE LAY FAITHFUL EXERCISE THEIR PROPER TASK OF INFUSING THE STATES ORDER BY ITS ACTION HERE TODAY
WITH VALUES GUIDED BY FAITH,
ALL THE WHILE RESPECTING THE NATURE AND RIGHTFUL INDEPENDANCE OF THAT ORDER,
AND COOPERATING WITH OTHER CITIZENS.
ONE CANNOT CLOSE ONE’S EYES TO THE REAL DANGERS WHICH CERTAIN TENDENCIES IN SOCIETY ARE PROMOTING THROUGH LEGISLATION,AND JUDICAL ACTS,
NOR CAN ONE IGNORE THE EFFECTS THIS WILL HAVE ON FUTURE GENERATIONS
AS MARTIN LUTHER STATED “THE CHURCH MUST BE REMINDED THAT IT IS NEITHER MASTER NOR SERVANT OF THE STATE, BUT RATHER THE CONSCIENCE OF THE STATE”
IN EXERCISING OUR RIGHTS OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND BELIEF WE PRAY
FOR THE VOTE
MAY EACH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, WHOM WE HAVE ELECTED, BE MINDFUL OF THE FAITHFULS OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF THEIR CONSCIENCE WHEN THEY GO TO EXECRCISE THEIR CONSCIENCE IN A VOTE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. MAY THE VOTE BE GUIDED TO ENSURE THAT MARRIAGE IS DEFINED AS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMEN TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHERS.
FOR OUR MP
MAY OUR MP SEE THAT THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE IS A CENTRAL AND IMPORTANT INSTITUTION IN THE LIVES OF MANY CANADIANS. IT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN ALL SOCIETIES WORLDWIDE, SECOND ONLY TO THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY TO ALL OF US.
MAY THEY BE GRANTED THE WISDOM AND THE STRENGTH TO NOT CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE, OR OF LEGISLATE SAME-SEX MARRIAGES. MAY THEY UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE EQUALITY ISSUES AROUND SAME-SEX PARTNERS WHICH NOW FACE US AS CANADIANS.
PROTECTION OF MARRIAGE
MAY PARLIAMENT BE GRANTED THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO CARRY OUT PARLIAMENT’S SOVEREIGN ROLE WHEN ACTING ON THE WISHES OF THE MAJORITY OF ITS FAITHFUL PEOPLE.
THE NATION OF CANADA
MAY THIS TIME OF TURMOIL BRING OUR DIVERSE SOCIETY TOGETHER . THIS ATTACK ON OUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM MAY IT BECOME A TIME TO HEAL OUR LAND AND BE A TIME TO BRING TOGETHER YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN FAITH.
CANADA’S CHURCHES
MAY OUR CHUCHES BE PROTECTED FROM THE MORAL CULTURAL RELATIVISM THAT EXISTS TODAY, EVIDENT IN THE FALSE CONSENSUS, WHICH SANCTIONS THE DECADENCE AND DISINTEGRATION OF THE FAMILY AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NATURAL MORAL LAW.
MAY IT BE SEEN THAT ANY MOVE TO REDEFINE MARRIAGE IS AN ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, EXPRESSION AND BELIEF.
HEBREWS 13:2 MARRIAGE SHOULD BE HONOURED BY ALL
ALL ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY
WE COME TOGETHER TO PRAY,
MUSLIMS SEIKS, JEW’S, EVANGELICALS, BAPTIST, PRESBYTERIANS, LUTHERANS, PENTECOSTAL, GREEK ORTHODOX, UKRANIAN CATHOLIC, ANGLICAN AND ROMAN CATHOLIC THESE ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE OF OUR PLURALIST SOCIETY MAY OUR PRAYERS BE HEARD
AND MAY OUR ACTIONS TODAY BE EVER IN THE MINDS OF OUR POLITICAL LEADERS HERE ON EARTH.
Please note the sention under Prayer for the MP are Anne McLelland's own words from 1999, with a slight paraphrasing to turn it in to a prayer. I woul like to thank Vic Toews for bring this to my attention;for he stated in his speach at the Manitoba Legislature:
In fact, the-then Justice Minister Anne McLellan, speaking for the Liberal government, assured Canadians of the government’s intentions when she stated:
We on this side agree that the institution of marriage is a central and important institution in the lives of many Canadians. It plays an important part in all societies worldwide, second only to the fundamental importance of family to all of us.
She went on to assure Canadians:
Let me state again for the record that the government has no intention of changing the definition of marriage or of legislating same-sex marriages.
I fundamentally do not believe that it is necessary to change the definition of marriage in order to accommodate the equality issues around same-sex partners which now face us as Canadians.
Are we going to see a flip flop from Ann?