Declining Morals
(Signs of the Time - September 003)
In June, 2003, the Province of Ontario’s highest court ruled that two people of the same sex can be legally married in the province. The decision deemed Canadian law on traditional marriage unconstitutional and was effective immediately. “The existing common-law definition of marriage violates the couple’s [two males] equality rights on the basis of sexual orientation under [the Charter],” the 61-page written ruling said. The Appeals court also declared Ottawa’s definition invalid and demanded it be immediately changed to refer to “two persons” instead of “one man and one woman.” It ordered the city clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples seeking a legal union. The Ontario Appeals Court decision joined court rulings in British Columbia and Quebec that also backed same-sex unions.
Prime Minister Chrétien and his cabinet decided in June not to appeal a decision by the Ontario Court of Appeals to allow same-sex marriages in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province. Mr. Chrétien’s government recently drafted a bill that redefines marriage as “the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others” but lets religious institutions refuse to marry same-sex couples.
Although a legislative bill has not formally passed the legislature, Canada is now the third country to legalize marriage for same sex couples. The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize marriage for gays and lesbians on April 1, 2001, with Belgium the second on January 30, 2003. While gay marriage is forbidden in the United States, Vermont allows same-sex civil unions while Massachusetts’ top court is set to rule on the issue soon. However, under the North American free trade agreement, the United States must recognize marriages performed in Canada, and as such Ontario has been inundated with “couples” heading north to have a marriage performed.
The reaction to the new marriage proposals has been as mixed as the diversity of the North American continent. For one, the Vatican issued a 12-page document in seven languages, approved by Pope John Paul II, calling on Roman Catholic lawmakers to block legislation granting legal rights to homosexual unions in Europe and North America. Despite this Papal decree, the Roman Catholic Prime Minister of Canada, as well as his Catholic colleagues, have indicated they will press ahead with new legislation to permit same-sex marriages all across Canada. As reported in the August 13, 2003, National Post, the Prime Minister said, “His responsibilities as Prime Minister take precedence over his religious beliefs.” Could it be that the government is doing this based on a National Post survey indicating some 53% of Canadians support same-sex marriage – this despite the fact that some 13 million of the 32 million Canadians are Catholic.
Gay
bishop
The Episcopalian church in the United States (Anglican Church in the
rest of the world) decided in July, by a vote of 62 to 43, to allow one of
their own to be appointed as a bishop of the church. The controversial vote
was made because the gentleman up for election is an openly gay member of
the congregation. As reported in the New York Times, “The Rev.
Canon V. Gene Robinson, a gay man who lives with his longtime partner, was
elected as bishop of New Hampshire. The Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual
leader of the world’s 79 million Anglican christians, said today that he
would convene an extraordinary meeting of Church leaders here to avert a
schism over the confirmation of the first openly gay bishop in the United
States Episcopalian Church.” The archbishop, Dr. Rowan Williams,
regarded as first among equals in the Anglican church, said the meeting
would be held in London in October. His office declined to elaborate on the
precise agenda for the meeting, which immediately drew sharp criticism from
both supporters and critics of homosexual priests, illuminating the broader,
emotional debate threatening a church spread across 164 countries from
Africa to the United States.”
For his part, the newly elected bishop said to reporters: “There’s no reason for us to split over this. There should be no issue, homosexuality, abortion, war and peace that we put above our own communion with Jesus Christ.” And for the Episcopalian church this represents one more step that creates a more inclusive denomination. Here is a continuation of the transformation that brought women to the priesthood in 1976, a move that almost fractured the church.
Latter days
Although both Noah and Lot were deemed righteous men, it is interesting
that Luke mentions them in the same sentence (Lk. 17:26-30). During Noah’s
time, God found that every imagination of the thoughts of men’s heart was
evil continually. During Lot’s time, the sin that caused Sodom and Gomorrah
to be destroyed was the sin of men having relations with other men. A
closer examination of the passage in Geneses 19:4 indicates the individuals
inquiring about the men with Lot were men in authoritarian positions.
Today, we find that a Prime Minister is willing to put his political will ahead of his religious values. Further, we find men in religious leadership positions living in relationships similar to those in Lot’s time. This is but one dramatic example of today’s declining morality.
George Rayner