Defend Marriage Canada Against the Assaults on Traditional Marriage

On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world, and the first country outside Europe, to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition. Court decisions, starting in 2003, had already legalized same-sex marriage in eight out of ten provinces and one of three territories, whose residents comprised about 90% of Canada's population.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Canada

This site was created with the purpose of persuading Canadians to vote against legalizing same sex marriage. When the domain once again became available I bought it with the goal of recreating the original website's content gleaned from its archived pages. From a historical perspective it is important to keep sites such as this one for a better understanding of the huge pushback that was mounted by those opposed to the Canadian Civil Marriage Act.

I remember when the Civil Marriage Act finally passed. I was deep into Cleopatra's Pyramid II, a great slot game created by WGS Technology at Miami Club Casino, my favorite online casino. Mega Money Mine, 20,000 Leagues, 5 Wheel of Chance, and Pay Dirt are other slot games I really like to play. Anyway, I am right in the middle of Cleopatra's Pyramid II, having just activated a bonus round by having the pyramid symbol land on reel two and three simultaneously. I was pumbed and my cell phone rings. I ignore it. I hear the bing for a text message and then the phone rings again and then another text message. I figure some one wants to get in touch with me. I am hoping the news is not something heavy. I look at the text message first and see that Civil Marriage Act had passed. The next phone call comes in and I pick it up to the excited voices of my friend whooping and screaming and telling me to come down to our local bar to celebrate. I agree that I will and return to my game. I ended up with a cool $200 in winnings which was great. But it paled next to the victory of having the Civil Marriage Act pass. For thousands of folks like my self and friends, it was a glorious day.

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This is a SnapShot of the Type of Defence Mounted By Those Opposed To Same-Sex Marriage

Two recent Court of Appeal decisions have ruled in favour of same sex marriage in Canada. The Ontario decision has reformulated the common law definition of marriage from "one man and one woman" to that of any "two persons." In 1999, 80% of all MPs voted to uphold the definition of marriage as the union of "one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others." Prime Minister Chrétien broke Parliament's promise when he announced that the Government has prepared a bill to redefine marriage as any "two persons." An overview of the political situation and the importance of preserving traditional marriage is available.
 
Canadians who support traditional marriage are not discriminating against anyone. We simply recognize that traditional marriage benefits society as a whole in ways that same-sex relationships do not. We also recognize that the law should support and promote such benefits to society. Significantly, it is not just Canadians who support traditional marriage. A recent worldwide survey indicates overwhelming support in favour of traditional marriage and the natural family. Currently, only two countries, the Netherlands & Belgium, have legalized same-sex marriage.

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Quick Overview Of The Dangers Of Legalizing Same Sex Marriage

Every Canadian has a stake in this issue

The strength of any society has always been directly correlated to the integrity and strength of the institutions of marriage and the natural family. Yet, today these critical institutions are under increasing assault in Canada and around the world. Many view one of the emerging threats to be the effort to legalize same sex marriage. This section provides a quick overview of this threat.

As marriage goes, so goes the family, so goes society

There can be no doubt that the assaults on traditional marriage and the family in Canada pose threaten our future. Millennia of experience over many different societies and cultures have demonstrated time and again that a society is only as strong as the families that form its basic unit. Strong families are so important because they have been proven to be the best way to protect children and to instill in the rising generation the traits and qualities that are essential for a vibrant, resilient and healthy society.

Strong societal support for the institution of traditional marriage has always been essential to protecting and promoting strong families. Anything that weakens the institution of traditional marriage inevitably weakens the family and, hence, society.

Cheapening marriage

Undoubtedly, legalizing same sex marriage would forever change the perception of marriage in our society. The only question that might be debated is whether, on balance, the change is beneficial or detrimental.

Fortunately, this is an easy question to answer. There certainly is no evidence that legalizing same sex marriage would strengthen the natural family. It is also clear that legalizing same sex marriage would not be neutral. It is also easy to see that it would change society's perception of marriage from the ideal institution within which to bear and rear children to something that is little more than a public affirmation of two individuals affection for each other. By reducing the concept of marriage to this level, it inevitably will lose its special significance in our society. Among other impacts, our children will be taught in school that same sex unions are equally healthy and normal as natural unions between a man and a woman, further accelerating the change in how marriage and the family are viewed.

This resulting "cheapening" of the value of marriage by displacing it from the special status it has always had in successful societies will undoubtedly have negative impacts on the family. (For a more detailed discussion and analysis of these negative impacts, see the articles linked below.)

Some basic facts about homosexuality

A summary of some basic facts about homosexuality helps to put the issue of same sex marriage into proper perspective. It is generally accepted that less than 3% of males in Canada are homosexual. Research shows that homosexuals are not "born that way." Rather, homosexuality is caused almost exclusively by environmental factors. With therapy it is possible for a homosexual to change to a heterosexual orientation. While conversion might not be easy, the success rate for this therapy is considerably higher than it is for other psychological conditions.

Compared to the general population, the homosexual lifestyle is characterized by much higher incidences of serious and fatal diseases, general health problems, mental illness, substance abuse and addiction, and physical abuse by partners. Some research shows that, as a segment of the population, homosexuals are involved in a disproportionate number of pedophilia cases.

The true goal of homosexual activists in trying to legalize same sex marriage is to achieve validation of the homosexual lifestyle through the acceptance of homosexuality by Canadians as being as normal and healthy as heterosexuality. Since environmental factors are the primary determinant in whether an individual becomes homosexual, the more legitimate homosexuality appears to be, the more homosexuals there will be, with all the human and social costs that would entail.

An unfair and unacceptable cost to our society

All of the claimed benefits of legalizing same sex marriage apply to a very tiny percentage of Canadians. These "benefits" must be weighed against the identifiable negative impacts on the vast majority of Canadians. While there must always be concern for the rights of minorities, when granting rights to that minority clearly and seriously infringes on the rights and future of the majority, the rights of the majority must take precedence.

All Canadians, not judges, should decide this issue

In this context, it is especially important to take note of the recent pronouncement of support for traditional marriage by Parliament. Only four years ago, 80% of the Members present voted for a motion that supported the definition of marriage as the union of "one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others" and committed Parliament to "take all necessary steps to preserve this definition of marriage." Extensive hearings around the country further demonstrated that this action had wide public support.

It is precisely because the decision to legalize same sex marriage would have such a profound negative impact on Canada's future that it should not be imposed on any province, or on the nation as a whole, by un-elected judges. Only the representatives of the people should make such a determination, and only after thorough debate of the consequences.

In sum, legalizing same sex marriage would likely impose huge social and human costs on society with no identifiable offsetting benefits to society. This is a step Canada cannot and must not take.

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We invite you to take three simple steps to join us, Canadian Citizens To Defend Marriage (CCDM), in demonstrating our strong support for traditional marriage and the family in Canada.

 

Step One: Sign the National Marriage Petition

Canadians of ALL ages are invited to sign the National Marriage Petition. To protect your privacy ONLY your name and postal code will be attached to the petition. We will not release your email address.

If you would like to circulate a copy of the petition to others to sign who may not have Internet access and then mail the completed forms back to us, you can print one out here.

Step Two: Contact your Member of Parliament & Paul Martin

It is essential that we contact our MPs to express our strong support for preserving traditional marriage in Canada. Recent press reports indicate that many MPs from all parties have pledged to vote against any legislation that undermines traditional marriage. For many of the MPs this is in large measure because their constituents have informed them of their overwhelming support for traditional marriage. Some MPs have not made up their minds yet and need your help! Remember that in 1999 - 80% of MPs supported the traditional definition of marriage - "one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others."

As the bill will most likely be voted on after Prime Minister Chrétien has chosen to leave office it is also important to inform Paul Martin as the future leader of the Liberal Party of your concerns.

Step Three: Help spread the word

It is vital that as many Canadians as possible show their strong support for traditional marriage. Spreading the word about ways to show such support, such as signing the National Marriage Petition, is an important step we can all take to aid in this effort.

We offer several convenient ways for you to help spread the word.

One is to fill in the e-mail addresses in the boxes below of others who you think would be interested in signing the petition. When you hit the "Send" button they will receive an e-mail invitation with displayed text from you to visit this site.

A second easy way is to forward on the confirming e-mail you will receive after signing the petition. It is designed to be sent on to others and includes a link back to this site.

We have also prepared some circulars you can print off and distribute to others. They are available here.

Finally, you can print off a copy of the petition to distribute to those who do not have Internet access and return the signed petition forms to us. Click here.

We would love to hear any additional ideas you have. Please e-Mail us to let us know what is working for you in your area to spread the word.

Thanks for whatever you can do to help in this critical effort to defend marriage in Canada!

 

About Us

Canadian Citizens to Defend Marriage (CCDM) is a national, grassroots, citizen-based effort headquartered in Toronto and organized by Canadians across Canada who believe that defending traditional marriage and protecting the family is crucial to our future as a nation and a society.

We encourage all Canadians of all ages to sign the online National Marriage Petition as a way of speaking out jointly for preserving traditional marriage in Canada. In addition we encourage concerned citizens to write government officials and Members of Parliament to also express their support for traditional marriage.

The CCDM is sponsored by United Families International/Canada, an affiliate of United Families International. United Families International (UFI) supports efforts to maintain and strengthen families around the world through education and advocating for families in international forums. You can learn more about UFI here. UFI supports this Web site and is responsible for ensuring that the commitments of the privacy pledge are met and that signers are kept informed about the progress of the petition and about issues and opportunities to defend traditional marriage and the family. Defend Marriage, a group organized to defend marriage in the political arena, also provides essential support to this effort.

We depend on Canadians who care about our future and know how important strong families are to help us circulate this petition on the Web. We are counting on you to send the petition to everyone you can, urge them to sign it, and to pass it on to others.

Please join us in this important campaign!

Public opinion

A May 2013 Ipsos poll of residents of 16 countries found that 63% of respondents in Canada were in favour of same-sex marriage and another 13% supported other form of recognition for same-sex couples.
Right after same-sex marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court of the United States in June 2015, a poll by Forum Research showed that 70% of Canadians approved same-sex marriage, while 22% disapproved
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Canada

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