Eric C. Keast
Dear editor,
While reading the Sept. 12 Fort Frances Times, I was struck by what appeared to be an orchestrated, multiple-entry religious attack on same-sex marriage.
Three out of four “letters to the editor” had the same general form, paraphrased as: “… the bible does not mention marriage between men, or between women, therefore same-sex marriage is wrong (evil) and we should not feel bad for thinking so.”
If there was an actual coordination between Christian flocks to deluge our common paper with their talking points, then that is their obnoxiously-pursued right.
However, holding up their holy book as blueprint for Canadian Marriage-Law displays a fundamental misunderstanding of our Constitution and Charter of Rights.
British law has been moving away from religious basis since the Magna Carta (1215 AD) placed law in the hands of the people and away from the “divine right” of kings. Whom can marry whom in our country is not a religious matter, but a civil one.
Furthermore, claiming the bible as a basis for ultimate morality in our country and “biblical morality as a basis for society” ignores the terrible deeds and stupendously evil campaigns waged on its behalf or with its participation. For example: Witch-hunts, the Inquisition, the Crusades, the Holocaust, slavery and segregation in the USA, and more recently, the residential schools system. Just to mention a few such things.
Lastly, claiming the bible as a basis for shaping our society and nation pointedly disregards fellow Canadians who do not base their morality in a brutal iron age society and pre-scientific legends translated through multiple languages.
A morality that is “reality-based” and respectful of our fellow human beings is, perhaps, a better compass to direct the growth of our country.
Eric C. Keast
