CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL

CONTEMPLATE THIS! Unitarians Affirm Religious Freedom

Canadian Unitarians hailed the federal government’s proposed legislation on same-sex marriage, which would allow faith groups to decide for themselves whether to offer wedding services for gay or lesbian couples. At last, say Unitarian ministers and lay chaplains, they will have the religious freedom to perform weddings for all couples whom they believe are in committed and non-abusive relationships.

"While we have been performing holy unions of same-sex couples for nearly 30 years," said Rev Brian Kopke of the Ottawa Unitarian Church, "previously, we could not be true to our principle of ‘affirming and promoting the inherent worth and dignity of every person’ by providing the same religious ceremony to all of our members and friends regardless of sexual orientation."

Recent polls show a substantial majority of Canadians are in favour of equal marriage for same-sex couples. Since June 10 in Ontario, and July 8 in BC, Unitarian ministers and lay chaplains have been asked to officiate at more than 100 weddings for same-sex couples.

"I think the legislation has balance," said the Rev. Brian Kiely, Minister of the Unitarian Church of Edmonton. "Despite cries to the contrary, no religious group will be forced to marry a same sex couple. The state does not have that right."

Freedom of religion is another of the seven Unitarian principles: the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. If clergy in other faiths do not wish to conduct weddings for certain categories of persons – say, divorced persons, or people from two different faiths – Unitarians defend their right to make that choice.

"Members of other faiths wishing to see such marriages take place will have to bring change from within their religion." said Rev. Kiely. "That's as it should be. For decades, we Unitarians have been proudly offering marriage services to interfaith couples who have been refused service by their religious leaders."

"We don’t make exclusions," said Mary Bennett, Executive Director of the Canadian Unitarian Council. "More than half of Canadian Unitarians and Universalists are members of Welcoming Congregations that have successfully completed an educational and organizational program to affirm their celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transexual persons."

Offering "marriage" to heterosexual couples and "commitment ceremonies" to same-sex couples has long struck Unitarian ministers and lay chaplains as a double standard. Now, at last, they can leave the hypocrisy behind, and offer same-sex couples the full embrace of their faith.

The Canadian Unitarian Council/Conseil unitarien du Canada (CUC), is an association of forty-four congregations located across Canada with 5,200 individual members. Arising out of the work of outspoken reformers and dissenters within the Christian tradition five centuries ago, the Unitarian movement today includes Universalists and flows in a broad religious stream augmented by Humanist, earth-centred, Buddhist and other progressive beliefs.

For more information, contact:

Rev. Brian Kiely, Edmonton brian@cuc.ca  780-423-7748

Rev. Brian Kopke, Ottawa, brian@kopke.com  613-725-1066

Mary Bennett, Executive Director executivedirector@cuc.ca 

Background information including brief and previous news releases at: www.cuc.ca/queer