Divorcing Marriage

by Cere, Daniel

• ISBN13: 9780773528956
• ISBN10: 0773528954
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ Pr

Summary

Is redefining marriage to include same-sex unions simply an act of fairness to gays and lesbians - another step in the evolution to a just society? Or is it a hastily conceived social experiment that will undermine human rights, deflecting marriage from the support of children to the mere affirmation of sexual commitment between adults?Written for a broad readership, Divorcing Marriage sheds light on three central questions: How did Canada come to the point of proposing a redefinition of marriage? Where would redefinition take Canadian society? Do the Charter and equality rights mandate exchanging an opposite-sex institution for one built on "the union of two persons"? The contributors ask Canadians to pause for reflection and take a closer look at the arguments for and against redefinition of marriage. They implore us to examine the effects of marriage on children, the law, freedom of speech and religion, and society as a whole.The authors are prominent Canadians in the fields of law, ethics, political science, religion, and culture and include, among others, Margaret Somerville, Ted Morton, F.C. DeCoste, Katherine Young, and Conservative Party MP John McKay.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Maggie Gallagher
Acknowledgements	xi
Introduction: Canada's Romantic Mistake	1	(8)
Douglas Farrow
One The Conflict
War of the Ring	9	(20)
Daniel Cere
Confusion on the Hill	29	(12)
John McKay
Two The Casualties
The Future of an Experiment	41	(22)
Katherine K. Young and Paul Nathanson
What About the Children?	63	(16)
Margaret Somerville
Whose Rights? Whose Freedoms?	79	(18)
Darrel Reid and Janet Epp Buckingham
Three The Excuses
Rights and Recognition	97	(23)
Douglas Farrow
What's the Charter Got to Do With It?	120	(15)
F.C. DeCoste
Four The Alternative
Taking Section 33 Seriously	135	(20)
F.L. (Ted) Morton
Facing Reality	155	(20)
Douglas Farrow
Conclusion	175	(8)
Daniel Cere
Contributors	183	(2)
Index	185