PM Harper is defending same-sex “marriage” the same way he defends abortion: “we have no intention of re-opening this debate.” However, there is a small glitch in the SSM (same-sex “marriage”) debate, whether he likes it or not.

            A couple of lesbians got “married” in Canada in 2005 when Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin had succeeded in fooling Canadians in believing that this was a universal “right.” Now they are ready for the next step—divorce. However, the Canadian government failed to figure this one out in advance. One guesses guess they assumed that same-sex marriages would be quite unlike heterosexual “marriages” where 1 in 2 marriages end in divorce. So now we will start to see these homosexual “marriages” start to unravel. In the case in point, however, the couple found more than they had bargained for.

Present law in Canada does not allow for divorce in certain circumstances. First, couples who want a divorce must live in Canada for a year before they can be divorced. Secondly, same-sex marriages are legal in Canada if they are legal in the couple’s home country or state. Getting back to our divorcing lesbian couple, one is from England and the other from Florida. They do not reside in Canada. and neither England nor Florida recognizes same-sex marriage. Since they do not meet the requirements, they cannot get a divorce in Canada. 

And since the countries they reside in do not recognize SSM, they can’t get a divorce in those jurisdictions either.

This reminds us of the song made famous by the Kingston Trio of Charlie who gets aboard a Boston subway car. He can’t get off because he doesn’t have the “exit fare” that has just been established to collect an increased fare without upgrading existing fare collection equipment. So he is destined to ride the train forever.

                        Did he ever return?

                        No, he never returned

                        And his fate is still unlearn’d

                        He may ride forever

                        ‘neath the streets of Boston

                        He’s the man who never returned.

            There is a certain hilarity to this dilemma of Canada’s conservative government whose MPs voted against SSM a few years ago, but whose dictatorial leader Stephen Harper and his Attorney-General Rob Nicholson have decided to back the LGTB, etc. crowd this time around and see what they can do for them with a little legal stick handling.

            Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is defending gay rights around the world. On January 23, he urged Commonwealth countries to protect the “rights” of homosexuals, singling out African and Caribbean countries for criminalizing homosexuality….” (National Post, Jan. 24, 2012, p. 6)

            In other words, Harper is following in the footsteps of Obama (See: “Making the world safe for same-sex relations,” Catholic Insight web, Jan. 4).

            The time has come for Canadian pro-lifers to disavow Stephen Harper and to tell their Conservative MPs that unless there is action they are on their own from here on in.