The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
From health care to taxes to accountability, many Canadians are considering an array of matters as they prepare to cast their ballots. But for much of the Christian community, a single subject Ñ the future of the traditional definition of marriage Ñ supersedes most others. "The big issue is same-sex marriage," says Pastor Mark Ramshaw of the Amisk Lake Church in Denare Beach. "That is the issue that I hear. That's probably 85 per cent of the issues and everything else would fill up the other 15 per cent. Christians are very concerned about this." Of the three major parties, only Stephen Harper's Conservatives say they will allow the same-sex marriage issue to be decided by a free vote in Parliament. That's no guarantee the definition of marriage would not change under Harper, but Pastor Ramshaw believes that's the best traditionalists can hope for this election. "What I see happening amongst Christians of various denominations is that they tend to be looking at the Conservative Party and Mr. Harper's position," he said. "In politics today, we almost have to pick the devil with the shortest horns. That's kind of what we're looking at because no one is coming out and saying, 'We will guarantee that there will be no same-sex marriage.'" Pastor Ramshaw said many Christians oppose same-sex marriage on two fronts. Not only do they feel it violates their religious beliefs, they also worry that it may eventually force pastors to perform marriages that they do not condone. "It's a slippery slope," he said. "Ten years ago, who would have even thought we'd be debating the issue?" While a large segment of Christians and the church community in general would like to see a more conservative voice this campaign, Pastor Ramshaw believes that may not be realistic in today's "politically correct" climate. He pointed to the openly religious Stockwell Day, the 2000 Canadian Alliance candidate for prime minister whom the pastor felt was "demonized." "It just seems that you can't even raise [socially conservative positions] without being branded as some Elmer Gantry type," said Pastor Ramshaw, referring to the title character of a novel and film about a fundamentalist, though hypocritical, minister.
