Comments on: Defense For Canadian polygamists cites gay marriage

By: Shawn

Shawn — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:37:19 +0000

Hmmm…go figure! Friggin’ mormons and their multiple wives!! Can you believe this breeder has over 100 F*****G offspring!! Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE!!

By: Sarrellec

Sarrellec — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:30:01 +0000

Chris Sullivan said:
…This has NOTHING whatsoever to dow polygamy – which is degrading to ALL women.”
Really? Are you positing the opinion that women don’t have the strength of will or self to say “no”?
Now, THAT attitude is degrading to women.
Others have mentioned the multiple marriages to 12-year olds.
There are already laws regarding legal age of consent. Outlawing polygamy–much like outlawing abortion won’t do anything to stop abortion–won’t do anything to stop the abuse of under-age marriage.
Enforcing existing laws is the available remedy for underage or forced marriages.
And, again, why do some assume that women are so incapable of controlling their own lives that they can be forced to marry someone.
They can leave. A fully functional female body and mind have the same abilities of self-defense, fight or flight, that a male body and mind have.
For a society to immediately assume that women, faced with legal polygamy, suddenly lose their ability of self actuation is REALLY degrading to women.

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:25:45 +0000

If its between two ADULTS who cares? Its not hurting anyone. But there needs to be more transparency in the Mormon community.Personally I think all religions are a bunch of crap but religion is protected in Canada as well as in the US. Personally I don’t care what they do so long as they are not marrying little girls. Let them believe in an imaginary man who lives in the sky. AS long as they let me live my life it’s all good to me.

By: Aiden Raccoon

Aiden Raccoon — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:25:03 +0000

What does gay marriage have to do with polygamy? These are completely separate issues. Here’s the problem with polygamy. You can’t have one man saying he has the right to marry as many women as he wants. It is not fair to the women involved and tax issues cannot be resolved between multiple partners like this. Gay marriage is a union between two consenting adults and no harm is done to either party.

As a matter of fact I sincerely hope that they use the gay marriage laws for their defense. They will lose and then we will have proof that gays getting married is not such a slippery slope after all.

By: Corey

Corey — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:31:48 +0000

More than likely, the prosecuters will bring up past Supreme Court of Canada cases(R v. Butler, R v. Keegstra). Both those dealt with rights being violated(Freedom of Expression). In both instances the Courts agreed about the violation, but stated that the violation was justified. Butler(obscenity law prohibiting sale of pornography), because porn is seen as being degrading and harmful to women and children. Keegstra(Hate Speech Law), because it protected minority groups from undue harm of hate speech proclaimed by others.

If the prosecuters are smart, they will cite these. Yes, the defendents right to freedom of religion was violated, but the harm of allowing polygamy in that community would be much greater than the harm of restricting his right to have multiple wives.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:37:58 +0000

Randy: “This isn’t about biology or religion or abuse or rape or revenge.”

Tom: I do not disagree.

Randy: “It’s just like gay marriage which WAS illegal in Canada (there is such a thing as case law you know…)”

Tom: The Criminal Code (in this case, http://www.canlii.net/ca/sta/c-46/sec293.html) ‘trumps’ case law.

Randy: “It’s about the choice of adults to form the relationships they want to make, and government infringements on those (some say God-given) rights.”

Tom: Uhm? Are you one of the some who “say God-given”?? What’s next Randy; an invocation of ‘natural law’??!

Randy: “I think it’s a pretty open-and-shut case that Canada’s polygamy law is unconstitutional, which is why it’s almost never been enforced.”

Tom: It has not been enforced because it has not been enforced.

Randy: “As people who have had our relationships devalued and prohibited, we should support those adults who find themselves in the same situation.”

Tom: Agreed.

Randy: “Or are we just embarrassed and angry to support people “like them” who “hate us”?

Tom: I hope we’re not…

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:15:08 +0000

Truthfully as long as the balance is that women if they choose can marry multiple people and it is not one sided where it is only allowed for men or for heterosexuals then I see no problem with polygamy. If it is consensual and I don’t mean attached to some religious belief that men should be allowed to use up the sperm they have, if it actually is about love then go ahead. I do have a problem comparing it to gay marriage though. If it is to be compared then it should be compared to marriage in general.

By: john wilfred sharp

john wilfred sharp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:45:09 +0000

religious freaks
20 wives and adultery is condemned.
what a joke

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:39:36 +0000

This isn’t about biology or religion or abuse or rape or revenge. It’s just like gay marriage which WAS illegal in Canada (there is such a thing as case law you know…) It’s about the choice of adults to form the relationships they want to make, and government infringements on those (some say God-given) rights. I think it’s a pretty open-and-shut case that Canada’s polygamy law is unconstitutional, which is why it’s almost never been enforced. As people who have had our relationships devalued and prohibited, we should support those adults who find themselves in the same situation. Or are we just embarrassed and angry to support people “like them” who “hate us”? There’s a word for that…

By: Wayne

Wayne — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:37:45 +0000

Those supporting legal polygamy cannot justly use the legalization of marriage equality for same-sex couples to justify what they are trying to achieve. Marriage equality for same-sex couples recognizes the equality of men and women, but also of LGBT people and heterosexual people. On the other hand legalized polygamy, especially the forced polygamy of this religious sect asserts the old idea that women are inferior to men. This is another case of a religious group using their religion as a justification for what would otherwise be considered outrageous.