Interim StaffRecently, small groups of concerned citizens have met with Darrel Reid, national president of Focus on the Family Canada, to hear about his organization’s plan to protect marriages in Canada.

Reid explained that we are at a historic time in our country. The question of the redefinition of marriage has come before our nation at a time when an election is on the horizon. Reid asked: “What can we do to raise the issue of marriage to the top of the political discussion?”

He said that marriage is not a trendy institution subject to redefinition, but rather a union between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. This is a reality for most Canadians. The benefits that traditional marriage creates for each of us and for our society is why we must be concerned about this institution.

The unique benefits of marriage include:

  • Married people live longer, healthier and with less depression
  • Marriage provides better physical and emotional health
  • Marriage offers greater financial well-being (this is society’s best social safety net)
  • Married people are less likely to be perpetrators or victims of crime (both adults and children of a stable marriage)

The value of marriage:

  • Children develop best through male and female interaction
  • Children experience better physical and emotional health and longevity
  • Children experience significantly less serious abuse

A series of court decisions in Canada have stated that the traditional definition of marriage is discriminatory and unconstitutional. The federal government refused to appeal the court decisions, while the British Columbia government told marriage commissioners to perform same-sex marriages or resign.

History tells us that when we weaken the sanctity of marriage, it results in negative consequences to society. When divorce laws were relaxed in 1969, and then again in the early 1980s, the result was a significant increase in the number of divorces. Children of divorced parents still hope to have life-long relationships with one partner, but they are fearful of commitment and are more likely to divorce.

Common-law unions became recognized by our government as legally equal to marriage, resulting in the replacement of marriage as the first conjugal relationship for Canadians. The vast majority of Canadians between the ages of 60-69 (95 per cent) entered into marriage as their first conjugal relationship, with only one per cent of that group living together first. More than half – 52 per cent – of Canadians between the ages of 20-29 live together first and only 35 per cent enter into marriage as their first conjugal relationship.

Numerous studies have shown that the benefits of living together are not equal to the benefits of marriage. Common-law unions have the highest rate of spousal abuse and child abuse and have a higher rate of breaking up.

Reid explained that we – people of faith, groups dedicated to traditional marriage – have a great opportunity this year to make a difference. The majority of Canadians support the traditional definition of marriage and this is a federal election year. A compass survey completed on Dec. 8, 2003 showed that 63 per cent of Canadians support the traditional definition of marriage, compared to 31 per cent who favour redefinition to include same-sex couples.

Focus on the Family is acting by partnering with all concerned Canadians to make the marriage issue an issue in this upcoming federal election. The time to speak about marriage and vote to preserve the traditional definition of marriage is now.

Focus on the Family has developed a national media campaign that is designed to target age 30-plus Canadians. Focus hopes to raise and spend $1.5 million on a three-week campaign that will buy TV commercials, newspaper advertisements in the 21 largest daily newspapers in Canada and radio advertising during the most listened to talk radio broadcasts nation-wide. Focus will advertise in key Christian newspapers and is encouraging supporters to contact them to sponsor an ad in their local weekly newspapers.