Conservatives Award Order of Canada to Gay Pastor Who Attacked Vatican, Performed Illegal Gay "Marriages"
OTTAWA, Ontario, July 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Rev. Brent Hawkes of the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto, the same man who flouted Canadian law by illegally "marrying" a homosexual couple in 2001, and who subsequently pushed homosexual "marriage" on Canada through the back-door of the judicial system, has now been awarded the highest honor that can be given to a Canadian civilian. This past Friday, Rev. Brent Hawkes was awarded, along with several dozen others, the high honour of the Order of Canada, given in recognition of "a lifetime of distinguished service in or to a particular community, group or field of activity." The award given under the Conservative Government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has come as a shock to social conservatives and Catholics since Hawkes, in addition to flouting the law on marriage has attacked the Vatican. In an affidavit before the Supreme Court of Canada Hawkes bashed a Vatican document on homosexual unions and statements by Catholic bishops on the same as "expressions of hatred that should not be tolerated in our society." According to the Globe and Mail, Hawkes recognized the "irony" of the situation: "I'm used to picketing governments," said Hawkes, according to the Globe, "taking them to court." "It's amazing. My head's spinning a little bit," he said. "It's just an amazing moment to focus on what a great country this is." In 2001 Hawkes illegally "married" a lesbian couple in his Toronto church, and when the Canadian government would not recognize the "marriage" as valid, he took the government to court. Subsequently, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recognized the "marriage" as legal, beginning a process of judicial activism that eventually culminated in the legalization of homosexual "marriage" by Canada's Parliament. Brian Rushfeldt, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Canada Family Action Coalition (CFAC), who has worked to defend traditional marriage in Canada, lamented the naming of Hawkes to the Order of Canada. "Awarding the Order of Canada to someone who has worked tirelessly to destroy the foundation of marriage is a very questionable act," Rushfeldt said in an interview with LifeSiteNew.scom. "I like the award, but to give an award to someone who has spent his energies undermining the foundation of man/woman marriage is certainly a wrong reason." Rushfeldt also pointed out that the fact that this award was given while the Conservative government is in power does not bode well for conservatives. "The fact that we continue to reward activists that are undermining the conservative values and the conservative value base is not going to fare well. Even if it was not something that that the government itself or the prime minister or a minister of the department would or could step into, for the governor general to approve this kind of an award is clearly an indication that she herself is in support of undermining marriage, the very essence and foundation of our society. And obviously the conservative government did nothing to change that or stop it."

Make no mistake that I have not changed my view that gay individuals in Canada have the right to a secular marriage or a marriage within a church, mosque, or temple that teaches that their lifestyle is appropriate. My disagreement is with Mr. Harper and his dishonesty. He nurtured many votes from people who were against same sex marriage by attending rallies and by making it an integral value in his party. He paid attention to the fact that it was a vote-grabber and then did an about face after he was elected. Shame on him for his dishonesty and for taking misusing the trust and confidence of so many people.

It is also especially shameful that he would choose the Order of Canada to acknowledge someone who has said hurtful and controversial things about the Vatican when so many faithful Catholics are his base.

With many tears last election I saw supposedly pro-life people decide to swallow their concerns and vote for Stephen because of his views on gay marriage. They voted for the most pro-choice PM in history in order to prevent two men from marryijng. Something I won't ever understand. It is amazing now to watch them all have to come to terms with the reality that not only did they elect a pro-choice man but a man that has rejected his campaign promises about the traditional family as well.