Anglican Communion News Service

(Anglican Church of Canada) The Anglican bishops of Alberta have sent the following letter to the provincial Premier:

Dear Mr Premier

We, the Bishops of the three Anglican dioceses in Alberta, write to urge your Government to respect the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada regarding discrimination on the basis of homosexual orientation. We implore you not to invoke the "notwithstanding clause" which we believe would be a grossly unjust and retrograde step.

We ask you to take this position in the face of strong and vociferous opposition to it out of several convictions which are deeply rooted in Christian doctrine. All human persons, homosexual or heterosexual, are created in the image and likeness of God and therefore are always to be treated with profound respect, dignity, with fairness and justice. Further all discrimination against persons is wrong and this clearly includes discrimination against homosexual persons. Like every other member of society, homosexual persons should not suffer from prejudice and discrimination against their basic human rights. They, like all of us, have a right to respect, friendship and justice. Three years ago the General Synod of our church condemned bigotry, violence and hatred directed toward any due to their sexual orientation.

In Christian teaching, homosexual orientation as such is not a moral failure and does not constitute sufficient reason for treating a person with such an orientation in any way different from other members of society.

The church, of whom we are a part, has a serious responsibility to work for the elimination of any injustices perpetrated on homosexuals by society. Certainly nothing in the church's teaching can be said to support the victimisation of homosexual men and women. It is clearly offensive that homosexuals have been in the past and sadly are today the object of cruelty and violence, both in speech and in action and discrimination. Such behaviour undermines the basic Christian conviction of the dignity and infinite worth of every human being. We are all called to strive to eliminate any form of injustice against them.

This does not give approval to homosexual activity, nor is it an endorsement of homosexual lifestyles. The church continues to affirm its traditional teaching that only the sexual union of male and female can find appropriate expression within the covenant of marriage. What the position we have outlined does do is give strong disapproval to discrimination against people because of their homosexual orientation.

Thank you for giving your consideration to this letter.

Yours sincerely,

The Most Rev. J. Barry Curtis, Archbishop of Calgary