Same Sex Marriage Not a Religious Issue

I was watching CBC Newsworld this afternoon when a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress wasn interviewed and said that he and his organisation support the SSM bill. I checked out their website and pulled this from their mission statement:

Muslim Canadian Congress/Mission Statement: "Members of the Muslim Canadian Congress come from all parts of the world with diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. We are proud of our Muslim heritage and the great contribution of Islam to human civilization. As Muslim Canadians we believe in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Canadian constitution as our guiding principles. "

The individual and this mission statement seems to be very wise. The individual articulated a position that separated the SSM issue from religion as religion. What the issue really is, is a matter of individual freedom as equal freedom. The freedom that individuals have to participate in their religion as they see it depends fundamentally on the extent to which the state treats individuals as free and equal. This means that the state ought to treat the personal and spiritual lives as a place where legislation ought not to intrude. That is, legislation ought to only intrude on that area only to the extent that it serves to make individuals equal.

So long as the legislation does not require religions to perform the marriages or endorse them, then I think this legislation is an improvement on our current state of affairs. Legislation that strengthens equality strengthens the abilities of individuals to live according to their religion. I believe that this idea is what was underlying the statements I heard on CBC because he stated that his support was out of respect for the plight of others to garner respect and recognition. Respect is what equality is all about!