Canada on Wednesday became the fourth country to officially recognize gay marriage as the Senate passed Bill C-38 (Washington Blade ) and the act received royal assent (RedNova News).
The new statute contains two provisions specifically protecting the religious freedom of those who object to gay unions: "officials of religious groups are free to refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs" and "no person or organization shall be deprived of any benefit, or be subject to any obligation or sanction, under any law of the Parliament of Canada solely by reason of their exercise, in respect of marriage between persons of the same sex, of the freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the expression of their beliefs in respect of marriage as the union of a man and woman to the exclusion of all others based on that guaranteed freedom."
The full text and legislative history of the Act is available online.
