A Canadian court has ruled that the traditional definition of marriage—as an exclusive union between a man and a woman—must now be stretched to accommodate same-sex relationships. In its July 12 decision, the Ontario Superior Court said that the common law definition of marriage “as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others” “is inconsistent with constitutional values in modern Canadian society, and offends the equality rights of gays and lesbians” under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The court has given the federal government two years to reformulate the common law marriage definition to make provision for the legal recognition of same-sex marriages.

Attorney Barry Bussey, public affairs and religious liberty director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ontario, says the court has overreached its role, and has failed to show proper deference to the role of the legislature. “The court’s decision amounts to a radical alteration of the constitution,” says Bussey. “In matters of gay rights, the legislative process to amend the constitution has been consistently ignored. We expect to see this case appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.”

With last week’s decision, the province of Ontario becomes one of only two jurisdictions worldwide where same-sex marriage is recognized. In 2001, the legislature of the Netherlands adopted a bill expanding the legal definition of marriage to include homosexual unions.

The traditional family unit is a “treasure worth preserving,” says Bussey. “Marriage is the basic building block of our society; one that has been tested over time, and which has served as the core unit of civilization for thousands of years.”

Traditional marriage is a concept that is also deeply entrenched in the fabric of Canada’s social and legal systems, adds Bussey. He points to a case decided last year by the British Columbia Supreme Court, which found that marriage, in Canada’s constitution and common law, “unambiguously means a monogamous opposite-sex relationship.”

Bussey says that Adventists have a responsibility to make their voices heard on this issue. “Another way for Adventists to defend against this assault on marriage,” he suggests, “is to model the importance of marriage in their own lives; to put their energies into building healthy, stable families that stand as a witness to the vital role this institution plays in society.”

An official statement of the Adventist world church, adopted in 1999, affirms the church’s commitment to the Biblical principle that “sexual intimacy belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman.” According to the statement, Adventists will endeavor to follow the example of Jesus when he “offered caring ministry and words of solace to struggling people, while differentiating his love for sinners from his clear teaching about sinful practices.”

The Ontario case began in 2001 when the provincial government refused to legally recognize the marriages of two same-sex couples who had participated in “wedding ceremonies” in a Toronto community church.