Will law silence the church? Bill that would outlaw the Bible and Catechism in Canada passes House

Washington Times ^ | April 2004

[NYer]

Christian leaders in Canada fear that a new law might de facto condemn portions of the Bible as hate literature, an Anglican online service reports.

Bill C-250, which is currently before the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, proposes the proscription of public statements condemning homosexual behavior.

This could lead to a prosecution of the church for teaching that "sexual conduct between people of the same sex is morally wrong," warned the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in a letter to Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, according to Virtuosity Digest, a conservative Anglican online publication.

Janet Buckingham, director of law and public policy for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, said senators told her they are "getting a ton of phone calls and e-mails opposing the bill."

[NYer]

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

FROM THE SAME HOMOSEXUAL CANADIAN POLITICIAN WHO RIDICULED 9/11... ...comes a bill that would outlaw the Bible and Catechism in Canada.
Pete Vere

I kid you not.  Canadians are now on the verge of losing their religious and civil liberties.  Private Member's Bill C-250 will potentially outlaw the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in Canada as hate literature.  What frightens me and other Canadian Christians is that the bill already passed our House of Commons and is on the verge of passing in the Senate as well.

Bill C-250 is a private member’s bill that enshrines “sexual orientation” in Canada’s anti-hate speech laws.  It leaves the expressions  “sexual orientation” and “hate speech” undefined. Yet in recent rulings upheld by Canada's human rights tribunals, simply quoting from the Bible and other religious texts can now land you massive fines with the threat of incarceration.   Perhaps it is providential that Envoy Magazine has added an electronic edition so that our Canadian readership can remain informed.

The sponsor of Bill C-250 is none other than Svend Robinson.  Mr. Robinson hails from the electoral riding of Burnaby in British Columbia.  Besides being a member of the Canadian parliament, he is also Canada’s most well-known homosexual.  Mr. Robinson abandoned his wife midway through his career as a socialist politician to pursue a male lover. Nevertheless, he should not be confused with the Episcopalian bishop of New Hampshire.

Of course, in Svend’s Canada mocking Christians and insulting Americans does not constitute hate speech.  Asked what he thought of born-again Christians, Newsmax reports Svend’s response as follows: “Did they have to come back again as themselves?” 

Even more shameful is Mr. Robinson’s response to a recent Canadian effort to support our neighbors to the south during a time of national tragedy.  “According to Mr. Robinson,” the National Post reports, “9/11 might instead be named ‘Chile Day' - a sneering reference to the fact that Chilean president Salvador Allende died on the same day in a 1973 U.S.- backed military coup that resulted in shameful bloodshed.”

John Pacheco is one of the key individuals organizing a protest against Bill C-250 on parliament hill for this coming weekend.  He discusses the threat this bill poses to religious and civil liberties in Canada on Ottawa's Christian radio station this morning.

John is working with Connie Wilkins who operates FreeDominion.ca -- the Canadian affiliate of FreeRepublic.  Connie has set up the following website detailing the Freedom Day protest on Parliament Hill this Saturday: http://www.freedominion.ca/libertyday.htm

Connie and John also sent me the following press-release detailing this event.  Below it, I've detailed some ideas on what our sympathetic American neighbours can do to help us:

------------
Ottawa, April 14, 2004 (National Liberty Day Committee)

On Saturday April 17, 2004, thousands of Canadians will converge on Parliament Hill to uphold and defend the fundamental freedoms of speech and religious liberty, and to express their opposition to the totalitarian impulse currently asserting itself in the legislative and judicial branches of the Canadian government. 

The rally has been called to draw attention to the imminent passage of Bill C-250, the proposed legislation which seeks to effectively criminalize the _expression of opinions against homosexual behaviour.  Organizers and participants believe that the passage of the Bill will accelerate the current persecution of Christians, Muslims, and other conscientious opponents of the homosexual lifestyle.  It is feared that the Bill will be used as an intimidation ploy to silence dissent and discussion on the moral and public health risks of the homosexual activity.

Participants are to gather at the Supreme Court at 2:00pm and then peacefully march to Parliament Hill for the demonstration which will feature music as well as speeches from politicians, religious leaders, and other prominent citizens.  Organizers are encouraging participants to bring their Canadian flags as a sign of solidarity and unity. The event is scheduled to end by 4:30pm.

For more information on the rally, visit the National Liberty Day Rally webpage at: http://www.freedominion.ca/libertyday.htm
-------------------------------

Unfortunately, as previously noted, we Canadians cannot go this alone.  Nor can American Christians allow Canadian Christians to fall behind enemy lines in the culture war.  So what can you do to help us? 

Well, come to the protest if it is possible.  If not, please keep us in prayer.  Additionally, please remember that despite the anti-Christian and anti-American sentiment of Canada's cultural left, our government still understands that Canadian tourism depends quite a bit on the American dollar.  So please go to the following website and tell the Ministry of Tourism that you are an American and a Christian with lots of tourist dollars, that you find Svend's comments about 9/11 offensive, and that you feel Bill C-250 is an encroachment of religious liberty in Canada.  The contact URL for our Ministry of Tourism is: http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/feedback/feedback.html

Please pass this along to others as well...

[GeronL]

I hope others see this thread.

[NYer]

Please help our Canadian friends!

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[Rams82]

I heard about something like this on Michael Savage's show. He said the Bible could be considered hate speech in Canada and therefore banned.

[NYer]

Today, Canada - tomorrow, the US! Please bump your lists.

[goldstategop]

Leftists would like to ban all speech of which they do not approve.

[Rams82]

They will have a hard time taking Bibles away here in Texas...

[little jeremiah]

Homosexual Agenda Ping - Ok, Canada's ALMOST done, get the fork ready.

Make sure everyone you know sees this. Yup, Bible is hatespeech. We are taught to hate sin. Is this bad or good?

Let me get this right: the Torah is hatespeech, the Talmud is hatespeech, Old and New Testament are hatespeech, the Vedas are hatespeech, the Bhagavad Gita is hatespeech, Buddha's teachings are hatespeech, Sikh dharma is hatespeech, Jain teachings are hatespeech, Parsee religion is hatespeech, - any others that teach sex is right in marriage, wrong outside of marriage, and especially wrong between two people of the same sex?

Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.

[GeronL]

They will have a hard time taking Bibles away here in Texas

HHmmmm... 'free bible with purchase of gun' would be common at gun stores in Texas if they tried to ban bibles. =o)

[DoughtyOne]

This is some pretty scarey stuff, and yes I'm serious.

Religious liberty is the cornerstone of our nation. If these types of laws are showing up in Canada, one ponders how long they will take to appear here.

Don't laugh this off folks. When religious liberty is gone here, look out.

[dsc]

"Leftists would like to ban all speech of which they do not approve."

Yup. That's the way they are, and that's why I say one cannot be both a leftist and a decent person.

[EAGLE7]

I used to say jokingly that one day it would be illegal to speak the name Jesus. Well it has begun. Don't be surprised my friends when it begins to happen in the U.S. If they hated Him, they will hate his followers too.

[Puddleglum]

Canada is acting like Europe West again (you know - Europe - where they don't allow citizens to vote on ceding their national sovereignty to the EU?). Voter apathy is allowing legislators and justices to steam roll their rights. Let's see if they can awaken from their slumber enough to object.

[ought-six]

Canada is falling into the abyss. De profundis.

[ought-six]

"They will have a hard time taking Bibles away here in Texas..."

The surest way for the Left to start a civil war is to try and confiscate the Bibles of American Christians.

[Aquinasfan]

Somehow I think this could be good in the long run. It's better for Satan to promote his agenda overtly, rather than covertly and indirectly through the media. Maybe the public will realize what's going on. Maybe.

[vandykelastone]

Oh. canada. They of the flying beach towel flag are prepared to strike again. Keep voting Liberal, boys. And remember the "no prayer" services after September 11, and the "no mention of Jesus or God" at the services in Nova Scotia on the beach after the air crash. Sort of makes you wonder where they found a Bible for Andrew Wallet to swear on the other day in parliament, assuming it actually WAS a Bible - I mean, it didn't burst into flames or anything when he touched it.

[tob2]

I've seen it. What on earth are they thinking?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

So long, Canada. Its been good to know ya.

[chatham]

These idiot homosexual whacko's give new impetus to the reason for civil unrest and worse.
It is time to react to deconstruction of our culture by beings with a disordered mentality, and that includes politicians who support this disgrace.
When will we stand up to the machinations of these sick people?
Incrimentalism has run amok and has run wild because of our misplaced tolerance.

[vandykelastone]

Like hell it's been good to know them! Not for YEARS! Not for 36 years, to be precise. The election of canada's celebrated practicing homosexual prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, and all his homosexual cabinet (read closet)members who remain in power in the liberal party today. Not to mention Pretty Boy Svend and half the rest of the NDP. No military to speak of except the largest general staff in the civilized world. canada's official church - the United Church - riddled, publicly, with homosexuals. The largest haven for terrorists outside the middle east. The Toronto Stock Exchange propped up by federal government insistence on pension funds being invested in canada. Do I have to go on here?

[CSM]

We will soon be invaded with the same agenda. The foundation for such actions was already signed into law by GWB. The CFR elimination of the 1st ammendment is just a stepping stone to other actions. As a society we have accepted the mantra of "freedom from religion" as a replacement of "freedom of religion". We are reaping what we have sown.

The attack is alive and strengthening in all areas of our lives. Every Ammendment is under attack and in many cases a lot of Freepers have supported these attacks. It is just a matter of time before something that they believe in will be attacked. It won't take long to cross our northern border.

Personally, I am getting tired from fighting constitutional infringements and I am about to sit down and let it just happen.

[vaudine]

Freeped the Tourism ministry. Told them this is a frightening and appalling curtailment of free speech and religious freedom, and taken along with the booing of US national anthem at recent hockey games, and statements by govt officials, had rethought any future trip to Canada.

vaudine

[SheLion]

Great Dane, is this true??????

One person said on Fox News yesterday that we are destroying ourselves from within. That the terriorist can just sit and wait.

[SpookBrat]

Thought y'all might find this interesting. Almost hard to believe.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I'm armed and ready should the need arise. I will not go down without a fight. America without freedom is not America.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Well...I always have a good time when I'm in Calgary.

[sausageseller]

Connie Wilkins who operates Free Dominion.ca -- the Canadian affiliate of FreeRepublic. Connie has set up the following website detailing the Freedom Day protest on Parliament Hill this Saturday:

SS. Connie and other members of Free Dominion standing up for what is right! God Bless them in their endeavors.

[Unam Sanctam]

Absolutely chilling. The radical gay activists are the enemies of liberty everywhere.

[biblewonk]

Wow, they're really losing it up there.

[EdReform]

Bump

What We Can Do To Help Defeat the "Gay" Agenda
( www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076476/posts )

Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Version 1.1)
( www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1026551/posts )

Culture of Vice
( www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/977884/posts )

TRUTH WITHOUT INTERRUPTION DAY-- APRIL 21, 2004
( www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1106288/posts )

[NYer]

He said the Bible could be considered hate speech in Canada and therefore banned.

From Family.org ...

Mark Early, Virginia's former attorney general, recently pointed out that when his state passed a law restricting partial-birth abortions, a judge placed an injunction on the law almost before the ink was dry — and the same happened in many other states.

Mounting evidence suggests that some of our courts are fully enforcing certain laws and only winking at others.

Where will this special treatment lead? If we look to Canada, our neighbor to the north that led us down the aisle to homosexual "marriage," freedom of speech is the next target. Canada's House of Commons passed Bill C-250 last fall, which adds homosexuals to the list of those protected from "hate speech." (The bill has not yet been voted on by the Senate). Sweden already has a similar law.

And just how is "hate speech" defined?

In June 2001, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Board of Inquiry ordered one of its residents to pay a $4,500 fine for running an ad in a local newspaper which referred to verses from the Bible that condemn homosexual practices. The verses weren't even quoted.

FULL TEXT

[Hat-Trick]

Ping!

[kjam22]

Will Law Silence The Church? That's a pretty silly question. The answer is of course not. Lyons, stoning, and torture did not silence the church. Laws won't either.

[kjam22]

Lyons??? sheesh... it's gonna be a long day....

[Elsie]

Oh My!

[Hat-Trick]

Exactly! They have a severe underappreciation of Whom they are messing with.

Hebrews 10:31 - It is a terrifying thing!

[Mr. Silverback]

Will law silence the church?

Never.

[Mr. Silverback]

Y'all need to see this...

[newgeezer]

We could probably use some o' that persecution down here, too.

[Chewbacca]

"Unfortunately, as previously noted, we Canadians cannot go this alone. Nor can American Christians allow Canadian Christians to fall behind enemy lines in the culture war. So what can you do to help us? "

If you're asking me to give money you can just kiss off. Canada did this to itself.

[Mr. Silverback]

The foundation for such actions was already signed into law by GWB.

Come again?

[Qwinn]

"If you're asking me to give money you can just kiss off. Canada did this to itself."

That was incredibly rude, considering that no one -did- ask for money - in fact, it suggested -witholding- money. Did you bother reading anything after that before that lame post?

Qwinn

[CSM]

Read the rest of it. With his signature on CFR and the courts sanctioning it, the 1st means nothing anymore. Therefore, we have a foundation for the same legislation.

[JamesA]

This could happen in America unless we stand together, stand our ground and don't back down. Sooner than later and I assume sooner all this will come to a boil, then lookout. You had better be prepared to defend yourself, your family and your liberty.

[NYer]

Freeped the Tourism ministry.

Thank You!!!

We all need to follow your example. God bless you!

[Qwinn]

Oh dear Lord. Are you actually linking CFR to the decades old abuse of the Establishment Clause?

I'm a very anti-secular agnostic who believes that the Establishment clause has been utterly distorted and is being used to oppress religion. And I can acknowledge that I have concerns with CFR, although I don't just automatically swallow the "money = speech" mantra either.

But to claim CFR has -anything- to do with "separation of church and state" beyond their both being filed under the same numerical digit in the Bill of Rights is just tin-foil alert lunacy.

Qwinn

[painter]

Don't laugh this off folks. When religious liberty is gone here, look out.

Yea,look out for the Second Coming.

[Sybeck1]

Conspiracy Guy, count me in next door here in MS!