Pastor Hauled Before Tribunal Over Gay Comments

ReligionJournal.com ^ | 9/9/05

[dukeman]

Currently Reverend Stephen Boissoin, a young Albertan pastor who spearheads a youth ministry that makes hundreds of weekly contacts with at-risk youth, is in the process of learning Arabic so he can better minister to the many Muslim youth who he says come to his centers.

With a wife and two children of his own, in addition to his full-time ministry, he repeatedly remarked during an interview with LifeSiteNews.com that he just doesn't have a lot of time on his hands.

But increasingly these days the young pastor's thoughts are set on preparing for his Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) hearing that he says will likely be heard in October.

Without the money to pay for legal representation, Stephen has no other alternative but to prepare his own defense. "I know nothing about human rights case law," he says. "I'm trying to learn. Understand this, I work every single day, have two kids…and right in the middle of that I'm trying to learn human rights law. So, I'll be very happy when it's over." The only problem with that, he points out, is that when it's all over he may very well be in prison.

Boissoin is being hauled before the Human Rights Commission to answer to a complaint filed by Darren Lund, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary. Lund made his complaint after Boissoin published a letter to the editor in the Red Deer Advocate, in which he denounced homosexuality as immoral and dangerous, and called into question new gay-rights curriculum permeating the province's educational system.

In that letter to the editor, Boisson lamented that "Children as young as five and six years of age are being subjected to psychologically and physiologically damaging pro-homosexual literature and guidance in the public school system; all under the fraudulent guise of equal rights."

Boissoin, who is himself no stranger to the dangers of homosexual and bi-sexual activity, since many of the youth he works with fall into that category, repeatedly expressed his concern that behavior that is dangerous, and sometimes fatal, is being presented as normative and even healthy to the most impressionable. "I was just writing a letter to the editor, to the heterosexual population," he says, "saying this is something to be very, very concerned about."

For expressing that view, however, Boissoin has been called a "bigot" and a "hate-mongerer", and worse. Darren Lund has likened the young pastor to Terry Long of Aryan Nation, a local white supremacist, and James Keegstra, a holocaust denier.

Should Boissoin lose the hearing with the Human Rights Tribunal, he will be forced to pay $7,000 in fines -- $5,000 will go to Darren Lund personally, and another $2,000 will go to the rabidly pro-gay-rights group EGALE Canada, which has received large sums of money in the past from the federal government for its court challenges. In addition, Lund has requested that Boissoin be forced to apologize to his readers in another letter to be published in the Red Deer Advocate. Boissoin, however, says that he will not pay those fines, nor will he apologize, even should that mean prison.

He is not hopeful about the outcome. A few days ago, he says, he met with an officer of the Human Rights Commission, who indicated that in publishing his letter Boissoin had gone against the "position" of the Commission. "According to what they have decided is the law, I will probably be found guilty," he admits.

Nevertheless, the pastor is carefully preparing for the hearing, asking a number of witnesses to come forward and speak on his behalf. "I feel almost too humble to say this, to be honest with you," he says about those who are willing to come out in his defense, "but they say they've worked with me, and they've seen my devotion to teens, bi-sexual and homosexual alike, and they're hurt that I can be fined, and potentially, if I don't pay these fines, I can be imprisoned."

"I'm ok with whatever the outcome is," he concludes. "I'm just going to trust God. I've been through a lot in my life…I'm just going to trust Him. He may have me speaking just before the panel and judges and it may touch someone's heart and minister to them. I'm just going to go in humble, and leave the outcome to God."

[Unam Sanctam]

"I know nothing about human rights case law,"

In Canada, apparently the law is that you have no human rights. This is absolutely disgusting -- so much for freedom of speech up there!

[hombre_sincero]

We welcome HIS KIND here in the USA.

Preacher .... COME ON DOWN!

[Unam Sanctam]

Are there no pro bono groups willing to help in the legal defense of Christians' human rights in Canada?

[randog]

Sending priests to jail for teaching scripture--if that doesn't wake up Canadians then I don't know what will.

[Fitzcarraldo]

"...Should Boissoin lose the hearing with the Human Rights Tribunal, he will be forced to pay $7,000 in fines -- $5,000 will go to Darren Lund personally, and another $2,000 will go to the rabidly pro-gay-rights group EGALE Canada, which has received large sums of money in the past from the federal government for its court challenges. In addition, Lund has requested that Boissoin be forced to apologize to his readers in another letter to be published in the Red Deer Advocate. Boissoin, however, says that he will not pay those fines, nor will he apologize, even should that mean prison..."

Not even the masters of Sodom and Gomorrah could exact such a penalty from Abraham and his family. God wouldn't have allow it.

[CindyDawg]

Actually he may be exactly where is supposed to be.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Actually he may be exactly where is supposed to be.

You mean to conduct a prison ministry?

[expatguy]

The same kind of things are already happening in our own country.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[pageonetoo]

Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:

Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms

Rights and freedoms in Canada

1. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

Fundamental Freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

a) freedom of conscience and religion;

b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

d) freedom of association...

Maybe I missed something, but this seems a good enough defense.

[CindyDawg]

That's a possibility I guess. I was talking about spreading the Gospel to the one's on the other side of the bars though.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Do they have similar tribunals for people who say bad things about pastors?

[Fitzcarraldo]

It being Canada, given this case, soon preaching the Gospel behind bars will be like preaching to the choir.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Canada has laws?

Can anyone explain why the Queen of England is on their money if they're supposed to be an independent country?

[Unam Sanctam]

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

The qualifier is big enough for any activist judge to drive a Mack truck through... Of course US justices have interpreted the Constitution to allow certain limited restrictions on free speech, but it hasn't gone this far, yet!

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"Can anyone explain why the Queen of England is on their money if they're supposed to be an independent country?"

Queen Elizabeth is not only the Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; she is also the Queen of Canada (as well as several other countries), Head of the Commonwealth (53 countries formerly part of the British Empire), and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

The Queen acts as the Head of State -- a role that is largely ceremonial. In the U.S., the President is the Head of State, and also head of the administrative branch of government, with real powers.

Countries outside of England also have Governor Generals, who carry out the ceremonial functions of the Head of State on behalf of the Queen -- except during Royal visits.

I'm not saying that this all makes sense -- it's just what you get when you muddle through very gradual constitutional change, rather than revolutionary change.

[Hess28]

We need to contact Jake Sekeluw (or whatever his name is) to see if he can help this guy in his case, including financial assistance if needed.

Well get on it people!

Okay, I 'll do it.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Thank you for the explanation. It still doesn't make any sense.

I know that Canada celebrates it's "independence" on July 1 because of something that happened in 1867. What exactly was different on July 1, 1867 from, say, June 30 1867?

[Allan]

The Canadian 'Charter of Rights' is BS.

In Canada you say what the rulers tell you to say
and do what the rulers tell you to do.

Period.

That's the way Canadian's like it.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"I know that Canada celebrates it's "independence" on July 1 because of something that happened in 1867. What exactly was different on July 1, 1867 from, say, June 30 1867."

July 1 is called "Canada Day" (formerly "Dominion Day"). It is the anniversary of the Confederation of various colonies in British North America to form the "Confederation of Canada".

Canada became independent of Britain much the same way that North America became independent of Pangaea -- we just sort of drifted apart.