...comes Private Member's Bill C-250 that would outlaw the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as hate literature. What's scary is that this bill is close to passing. Here's my thoughts from an editorial I recently wrote...
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Speaking of silence and the culture of death, Canada’s homosexual lobby is marching again to silence faithful Catholics, Evangelical Protestants and Orthodox Jews. This comes in the form of Bill C-250, a private member’s bill currently proceeding through the Canadian Senate. This bill attempts to enshrine “sexual orientation” in Canada’s anti-hate speech laws. What terrifies many Canadians is that the terms “sexual orientation” and “hate speech” both remain undefined. Yet if recent rulings from Canada’s various human rights tribunals are any indication, simply quoting from the Bible or the Catechism of the Catholic Church could now land you in jail. No word yet whether or not the Wanderer and Envoy Magazine will move to an on-line edition so that our Canadian readership can remain informed.
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While on the topic of Bill C-250, the sponsor of this private member’s bill was 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 notorious homosexual. Mr. Robinson abandoned his wife midway through his career as a socialist politician to pursue a male lover. Nevertheless, I am told he is of no blood relation to the Episcopalian bishop of New Hampshire.
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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.”
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John Pacheco, who is one of the key individuals organizing a protest on parliament hill, discusses on Ottawa's Christian radio station the various dangers this poses to freedom of religion and other civil liberties in Canada.
Additionally, Connie Wilkins from FreeDominian.ca sent me the following press-release:
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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
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Unfortunately, Canadians cannot go this alone. We need help from sympathetic Americans south of the border. What can you do? Well, 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, 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 and you will not spend your tourist dollars here as result. The URL is as follows: http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/feedback/feedback.html
Please pass this along to all of your American friends as well.
Soon to be time to liberate those provinces such as want to be free?
This is really awful.
Well, perhaps Svend Robinson's latest indiscretion, i.e., trying to steal an expensive piece of jewelry, will damage the chance of his bill passing:
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/15/canada/robinson_040415
Another account, from the Toronto Star:
http://snipurl.com/5qo5