Religious freedom provides the space within which we can express and share our faith with others. This seems like a straightforward and compelling issue that all Canadian Evangelicals can agree on, and it is a significant portion of the work the EFC does in Canada, with the help of our friends and supporters.
Sometimes we are stretched in our understanding of what religious freedom means in a country full of people of different faiths. It is not just freedom for us, but for all. Restrictions on the religious freedom of some will necessarily impact us all.
Globally, religious freedom is under strain. Canada is not exempt from challenges to religious freedom. Trinity Western University’s (TWU) quest to have their own law school is an example. A Christian university should be able to determine standards for its own students and have the freedom to establish an accredited professional school of its choosing.
The EFC has been involved with the TWU case since the beginning, and we will be back in court this fall to participate in a Supreme Court of Canada appeal.
The case of Wall v. Judicial Committee of the Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses may be less familiar. It is another Supreme Court of Canada case, scheduled to be heard November 2, in which the EFC is intervening. Randy Wall was a Jehovah’s Witness who was dis-fellowshipped by his local fellowship hall. Because of discipline, he lost clients. Many of his clients were fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses who would no longer use his services. Wall appealed to the courts to have the Jehovah’s Witnesses reverse their ruling against him. The court decided they do have jurisdiction over these matters.
Historically, Canadian courts have determined, correctly in the EFC’s opinion, that they do not have jurisdiction in the internal decisions of churches and other private associations. For churches, decisions about membership and church discipline are matters of doctrine and the interpretation of Scripture. As the EFC intervenes in this case it will argue that, no matter our compassion toward Mr. Wall, it is essential for religious communities to be able to define their membership and to protect their religious character, identity and integrity.
This fall, the EFC will also be making a submission to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on Systemic Racism and Religious Discrimination. We will urge the committee to avoid the use of the divisive term “Islamophobia,” and to focus instead on the anti-religious discrimination that all faiths face in our country.
The EFC is also at work responding to Bill C-51 which removes specific protection for clergy and churches against disruption of worship services. We are asking the government to protect the integrity and security of religious worship for all Canadians and to ensure the language of the amendment is inclusive of all faiths and clearly maintains protection for all religious communities.
Evangelicals are a significant segment of the Christian population in Canada. Almost half of the 24,000 Christian congregations in Canada are evangelical. We have a voice. And sometimes we use it to speak up for others, because it is our responsibility to do so, but it is also in our interest to do so.
No matter what religion Canadians choose, they must have the freedom to choose it and to practise it with freedom. We currently enjoy the freedom in Canada to talk to others about our faith. As Evangelicals we always hope our friends and neighbours will choose Christ, and we continue to be a winsome and powerful witness to His presence in our country. But let’s not forget that when we defend the religious freedom of others, we also defend our own.
What you can do
- Your support makes the EFC’s work to defend religious freedom in Canada possible. Thank you. Please continue to pray and give.
- Talk to your church, friends and neighbours about religious freedom issues in Canada, and the particular cases the EFC is working on this year.
- Browse through and share the various articles on religious freedom on the EFC website.
- Commit to joining in on the day of prayer coming up for religious freedom in Canada and the TWU case. Download a free one-page PDF that summarizes the facts and explains why this is important at www.TheEFC.ca/ReligiousFreedom2017. Please reproduce it for your church or other group.
Also in this issue: Updating you on Canada's most immediate issues; Message from the president; Learn online with EFC webinars; And more.