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Fundamental Freedoms

02 Sep 2021 Coercive Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates are Bad Public Policy

Posted at 14:18h in Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
9 Likes

Several provincial governments have announced plans to roll out vaccine passports and/or require proof of vaccination against Covid-19 to attend events or enter “non-essential” spaces like gyms, restaurants, and theatres. Some provincial leaders have publicly mused about requiring proof of vaccination for church attendance. Federally, our prime minister is adamant that, if re-elected, his government will require Covid-19 vaccination to travel by plane or train. And many businesses, universities, and other government and non-government institutions are also requiring vaccination as a condition of employment or to be on their premises. There...

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05 Aug 2021 Cash rewards for identifying hate speech? More restrictions on Canadians’ freedom of expression proposed in Bill C-36

Posted at 13:55h in Blog, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
0 Likes

  “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.” – George Orwell, 1984 In George Orwell's famous dystopian novel '1984', the Ministry of Love – a government entity of the fictional country Oceania – controls every aspect of people's lives. They control what citizens are permitted to say, do, and even think. To achieve this level of control, the Ministry pursues practices of intense intelligence gathering and monitors every moment of their citizens' lives. It seems the Canadian federal government has taken...

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28 Jul 2021 A Win for Freedom of Expression in British Columbia

Posted at 12:58h in Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
0 Likes

In December 2017, Grace Chapel booked a venue owned by the city of New Westminster to hold a youth conference. The theme, drawn from Romans 3:14, was “Let God Be True” or “LGBT.” Their posters used this theme surrounded by rainbow colouring and understandably drew the notice of a member of the public who emailed the city concerned that they were hosting an anti-LGBTQ event. The day after receiving the email, the city cancelled just one month prior to the event. In response, Grace Chapel asked the BC courts to review...

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08 Jul 2021 God’s Care

Posted at 17:18h in Blog, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
0 Likes

I love Manitoba. Of course, I’m biased. I lived there for four years. My wife grew up there. Many in her family still live there. If you haven’t been, you owe it to yourself to visit. There’s more to Manitoba than skeeters, winter, and the Jets. And if you check out the Reformed Churches in the area, you’ll love the people. Friendly Manitobans. Hard-working folks with a heart for service and community. But their strong sense of community was rocked recently because of a tragic accident affecting so many families and...

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26 May 2021 Supreme Court Affirms the Exclusive Jurisdiction of the Church over Doctrinal and Membership Questions

Posted at 11:57h in Fundamental Freedoms, Legal Cases 0 Comments
2 Likes

On Friday, May 21, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada released their decision in Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church et al. v. Aga et al. The unanimous decision is a resounding victory for the authority and autonomy of the church over questions of doctrine and membership. Thank the Lord for this positive development! This case was appealed to the Supreme Court after the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that the civil courts could adjudicate a dispute between several former members* and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church regarding their membership status and...

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21 May 2021 Freedom of Expression and the Regulation of Social Media through Bill C-10

Posted at 17:49h in Blog, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
6 Likes

Last fall, the federal government introduced Bill C-10, a bill that – if passed – will amend the Broadcasting Act for the first time since 1991 in order to expand the regulatory powers of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) over the internet. In the last month or so, the number of critics has increased, as has the vociferousness of their opposition to the bill. When Bill C-10 was first introduced, we did an initial analysis and found that, while there were aspects of the bill that concerned us, the...

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19 May 2021 Understanding Section 1 of the Charter

Posted at 18:02h in Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
0 Likes

  Legal challenges to Covid-19 gathering restrictions are happening across the country. Whether it’s a percentage cap on worship, only allowing for a small group, or a total prohibition, churches have turned to the courts to challenge the constitutionality of a government response that limits citizens’ ability to gather in worship. The churches in these cases argue that the restrictions are not in accordance with our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our highest law.  Included in Charter section 2(a) is the freedom of religion, which our Supreme Court has said includes...

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21 Apr 2021 Let the Church be the Church Campaign

Posted at 10:47h in Campaigns, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
38 Likes

It’s been over 13 months since the first Covid-19 restrictions were enacted across Canada. Since then, ARPA has launched targeted campaigns in British Columbia and Ontario and encouraged Reformed Christians in all provinces to use emails, phone calls, petitions, letters to the editor, and social media to ask their provincial leaders to allow church leadership to make the decision on how Christians can safely gather for corporate worship. We argued that corporate worship is an essential activity and that these restrictions are unconstitutional. At various times and places, we have pointed out that the...

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20 Apr 2021 Bill C-268: Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act

Posted at 11:20h in Bills and Motions, Euthanasia, Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
3 Likes

Since the legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in 2016, there has been little effort to protect the consciences of those who refuse to participate in providing MAiD. The recent euthanasia legislation has increased access to MAiD, and doctors will increasingly run into conscientious problems with patient requests for MAiD. Currently, the province of Manitoba is the only province that specifically protects the conscience rights of physicians. Under Manitoba’s legislation, medical professionals can refuse to participate in MAiD if it violates their personal convictions. They cannot be required to provide...

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14 Apr 2021 ARPA Submits Recommendations for Freedom of Conscience for Ontario Physicians

Posted at 14:22h in Fundamental Freedoms 0 Comments
6 Likes

Freedom of conscience is an issue that is increasingly at stake in our society. While freedom of conscience has a role in many areas of life, one specific area is in the medical field. In light of legalized and recently expanded access to euthanasia, doctors are at risk of being forced to participate in providing euthanasia to patients, whether directly or indirectly, even if their consciences do not permit it. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is requesting feedback on their policy and guidelines for Ontario physicians regarding...

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