The text of the petition calls attention to the discrimination Christians are experiencing and outlines the legal protections they have under the Charter, the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Canadian Bill of Rights.
It asks the government to amend the Criminal Code and the Civil Marriage Act to “provide Christians and their faith-based institutions protection from its provisions that are contrary to their religious and conscientious beliefs” and to enact “a policy to review any new legislation” to ensure “it does not impinge upon the religious rights of Christians.”
REAL Women’s Ottawa researcher Diane Watts said the organization’s board of directors decided at the June board meeting to circulate the petition due to a growing number of instances where Christians’ religious freedom or conscience rights are being infringed upon. These include: lack of protection for physicians and health workers who refuse to participate in assisted suicide; failure to protect businesses and faith-based institutions from facing sanctions for refusing to support same-sex marriage; the refusal by some law societies to accredit Trinity Western University’s future law school graduates because of its Christian community covenant; the discrimination Christian parents face when they oppose sex-education courses or transgender policies in schools; and the firing of Christians who publicly oppose same-sex marriage.
Watts said the suppression of Christian points of view has left people “misinformed about a positive view of the Christian perspective.”
“The rights of Christians to express their views is defended by our Charter and our laws,” Watts said. “Quite often people aren’t aware of that. The assumption is Christians don’t have that defense.
“It seems to be forgotten that Christians have as much right to express their views as LGBT activists do,” she said. “Our board of directors felt it was necessary to bring this issue forward publicly at this time to hopefully remedy the situation.”
The petition has been circulated to members of the pro-life, pro-family women’s organization.
“It is acknowledged that the petition will likely not be acted upon by the present Liberal government,” said a news release announcing the petition. “Rather, its purpose is to raise the profile of the issue, and to indicate the unacceptability of discrimination against Christians.”
REAL Women has obtained approval from the House of Commons Clerk of Petitions for the petition and Conservative MP Michael Cooper will present it in late September, Watts said.