"religious institutions are the only groups in the country who want an exemption from hate speech laws"?

Question

"It seems ironic that religious institutions are the only groups in the country who want an exemption from hate speech and propaganda laws, apparently so that they can feel free to denigrate groups of individuals without any risk of being charged with a crime."

(o.O)

"the "Hate Propaganda" section of the Criminal Code of Canada (Section 318 & 319) [now prohibits] the expression of hatred against -- or the advocacy of genocide of -- [five] "identifiable groups:" people distinguished by their "color, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation." "

In other words, it is now a crime in Canada to publicly advocate hatred or genocide towards homosexuals.

But, because of Christian protests, it is okay to advocate violence or genocide against homosexuals in a church.

In other words, Christians fought for the right to tell the public we should kill all homosexuals.

(O.O)

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_hat6.htm

What say you?

It is a very different thing to teach someone not to do something, and to teach that person to hate and kill others who do it. This law prohibits the latter, not the former.

Answer 1

I say that balancing the right to freedom of religious expression with the state's right to pass legislation prohibiting such religious expressions or actions when there is a pressing state need is a task that legislators, attorneys, private citizens and churches have fought over since the constitution was written. This is in the U.S. I'm a teacher right now, but I am also an attorney and I wrote about this in an essay for my bar exam some years ago. The issue came up when the Mormons argued that polygamy was a part of their freedom of religious expression. State's need to legislate against it obviously prevailed.

My personal opinion is to ALWAYS PROTECT FREEDOMS WHEREVER POSSIBLE. Churches are a sort of no man's land when it comes to the law, but they are technically private organizations and can do whatever the hell they want to UNLESS their acts cause a real and imminent threat to society. They can't have the right to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theater and claim it is a religious right to do so, bc such an action poses a threat of imminent danger to the people in the theater, getting trampled.

If Canadian Christians asserted the right to cause imminent harm to homosexuals with their words and or actions, in my opinion, it is time for some legislative reining in.

Answer 2

So, if the hate speech law is passed, does that mean that we can bring those here who constantly denigrate Christians up on charges? There have been several here who have commented that Christians should be beaten up or killed; where will they go to spew their words of hate?

This law also brings up the one-sided belief of "Separation of Church and State". Keep religion out of government, but, apparently, it is OK for the government to go into a church and tell them what they can and cannot preach in their pulpit. This law is a violation of the Consitution.

"Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The main point I have against this law, is that it could open the door for lawsuits against a church based on its teachings. If a homosexual doesn't like Christians preaching that their lifestyle is a sin, this law will make it possible for them to take that church to court. Once that happens, what is to stop the alcoholic from doing the same? Or the adulterer? Or the pedophile?

Concerning the advocacy of violence and genocide of homosexuals by Christians, I've been in several churches, and I have never heard a preacher call for the destruction of homosexuals. We've been told that the Bible calls it a sin, and that we should hate the sin, but love the sinner, and pray for them.

And as for the two men mentioned in the article you have supplied who commented concerning the death of all Wiccans, are all Christians to be held accountable for the words of a few individuals? Of course not. No more than you should be held accountable for the words of those here who advocate violence and genocide against Christians.

In my personal opinion, hate crime laws are a redundancy. If a person is beaten up or murdered, sexual preference, religious belief, origin of nationality, or whatever, should not be a factor in how severly the guilty are punished. The fact that they did something like this at all should be enough to merit their being locked away from society. Take away their excuse for doing something wrong based on their background and hold them accountable for their own actions.

The crime isn't what a person says, but rather the actions they take beyond what was spoken. Enforce the laws we already have, and there would be no reason to make new ones.

I'll climb down off my soapbox now. Thank you for your time.

Answer 3

As a Canadian, and a graduate of law enforcement (2001), I know it's the same type of law that says that fighting and assault is appropriate and not a crime in the ice rink of a hockey game, but it is a crime as soon as you step out of the arena.

What happens inside the church is indoctrination. The doctrine taught in churches is not "mainstream friendly," anymore. Times have changed. What is hateful to the mainstream people, is actually a reinforcement of religious beliefs. Remember the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, everyone is allowed to express their religious opinions. If they weren't allowed to express their religious opinions, most of Christian doctrine would be stopped in church, and therefore infringing upon the right of the freedom to practice religion.
I think this is a great solution, the Christians get to still have their church, and those other mainstream people don't get offended.

Both groups are satisfied and enjoying their freedoms as guaranteed by the Charter.

Also,
Genocide is a call to action. It's different from just calling homosexuality a moral sin.
Homosexuality is just a statement of a moral standard, and the church is against it.
It's not advocating the genocide (the mass killing) of homosexuals, any Christian church that teaches that is NOT a Chrisitian church.

Answer 4

That's not true. Christians don't want to be able to tell people to "kill all homosexuals." However, there have been cases of those "hate speech" laws going too far. They have actually prevented Christian churches from even preaching that homosexuality according to the Bible is a sin. THAT is WRONG.

Besides, whatever happened to freedom of speech?

Answer 5

The problem with "hate speech laws" is who gets to determine what is hate speech. Take for instance the case in Australia where a preacher was convicted of hate speech....for directly quoting from the Quran. In fact, consider that I could (I wouldn't, but could) make the assertion that YOU have committed hate speech against Christians. After all, you posted here with the intent to stir up hate of Christians amoung readers, and to make Christians feel uncomfortable (again, I don't actually believe this, but similar cases have been used against religious speakers). Therefore, I could take this post and show that you were espousing hate against Christians....and given that 200 million Christians around the world experience persecution ranging from discrimination in employment to out right murder I could make the case that when Westeners use the kind of "hate" speech you've used, it validates and encourages those non-Westeners who persecute Christians in their terror campaigns. In otherwords, I could link your words in this post to the murder of Christians around the world (take the Christian young man from Korea killed this week.)

Of course, that would simply be squelching your free speech---and be a tool used to silence points of view with which we disagree.

Sooo, if religious groups were the only groups to disagree, then frankly the academic community in your country failed to speak up for free speech.

Answer 6

I don't believe it. A true Christian would not advocate murder.
The same goes for Wiccans.

Why do you continually insist that all Christians are like this?
It is unfair, and it is incorrect. You are implying that all Christians want to kill anyone who is not Christian.
This is totally false.

I would like for you to provide percentages and statistics for both of these allegations.

Percantages of Christians who advocate the murder of homosexuals
Percentages of Christians who advocate the murder of Wiccans

Please provide links so that we can verify your information.
The links should be current (this year).

Thanks.

Answer 7

If I were living in Canada and still want to be a Christian, I would need to migrate to another country as this prohibits MY FREE EXPRESSION OF MY RELIGION which soundly condemns homosexuality.

Answer 8

No surprise there,they expect special treatment in many areas.

Answer 9

frankly it doesn't surprise me can you imagine the church not being able to spew hate in it's believers