Does anyone else find this recent development kind of odd? I see our Judeo-Christian principles being trampled upon by parliament and our courts and yet our Prime Minister has just allocated five million dollars to fight religious intolerance? Last month the Government of Canada officially opened the Office of Religious Freedom (ORF), which will be embedded within Canada’s Foreign Affairs department and is supposed to defend against religious intolerance abroad. Hmmm! So, what about at home?

On the surface, this appears to be a courageous move if, in fact, our government is now going to openly expose and resist factions (such as Islamist groups) that commit atrocities against those who practice other faiths. Those persecuted faith groups will now be waiting to see if our government will act on its broad promises or if all of this is simply a political strategy to gain the 2015 vote of the minority faith groups in Canada and the voters who still believe in our Christian heritage.

This looks good on the surface but beyond the window dressing, can this government honestly set itself up as an example of religious freedom? I say “No!” because this government no longer recognizes the very source from which our freedom is given. All of the great democracies in this world have had a Judaeo-Christian world view, which was and still is the only foundation upon which a nation’s religious freedoms can be maintained. Let’s see now… in Canada, the name of Jesus may not be mentioned in public prayers (although, in places like Toronto, Muslim prayer is allowed in public schools); nor can some Bible verses be publicly spoken without fear of government retribution in the form of “human rights” charges. Teaching (in a private Christian school) that abortion is wrong is now considered bullying; proclaiming historic Christian values on sexuality may also be considered bullying. I could go on. I thought we must have reached the height of intolerance when I learned from a friend who works in government that saying “bless you” is no longer permitted when someone sneezes in a government office.

Therefore, as gallant as may seem the effort to establish this Office of Religious Freedom, the practice needs to be evident at home before any of this can be made believable. I see this as one more crumb tossed from the Conservative table, to the hard-working faith-based institutions and groups in Canada, to gain their vote in 2015. It’s disingenuous to pretend it’s something else; the ORF will accomplish no more than could be expected by throwing blank grenades at the offending regimes where religious intolerance flourishes. Minority faith groups—in Canada and abroad—hoping for relief from oppression and violence will soon realize that these “grenades” contain no explosives. The “talk” has no teeth, no enforceable regulations. The entire effort is a sham, a shabby photo-op which will cost us five million dollars every year.

The Globe quoted Mr. Harper as saying: “Canada will not forget you, we will speak out. We will use our freedom to plead for yours.”

Really, Mr. Prime Minister? Try to convince the Canadian pro-life lobby of that, when your government, under your direct instructions, is in fact silencing the cries of the pre-born and the 491 children born alive in botched abortions only to be killed or allowed to die. Try telling Linda Gibbons and Mary Wagner in their jail cells. Tell Bill Whatcott. Tell the Saskatchewan marriage commissioners forced out of their jobs for refusing to perform same-sex marriages. Persecuted religious groups in other counties can have little assurance that you will ever seriously hear their cries and speak out for them against Islamic violence and oppression, when you won’t even protect Canadians in our own land.

John Ibbitson concluded in his Feb. 19 article in the Globe and Mail, “But let’s face it. The Harper government is economically conservative, pro-family, and anti-crime, but it is not socially conservative and it is emphatically not Christian conservative. Those who wish for such a political party should seek elsewhere.”

Yes, and thank God, there is another party that will honestly speak out for all. The word “Christian” in our name may make some people uncomfortable (in Canada), but regardless of personal beliefs, all Canadians share a Christian heritage of freedom (sadly, shrinking fast) and all Canadians can rest assured that we in CHP Canada mean what we say. We will uphold the rule of law to protect freedom of religion and conscience for all Canadians and make Canada again a shining example of religious freedom for the world to follow. We don’t need another expensive government department to do that; we just need politicians who will honour our heritage, reign in our activist judges, and enforce the law under the guidance of a just and loving God.

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