EFC Election Kit 2008: Fact Sheet on Religious Freedom in Canada

What is Freedom of Religion?

Our primary responsibility as Christians is to worship God and obey him. An integral part of worshiping God is speaking about him to others. We obey God’s commands by loving our neighbour, seeking justice and mercy, and respecting life.

With the redefinition of marriage, we have seen situations such as the following:

• the Catholic Knights of Columbus in Vancouver faced a human rights complaint for refusing to host a same-sex wedding reception for religious reasons 
• Saskatchewan marriage commissioner Orville Nichols has faced a human rights complaint for indicating he would only officiate at traditional marriages because of his religious beliefs. Marriage commissioners have been forced to resign in several provinces and others have cases in the provincial human rights process.

In Ontario:

• A Human Rights Tribunal has ruled it illegal for a Christian ministry serving the needs of the disabled to hire only Christian staff who share the ministry’s Christian faith and service objectives
• The Human Rights Commission has recently encouraged the College of Physicians and Surgeons to require doctors to set aside their religious beliefs in order to treat patients in all situations.

Questions to ask on this issue:

• What is your view on religious expression in public life? 
• Do you believe that people of faith have a right to express their religious viewpoints regarding public policy?
• What steps will you take to support freedom of conscience, freedom of expression and freedom of religion in Canada?