Religion in Canada, eh?

Christian charity fined for
employment discrimination

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Quotations:

Background:

There is a continual series of disputes in North America relating to conflicts between:

In both the U.S. and Canada, faith groups are generally allowed to discriminate against individuals in employment, in ordination, in performing marriage ceremonies, etc. For example, the Southern Baptists, the Roman Catholic Church, and other conservative faith groups discriminate on the basis of both gender and sexual orientation in ordination and employment, with little or no opposition from the state. Conflicts mainly surface with para-church organizations-- typically charities identified with a specific denomination or group of denominations who wish to continue to discriminate in hiring and retaining its employees.

On 2008-APR-25, www.LifeSiteNews.com published the following article concerning a decision by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario against an evangelical Christian charity, Christian Horizons. The agency runs 180 residential homes in Ontario. The Tribunal's decision involved the charity's employment discrimination against persons on the basis of their "lifestyle." Employees have had to sign both a statement of evangelical Christian belief and a "Lifestyle and Morality Statement." One employee quit after having been harassed because she became involved in a serious and presumably sexually active relationship with a person of the same sex.

Comments on the LifeSiteNews.com article:

The reference to the employees of Christian Horizons' receiving "a pro-homosexuality 'human rights training program' appears to be an error. The Tribunal ordered that:

"The respondent Christian Horizons shall develop and adopt an anti-discrimination and an anti-harassment policy as well as a human rights training program for all employees and managers [sic] within six months from the date of the decision." ₂

That is, a human rights training program must be adopted that stresses the legal rights guaranteed to all Ontarians of all sexual orientations: heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual. There is nothing in the Tribunal's decision that requires Christian Horizons to teach program that is "pro-homosexuality" i.e. one that would give special status, recognition or privilege to homosexuals.

Reactions to the Tribunal decision:

"Imagine that Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity had been told that their ministry in the streets of Calcutta was, in essence, not ministry but 'social work.' In order for the sisters to continue in their work, they would no longer be permitted to require that staff members share their beliefs and ministry commitment."

"As bizarre as this may sound, this is essentially what a single adjudicator acting as an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal recently decided in the case of Heintz vs. Christian Horizons." ₃

"I pray that God would grant the CH leadership the wisdom and courage you need to make the decision to appeal the outrageous and ruthlessly anti-Christian decision made against CH by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal."

"The decision against you is just one in a long line of inexcusable decisions by Canadian human rights commissions against Christians and some others."

"These commission processes and decisions make a mockery of the Christian principles of jurisprudence that have helped keep Canada and other Western nations free for so many decades. Secular Humanism is a religion of tyranny not liberty, and it is the source of such public policy as that which leads to the existence of human rights commissions. ... These truly are fascistic, irredeemable laws and public policies. And they need to be resisted vigorously, not just for yourselves and the vital Christian-ethics-based ministry you perform for so many real people, but also for the sake of general freedom and Christian liberty in Canada."

Further developments:

"Christian Horizons stated that it will no longer require employees to sign the code but plans to appeal the remainder of the tribunal's order. Opposition political parties have called on the province to consider pulling funding from the group, claiming that it is unjustly imposing its beliefs on its employees." ₆

References used:

1. John-Henry Westen, "Huge Christian Ministry to Disabled Fined $23,000 For Rejecting Homosexual Employee," Life Site News, 2008-APR-25, at: http://www.lifesitenews.com/
2. Michael Gottheil, "Decision," Heintz v. Christian Horizons, Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, 2008 HRTO 22 at: http://www.canlii.org/
3. Don Hutchinson, "You can't take the mission out of Christian Horizons," National Post, 2008-APR-28, at: http://www.nationalpost.com/
4. Tim Bloedow, "OHRC declares war on Christian Horizons," ECP (Equipping Christians for the Public Square) Centre, 2008-APR-28, at: http://noapologies.ca/
5. By John-Henry Westen, "Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Ruling Denies Christian Ministry's Right to be Christian. Ruling has the Christian community in Canada deeply concerned for religious freedom," Life Site News, 2008-APR-28, at: http://www.lifesitenews.com/
6. "Canadian Christian Organization Appealing Human Rights Ruling," The Voice of the Martyrs, 2008-MAY-14, at: http://www.persecution.net/ This is believed to be a temporary listing.