Editorial

By Paul Schratz

"Of all the freedoms the Church is called on to defend," said the late Pope John Paul II, the right to practise one's faith is the most fundamental.

So essential is the freedom of religion that the Pope tied it to the right to life. The two, together, are "the basic premises for human existence."

It would come as a surprise to many that, on the list of freedoms, primacy of place goes to religion, but as Pope John Paul put it, when a man is not free to worship his Creator as he sees fit, he loses his very "reason for living."

With that in mind, the oppression of Christians that continues unabated throughout the world takes on new and added significance, as critical as efforts to end abortion or prevent euthanasia.

On the religious persecution watch list, it's very tempting to focus on countries like India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where religious freedom is either not permitted or not honoured.

Lest we become too smug, however, it's worth remembering that religion and free speech come under threat in Western nations as well. There are continual efforts to throw reins on democracy.

In Canada, an air of political correctness, fuelled by a driving consumerism and aided by a loss of any sense of truth, has helped keep religious expression in check.

In recent years, a more ominous threat has reared its head: the quasi-judicial tribunals commonly known as human rights commissions.

The HRCs, as they've become known, exist at the federal and provincial levels and have been responsible for clamping down on free speech, fining individuals who don't conform with popular philosophies, and controlling the behaviour of those it deems renegades.

What's more, unlike the practice in courts of law, it is not necessary to actually produce evidence that a group or individual was exposed to hatred or contempt, and truth is not a defence.

There has been growing pressure from some religious and free-speech voices to dismantle or restrain the HRCs and the restrict the harm they can do. Now, just as the 40th session of Parliament was to open Nov. 19, comes a positive sign.

The Conservative Party's policy conference in Winnipeg Nov. 13-15 approved a resolution to "remove authority from the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Tribunal to regulate, receive, investigate, or adjudicate complaints related to Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act."

Nothing says Conservative Prime Minister Steven Harper has to listen to the party's position, but if he's prudent he'll give it serious consideration. He's in a minority position, and if he ever hopes to gain the majority he so desperately wants, then alienating a good segment of the Canadian population who are fed up with the long arm of government slapping its hand over their mouths is not the way to do it.