Canada’s laws could put pastors in danger for preaching biblical truth

by Seth Udinski

Seth Udinski, FISM News

 

In 2021, FISM News reported on several Canadian pastors who were arrested for continuing to hold services amidst the pandemic or otherwise defying pandemic lockdowns. Based on new laws passed in the country however, it appears Christian pastors in Canada will now also face persecution simply for preaching against homosexuality.

On Friday, Canada passed a law that has already been codified in several other Western nations in some or another which bans conversion therapy. Critics of conversation therapy believe it is a hateful way of shaming a person’s sexual identity, but many people would also claim that any criticism of homosexuality or homosexual marriage would fall under this definition.

While Christians should stand against hateful speech, many proponents of this law believe it chould ban pastors and Christian citizens from speaking negatively about homosexuality. This law could, therefore, make it illegal to preach the biblical doctrine of marriage and label homosexuality as a sin.

On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the bill on Twitter, saying,

As of today, it’s official: Conversion therapy is banned in Canada. Our government’s legislation has come into force – which means it is now illegal to promote, advertise, benefit from, or subject someone to this hateful and harmful practice. LGBTQ2 rights are human rights.

Known as Bill C-4, the law makes it a criminal offense to perform conversion therapy on another person. A person who commits conversion therapy could face five years in prison, while a person who is convicted of encouraging it could face up to two years.

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