North of the Border

We can depend on the Holy Spirit to give us the right words to say - as we yield to Him, we can be confident that He will speak through us. This applies to our day-by-day communication, as well as those difficult situations we might face. Matthew chapter 10 includes these words from Jesus:
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.
18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

A recent article at RealClearReligion declared that a Canadian student, a Coptic Christian, Rafael Zaki, "was ultimately expelled from a public university because he held the 'wrong' opinions."  It goes on to say:

At a boiling point for liberal democratic values both in Canada and around the world, we cannot afford to fail this Orwellian test. Zaki’s case illustrates that free speech is not as protected in Canada as most Canadians would hope. Canada must remember that free speech means free speech — even if most people, rightly or wrongly, consider one’s opinions to be unsavoury.

So, what did this student actually do that was so horrific? The article, by Joseph Bouchard and Garion Frankel, notes:

Zaki, a Coptic Christian, was first expelled from the University of Manitoba’s medical school in 2019, after he published an essay on Facebook comparing abortion to other human atrocities. The post, the university and 18 confidential complainants alleged, was “unprofessional,” and called into question his ability to understand his responsibilities as a doctor. After the university overturned the expulsion due to procedural errors, he was again expelled recently for the same “offence.” Zaki has once again taken his appeal to the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench once again in late March.

The article points out that, " The Charter’s Section 2 states that everyone has the fundamental freedom 'of conscience and religion, thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.' Beyond Zaki’s right to privacy on his own private Facebook page, the University’s dismissal of Zaki, despite his efforts to accommodate, goes against these fundamental rights."  It goes on to relate:

The University may claim the dismissal had nothing to do with Zaki’s beliefs, but they cited them as the primary source of concern over ethics. The 2021 summary of the court case, in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, itself states that “because he could not change his beliefs, he was expelled.” 

Surveys show that there is a strong pro-life component among doctors in the Commonwealth, with the RealClearReligion article stating:

Polling since the last few decades indicates that a strong minority of doctors identify as pro-life, while even more have diverse views on abortion access. Practicing OB-GYNs have already characterized themselves as pro-life. Christian hospitals also exist, including in Canada — there are 31 faith-affiliated care centres in Manitoba alone, with varying policies surrounding abortion and other faith-sensitive care. As shown, it is possible to be a Christian, and to hold a variety of beliefs on medical care, and be a health professional, even a doctor.

Currently, under Canadian law, doctors and nurses are allowed to refuse to provide abortion care based on personal and religious reasons. This also applies to other medical practices that may interfere with religious views on life and death...

In conclusion, the authors state:

At a time when authoritarianism is on the rise globally, Canada has an opportunity to act as a standard-bearer for freedom of expression. But free expression means free expression — even when the opinion being expressed is far out of line with that of the majority. Rafael Zaki’s political views should not preclude him from becoming a doctor. That is not the sort of thing that happens in a liberal democracy. 

A piece I came across at the website, The Hub, presented new Prime Minister Mark Carney, then a candidate for the post, as someone who seems to be devoted to punish speech in which he does not agree.  It states:

At last week’s federal leaders’ debate, Mark Carney invoked the Charter with lofty words: “One of the core responsibilities of the federal government and the prime minister is to defend the fundamental rights and liberties of Canadians.” But in a recent campaign rally in Hamilton, Ontario, the Liberal candidate lamented the “sea of misogyny, antisemitism, hatred, conspiracy theories—the sort of pollution that’s online that washes over our virtual borders from the United States.” Framing it as a kind of toxic runoff, he promised: “My government, if we are elected, will be taking action.”

The writer, Joanna Baron, goes on to say:

But speech isn’t carbon emissions. And the harms of restricting it—especially under vague and subjective definitions of “hate”—are not benign. Unlike hazardous chemicals or viral outbreaks, the “harm” of a Tweet is a cultural and interpretive judgment, not a measurable scientific fact. Once governments begin defining and punishing digital “harm,” the effect is to chill lawful expression, restrict dissent, and outsource judgment to unelected regulators and risk-averse platforms.

Carney, as the article points out, was critical of people in Canada expressing their freedoms during the COVID pandemic...it states:

In early February 2022, amid the Freedom Convoy protests, Carney took to the Globe and Mail to denounce demonstrators—most of whom were peacefully opposing lockdowns, school closures, and vaccine mandates—as guilty of “blatant treachery.” The protest, he declared, was “sedition.” He demanded the government “[choke] off the money that financed this occupation.”

So, it does seem that Mark Carney is Justin Trudeau 2.0 - an extension of the speech restrictions that were seen during the previous administration. And, here in America, we know that there are those who are devoted to allowing one viewpoint - a viewpoint that is contrary to Scripture - to stand.  That's why you have groups like Alliance Defending Freedom who are challenging companies who buy into rhetoric and action that would limit free speech in the workplace and in financial transactions.  

We know that the teachings of Scripture are perceived as a threat by many, a challenge to their pursuit of a brave new world, a utopian existence in which progressive policies reign supreme. We should not be intimidated by those who would challenge our beliefs - and we certainly should not be afraid to challenge unbiblical points of view - presenting compelling arguments without shutting people down.  Because, we can be confident in the power of the Scriptures to win hearts to Jesus.