This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A government hate campaign against Christianity that WND first documented some 16 years ago when Canada's discriminatory speech limits first started affecting Christian ministries there, is reaching its end game now.
It's a plan to "criminalize Christianity, with Bible reading and prayer considered 'hate speech' – a 'crime' punishable with prison time," according to a new report from NewsAddicts.
The report explains, in blunt terms, "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s World Economic Forum-controlled government is planning to outlaw Christianity with the introduction of an amendment to the Criminal Code that could see believers face jail time for expressing historic Christian teachings."
The problems are found in Canada's Bill C-367 which -"will make it illegal to reiterate parts of the Bible, stripping away the 'good faith' defense for what is deemed by the state as 'hate speech' or 'antisemitism.'"
Explained the report, "Traditional Christian practices such as celebrating Christmas or attending church service will be considered crimes that carry severe penalties."
The procedure is simple. The changes in the law will remove a defense to hate crime charges that allow statements if individuals "genuinely believe in and were merely expressing religious teaching" from the Bible.
The legislative scheme states its plan specifically: "The enactment amends the Criminal Code to eliminate as a defense against wilful promotion of hatred or antisemitism the fact that a person, in good faith, expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion or a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text."
The result if ratified will be the willful and knowing persecution of Christians in Canada, an expert said.
It was Joseph Boot, chief of the evangelical think tank Ezra Institute, who said, "If ratified, Canada’s anti-Christian legal apparatus created over the last decade will overtly persecute Christians with the force of criminal law."
He warned heavy fines or jail time will be imposed on those participating in "evangelism, preaching, counseling, statements in the workplace, on social media, and in books that condemn homosexuality or transgenderism on biblical grounds."
And, the report said, Gab CEO Andrew Torba warned, "Christians who maintain traditional orthodox perspectives about Jews – views that have been part of our faith for 2,000 years, are the primary obstacle to the Ruling Regime."
The bill, while still pending in parliament, is expected ultimately to pass.
WND's original reporting on the issue first arose in 2008 when an official with the National Religious Broadcasters Association warned about Canada's "hate crimes" laws targeting Christians.
At that time, what used to be called MacGregor Ministries, which offered lessons on how to recognize and eliminate "faulty fads" in Christian churches, made a forced move into the U.S. and created another name because of government threats in Canada.
A spokeswoman for the ministry said, then, "When a group such as Jehovah's Witnesses said of our doctrine we're worshipping a freakish three-headed God (the Trinity), we should be able to respond. We say, 'Here's the doctrine of the Trinity and here is where it is in the Scripture.'"
But those opinions, she explained, would be found in violation of Canada's hate crimes laws.
The spokeswoman said the government ordered a complete change, or a shutdown, so the ministry moved.
"There was nothing we could do that would please them," the spokeswoman said. "They wanted us every time we criticized something to say, 'So Christianity is equal to Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses… Just decide for yourself.'"
At the same time, WND discovered the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, one of the largest Christian publishing and broadcasting organizations in the nation, was reviewing and editing its broadcasts to avoid offending Canadian "hate crimes" censors.
The ministry stated, "In particular, our content producers are careful not to make generalized statements nor comments that may be perceived as ascribing malicious intent to a 'group' of people and are always careful to treat even those who might disagree with us with respect. Our Focus on the Family content creators here in the U.S. are also careful to consult with Focus on the Family Canada whenever questions arise. Focus on the Family Canada, in turn, monitors the content produced in the U.S. and assesses this content against Canadian law."
