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Defending life, family, and freedom across the world

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Proposed changes to Birth Certificate Legislation in Victoria

The Victorian State government, led by Labour MP the Hon. Daniel Andrews is hoping to sign off on the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2016. The State government announced this legislation on August 18 in the Legislative Assembly. It is now set for debate in the Legislative Council in the next weeks. If it passes, the Bill will become new State legislation.

The Bill is a further example of the rainbow agenda that the State government in Victoria continues to push undermining objective realities about gender, the differences between the sexes and Marriage between a man and a woman.

This legislation was an election promise made by the Labour government in 2014.  It primarily seeks to allow adults to alter the sex recorded on their Victorian birth registration and birth certificate. It also will allow any adult who is living in a same-sex relationship and who was legally married prior to one of the couples changing their sex, to continue to remain in this state. The same-sex couples in this situation will remain legally married, despite now being recognised legally as a same-sex couple. Effectively, as such, the legislative changes legalise marriage for some same-sex couples in Victoria.

Despite this Victorian push, the federal Marriage Act still continues to stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman. If something changes, such as the sex of one of the couple, then it would be reasonably assumed that the marriage no longer exists as originally contracted. Not so, say the former federal Attorneys-General from both parties who have taken the view that the Marriage Act is concerned with the gender of the couple only at the time of the marriage ceremony. 

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2016 will also remove the need for applicants to have undergone sex affirmation surgery before being able to apply to change their gender on their birth certificate. The applicant will not be required to provide a diagnosis or medical certificate to make this change. Under the changes, an applicant will be able to nominate what sex descriptor they would like on their birth registration be it, male, female or alternatively, to specify a gender diverse or non-binary descriptor. It will be entirely what the applicant self-reports.

Parents will also be able to apply to have the sex of their children changed on their child's birth certificate, with the child's consent. 

Whilst, South Australia is also discussing similar legislative changes, the Australian Capital Territory is the only other State or Territory in Australia that has introduced similar legislation. Victoria continues to appear to be pushing changes rapidly in the area of marriage and gender and defying the Federal Governments lead to slow down, such as on the related Safe Schools Coalition Program.

Please join us in signing this petition to members of the Legislative Council asking them not to support these changes which undermine marriage in the coming weeks when they will vote on the legislation.  We will also send a copy of the signatures to Premier Daniel Andrews.

Related articles:

CitizenGO
05,000
  2,172
 
2,172 signatures
Religious Exemptions Bill presents a new attack on religious freedom

UPDATE:

The Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Bill has now passed in the Legislative Assembly and will be discussed in the Legislative Council from this week (11th October). This petition will now be sent to members of the Legislative Assembly asking them not to support the proposed amendments which undermine the principles key to a pluralistic society. 

****

The Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Bill was tabled in Victorian State Parliament on the 31st August. The aim of the bill is to amend the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 to remove religious exceptions in relation to the employment of a person by religious bodies and organisations. If passed, the outcome will restrict many religious organisations and schools from promoting a Christian worldview through their staff and perhaps more critically, challenge their very reason for existence.

The amendments to the proposed bill will remove religious grounds as an exception for employers to discriminate against hiring an individual. The bill also proposes to reinstate an "inherent requirements test" for any religious organisation or school which will force the institution to validate why, in any given circumstance, they choose to take a particular action. Such as, why they might choose not employ a teacher who would not agree to support the Christian ethos of the school in their teaching of religion.

It is reasonable to predict that the consequences of the changes to this legislation could result in the scenario where a Christian school would be forced to hire a person that is opposed to the ethos and values of the school. These proposed changes, therefore, represent a gross attack on parental choice and religious freedom.

Catholic Education executive director in Melbourne, Stephen Elder, told The Age newspaper it was important that Catholic schools had the freedom to employ staff who supported the Catholic faith and did not undermine a school's ethos. “Parents choose to have their children educated in Catholic schools because our traditions are not only passed on through what is taught but what is practised and what is witnessed in our learning communities,” he said. This highlights that a person employed in a religious organisation such as a school is done so not only on the basis of what they teach but also on their witness and example in all aspects of their conduct.

Christian Schools Australia chief executive Stephen O'Doherty has said that the proposed laws were a "draconian attack on religious freedom principles".

If the legislation passes, an individual who feels that they have been discriminated against on the basis of religion could take their complaint to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal's human rights division. It is then proposed that the religious organisation would have to justify its reason for discriminating, on a case by case basis. This process could prove to be burdensome and costly.

Further, the rationale behind the introduction of this bill is highly questionable. It appears to be discriminatory by its very nature. The proposed bill singles out religious organisations, it does not apply to other organisations who might exclude members on the basis of their beliefs. A sustainable living group, for example, is free to discriminate among its members and forbid a person to join who is advocating for increased fossil fuel burning.

It is arguable that the real intent of the bill proposed by the Victorian State government is simply an attack on the freedom of religious institutions and schools. It seriously undermines the principles of a pluralist society in which one view will not fit all members of our community, despite which we can productively co-exist.

Please sign this petition now calling on all State Members to withdraw this bill. We will deliver your names to Members of the Legislative Council where it is now to be discussed.  

CitizenGO
05,000
  3,626
 
3,626 signatures
Sign here: Oppose the establishment of an “International Safe Abortion Day” at the UN

The international abortion lobby at the United Nations wants to establish an “International Safe Abortion Day” on September 28th. Please join us in expressing outrage at this idea.

A few weeks ago, a coalition of 430 pro-abortion groups sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as to the heads of UN Women, the UN Development Programme, the World Health Organization, the UN Population Fund, the UN Children’s Fund, UNAIDS, and UNESCO, requesting the establishment of the would-be infamous date.

According to the letter, September 28th was declared an international day of action for the decriminalization of abortion in 1990 by the so-called women's health movement, and it has been “celebrated” annually ever since.

Once more, the abortion lobby is using euphemistic expressions to push their agenda. But we know that no abortion is safe, because there is always someone who gets killed. In 100% of abortions, an innocent baby dies, and in a number of cases, the mother also loses her life.

The letter from the abortion lobby argues, “We are not criminals. None of us should be prosecuted for something that is a central fact of being a woman (…) Safe abortion is an essential health service for women.”

Their goal is clear: to push for the legalization of abortion in countries where it’s still illegal, and to establish a “day” that will be used to lobby for public funds to make pro-abortion propaganda.

The abortion lobby has united, and now we must unite as an even louder voice for LIFE.

We must send a clear message to the UN: there is no safe abortion, and to celebrate the killing of innocent human beings goes against the most fundamental human right: the right to life.

When you sign this petition, your message will be sent directly to Secretary Ban Ki-moon. Please join us and thousands of others in asking him to decline this terrible proposal.

--- 

Further Resources: 

- https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/group-seeks-un-blessing-for-its-worldw...

CitizenGO
0200,000
  172,998
 
172,998 signatures
RESOLVED: STOP Unconstitutional Vaccine Requirements That Compel Speech and Threaten Parental Rights

UPDATE: Colorado Agency backs down. CDPHE has changed the form so that it no longer compels those who sign it to attest to views with which they disagree. Thank you for being an informed citizen who stands up for freedom.

Read our latest update on the changes YOU helped make happen: www.hslda.org/hs/state/co/201609020.asp 

Whether to immunize a child is a medical decision that is best made by fully informed parents in accordance with the law and without undue interference or burdens imposed by the state. But new Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) regulations disregard free speech and parental rights and push a pro-vaccine agenda that not all parents agree with.

The new CDPHE requirements mandate burdensome forms and procedures for Colorado children, college students, and parents.

The mandatory forms require that parents affirm that by exempting their child from immunizations they are endangering the life and health of that child. This statement is at odds with some parents’ personal and/or religious beliefs. By forcing parents to make this statement, the State of Colorado is unconstitutionally compelling speech.

Furthermore, by signing such a statement, a person may be making an admission (whether or not it is true or he actually agrees with it) that could be used against him in a later civil or criminal proceeding.

Requiring a person to affirm a viewpoint which violates his religious or personal beliefs is a violation of the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court has clearly established that “[j]ust as the First Amendment may prevent the government from prohibiting speech, [it] may prevent the government from compelling individuals to express certain views” (United States v. United Foods, 533 U.S. 405, 410 (2001)) and also that “one important manifestation of the principle of free speech is that one who chooses to speak may also decide what not to say” (Hurley v. G.L.I.B., 515 U.S. 557, 573 (1995)).

When you sign this petition, your message will be sent directly to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Colorado Speaker of the House Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, and Colorado Senate President Bill Cadman.

Are you are a parent? This issue should concern you—whether you live in Colorado or anywhere else in the United States. If these burdensome regulations are accepted in Colorado, it won’t be long until laws like this spread across the United States.

Please join the Home School Legal Defense Association and CitizenGO in urging these elected representatives to take immediate steps to ensure that parental rights are preserved.

--- 

Further Resources:

Home School Leg...
020,000
  16,434
 
16,434 signatures
Christian University in Canada Targeted for Beliefs

UPDATE: 11/01/16 — Trinity Western University won another big case in British Columbia! The Court of Appeals ruled that B.C.'s Law Society cannot deny accreditation to the law school. The court said that denial of accreditation "denies these Evangelical Christians the ability to exercise fundamental religious and associative rights," which are protected under the Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The opinion went on to say: "A society that does not admit of and accommodate differences cannot be a free and democratic society — one in which its citizens are free to think, to disagree, to debate and to challenge the accepted view without fear of reprisal."

Legal momentum continues to build for Trinity Western University!

---

UPDATE: 07/27/16 — Trinity Western University won its case in Nova Scotia! The decision was released yesterday. The Court ruled that the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society had no authority to "issue rulings whether someone in British Columbia 'unlawfully' violated the Human Rights Act or the charter." The Society may still decide to pursue this case to the Supreme Court. We must continue to fight for victory in this situation! 

---

Trinity Western University (TWU), a Christian university in British Columbia, is facing intense discrimination for their Christian beliefs.

The university’s proposed law school has been put on hold because committees in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia have stated that they will not give graduates of the university licenses to practice law. All students and staff of the university must sign a faith-based covenant. Included in the covenant is a statement affirming the Christian belief that sexual relations should be reserved for marriage, and that marriage should always be between one man and one woman.

Apparently, holding and voicing Christian belief no longer acceptable in Canadian higher-education. We must speak out now to ensure that Christian universities like TWU are protected from disestablishment.

Ontario’s Court of Appeals admitted that this case infringes on TWU's religious freedom, but the decision to refuse licensing was allowed to stand in Ontario because, “TWU’s Community Covenant in issue in this appeal is deeply discriminatory to the LGBTQ community, and it hurts.”

Ontario’s Law Society praised the decision of the Court of Appeals, claiming it promotes “the desirable goal of promoting a diverse profession.”

A profession that has no room for Christian beliefs is hardly a “diverse” profession!  

Universities and lawyers are being commanded to disavow their beliefs or stop operating. We must speak up in their defense.

Your signatures on this petition will be sent to the law societies that are refusing to license graduates of TWU. The petition will also be sent to the appeals courts of Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, and the Canadian Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will most likely hear this case once a decision is reached by the courts in British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

Please sign this petition to ensure religious freedom for universities and lawyers throughout Canada.

--

Further information:

https://twu.ca/studenthandbook/university-policies/community-covenant-ag...  

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/canadian-law-societies-target-christian-universitys-faith-based-beliefs-on/

 

CitizenGO
010,000
  6,687
 
6,687 signatures
Against the law to preach the Bible?

In Iowa, it’s now against the law to preach the Bible, at least according to the Civil Rights Commission. The commission is stretching a state code to ban churches from teaching on biblical sexuality and to force the churches to open restrooms and locker rooms to members of the opposite sex.  The commission reasons that since churches are places of public accommodation, they cannot “discriminate” against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation.

This is absurd and unconscionable. Our culture has become so obsessed with sex, that we are losing our fundamental principles. America was founded on the principles of freedom—particularly freedom of religion.  Please stand with us in fighting back against the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. 

We cannot allow the State of Iowa a to muzzle people of faith and force us into silence. This is an issue of critical importance. We must stand together to make our voice heard and our strength felt. 

The Civil Rights Commission has interpreted Chapter 216 of the Iowa Code to mean that if a pastor discusses anything in the Bible that relates to sexuality or marriage, he has broken the law.

Cary Gordon is the pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach, a nondenominational church with around 900 members in Sioux City, Iowa. He says his greatest concern is the “flagrant disrespect for the First Amendment of the Constitution.” Under this interpretation of the code, “the state retains the power to correct or control what I say and teach out of the Bible.”

“It’s fundamentally wrong and I can’t comply with that,” Gordon said. “I’ve taken an oath to the Lord Jesus Christ, and I obey the Bible above all men. … I have to obey God, and that puts me in a precarious position.”

As Christians, we need to show that we will not quietly abdicate our freedoms. The right to religious liberty is ingrained in the very fabric of our nation. The ability to faithfully preach the word of God must be protected. Please stand with us in pushing back against this attempt to silence the church from discussing the biblical context for sexuality. Rally your church, your family, and your neighbors: this is something we all can, and must, resist.

Further Resources:

http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/06/pastor-says-state-law-threatens-his-right-to-teach-the-bible-in-his-church/

CitizenGO
020,000
  18,057
 
18,057 signatures

victories

Proposed changes to Birth Certificate Legislation in Victoria

The Victorian State government, led by Labour MP the Hon. Daniel Andrews is hoping to sign off on the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2016. The State government announced this legislation on August 18 in the Legislative Assembly. It is now set for debate in the Legislative Council in the next weeks. If it passes, the Bill will become new State legislation.

The Bill is a further example of the rainbow agenda that the State government in Victoria continues to push undermining objective realities about gender, the differences between the sexes and Marriage between a man and a woman.

This legislation was an election promise made by the Labour government in 2014.  It primarily seeks to allow adults to alter the sex recorded on their Victorian birth registration and birth certificate. It also will allow any adult who is living in a same-sex relationship and who was legally married prior to one of the couples changing their sex, to continue to remain in this state. The same-sex couples in this situation will remain legally married, despite now being recognised legally as a same-sex couple. Effectively, as such, the legislative changes legalise marriage for some same-sex couples in Victoria.

Despite this Victorian push, the federal Marriage Act still continues to stipulate that marriage is between a man and a woman. If something changes, such as the sex of one of the couple, then it would be reasonably assumed that the marriage no longer exists as originally contracted. Not so, say the former federal Attorneys-General from both parties who have taken the view that the Marriage Act is concerned with the gender of the couple only at the time of the marriage ceremony. 

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2016 will also remove the need for applicants to have undergone sex affirmation surgery before being able to apply to change their gender on their birth certificate. The applicant will not be required to provide a diagnosis or medical certificate to make this change. Under the changes, an applicant will be able to nominate what sex descriptor they would like on their birth registration be it, male, female or alternatively, to specify a gender diverse or non-binary descriptor. It will be entirely what the applicant self-reports.

Parents will also be able to apply to have the sex of their children changed on their child's birth certificate, with the child's consent. 

Whilst, South Australia is also discussing similar legislative changes, the Australian Capital Territory is the only other State or Territory in Australia that has introduced similar legislation. Victoria continues to appear to be pushing changes rapidly in the area of marriage and gender and defying the Federal Governments lead to slow down, such as on the related Safe Schools Coalition Program.

Please join us in signing this petition to members of the Legislative Council asking them not to support these changes which undermine marriage in the coming weeks when they will vote on the legislation.  We will also send a copy of the signatures to Premier Daniel Andrews.

Related articles:

CitizenGO
05,000
  2,172
 
2,172 signatures
Religious Exemptions Bill presents a new attack on religious freedom

UPDATE:

The Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Bill has now passed in the Legislative Assembly and will be discussed in the Legislative Council from this week (11th October). This petition will now be sent to members of the Legislative Assembly asking them not to support the proposed amendments which undermine the principles key to a pluralistic society. 

****

The Equal Opportunity (Religious Exceptions) Bill was tabled in Victorian State Parliament on the 31st August. The aim of the bill is to amend the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 to remove religious exceptions in relation to the employment of a person by religious bodies and organisations. If passed, the outcome will restrict many religious organisations and schools from promoting a Christian worldview through their staff and perhaps more critically, challenge their very reason for existence.

The amendments to the proposed bill will remove religious grounds as an exception for employers to discriminate against hiring an individual. The bill also proposes to reinstate an "inherent requirements test" for any religious organisation or school which will force the institution to validate why, in any given circumstance, they choose to take a particular action. Such as, why they might choose not employ a teacher who would not agree to support the Christian ethos of the school in their teaching of religion.

It is reasonable to predict that the consequences of the changes to this legislation could result in the scenario where a Christian school would be forced to hire a person that is opposed to the ethos and values of the school. These proposed changes, therefore, represent a gross attack on parental choice and religious freedom.

Catholic Education executive director in Melbourne, Stephen Elder, told The Age newspaper it was important that Catholic schools had the freedom to employ staff who supported the Catholic faith and did not undermine a school's ethos. “Parents choose to have their children educated in Catholic schools because our traditions are not only passed on through what is taught but what is practised and what is witnessed in our learning communities,” he said. This highlights that a person employed in a religious organisation such as a school is done so not only on the basis of what they teach but also on their witness and example in all aspects of their conduct.

Christian Schools Australia chief executive Stephen O'Doherty has said that the proposed laws were a "draconian attack on religious freedom principles".

If the legislation passes, an individual who feels that they have been discriminated against on the basis of religion could take their complaint to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal's human rights division. It is then proposed that the religious organisation would have to justify its reason for discriminating, on a case by case basis. This process could prove to be burdensome and costly.

Further, the rationale behind the introduction of this bill is highly questionable. It appears to be discriminatory by its very nature. The proposed bill singles out religious organisations, it does not apply to other organisations who might exclude members on the basis of their beliefs. A sustainable living group, for example, is free to discriminate among its members and forbid a person to join who is advocating for increased fossil fuel burning.

It is arguable that the real intent of the bill proposed by the Victorian State government is simply an attack on the freedom of religious institutions and schools. It seriously undermines the principles of a pluralist society in which one view will not fit all members of our community, despite which we can productively co-exist.

Please sign this petition now calling on all State Members to withdraw this bill. We will deliver your names to Members of the Legislative Council where it is now to be discussed.  

CitizenGO
05,000
  3,626
 
3,626 signatures
Sign here: Oppose the establishment of an “International Safe Abortion Day” at the UN

The international abortion lobby at the United Nations wants to establish an “International Safe Abortion Day” on September 28th. Please join us in expressing outrage at this idea.

A few weeks ago, a coalition of 430 pro-abortion groups sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as to the heads of UN Women, the UN Development Programme, the World Health Organization, the UN Population Fund, the UN Children’s Fund, UNAIDS, and UNESCO, requesting the establishment of the would-be infamous date.

According to the letter, September 28th was declared an international day of action for the decriminalization of abortion in 1990 by the so-called women's health movement, and it has been “celebrated” annually ever since.

Once more, the abortion lobby is using euphemistic expressions to push their agenda. But we know that no abortion is safe, because there is always someone who gets killed. In 100% of abortions, an innocent baby dies, and in a number of cases, the mother also loses her life.

The letter from the abortion lobby argues, “We are not criminals. None of us should be prosecuted for something that is a central fact of being a woman (…) Safe abortion is an essential health service for women.”

Their goal is clear: to push for the legalization of abortion in countries where it’s still illegal, and to establish a “day” that will be used to lobby for public funds to make pro-abortion propaganda.

The abortion lobby has united, and now we must unite as an even louder voice for LIFE.

We must send a clear message to the UN: there is no safe abortion, and to celebrate the killing of innocent human beings goes against the most fundamental human right: the right to life.

When you sign this petition, your message will be sent directly to Secretary Ban Ki-moon. Please join us and thousands of others in asking him to decline this terrible proposal.

--- 

Further Resources: 

- https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/group-seeks-un-blessing-for-its-worldw...

CitizenGO
0200,000
  172,998
 
172,998 signatures
RESOLVED: STOP Unconstitutional Vaccine Requirements That Compel Speech and Threaten Parental Rights

UPDATE: Colorado Agency backs down. CDPHE has changed the form so that it no longer compels those who sign it to attest to views with which they disagree. Thank you for being an informed citizen who stands up for freedom.

Read our latest update on the changes YOU helped make happen: www.hslda.org/hs/state/co/201609020.asp 

Whether to immunize a child is a medical decision that is best made by fully informed parents in accordance with the law and without undue interference or burdens imposed by the state. But new Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) regulations disregard free speech and parental rights and push a pro-vaccine agenda that not all parents agree with.

The new CDPHE requirements mandate burdensome forms and procedures for Colorado children, college students, and parents.

The mandatory forms require that parents affirm that by exempting their child from immunizations they are endangering the life and health of that child. This statement is at odds with some parents’ personal and/or religious beliefs. By forcing parents to make this statement, the State of Colorado is unconstitutionally compelling speech.

Furthermore, by signing such a statement, a person may be making an admission (whether or not it is true or he actually agrees with it) that could be used against him in a later civil or criminal proceeding.

Requiring a person to affirm a viewpoint which violates his religious or personal beliefs is a violation of the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court has clearly established that “[j]ust as the First Amendment may prevent the government from prohibiting speech, [it] may prevent the government from compelling individuals to express certain views” (United States v. United Foods, 533 U.S. 405, 410 (2001)) and also that “one important manifestation of the principle of free speech is that one who chooses to speak may also decide what not to say” (Hurley v. G.L.I.B., 515 U.S. 557, 573 (1995)).

When you sign this petition, your message will be sent directly to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Colorado Speaker of the House Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, and Colorado Senate President Bill Cadman.

Are you are a parent? This issue should concern you—whether you live in Colorado or anywhere else in the United States. If these burdensome regulations are accepted in Colorado, it won’t be long until laws like this spread across the United States.

Please join the Home School Legal Defense Association and CitizenGO in urging these elected representatives to take immediate steps to ensure that parental rights are preserved.

--- 

Further Resources:

Home School Leg...
020,000
  16,434
 
16,434 signatures
Christian University in Canada Targeted for Beliefs

UPDATE: 11/01/16 — Trinity Western University won another big case in British Columbia! The Court of Appeals ruled that B.C.'s Law Society cannot deny accreditation to the law school. The court said that denial of accreditation "denies these Evangelical Christians the ability to exercise fundamental religious and associative rights," which are protected under the Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The opinion went on to say: "A society that does not admit of and accommodate differences cannot be a free and democratic society — one in which its citizens are free to think, to disagree, to debate and to challenge the accepted view without fear of reprisal."

Legal momentum continues to build for Trinity Western University!

---

UPDATE: 07/27/16 — Trinity Western University won its case in Nova Scotia! The decision was released yesterday. The Court ruled that the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society had no authority to "issue rulings whether someone in British Columbia 'unlawfully' violated the Human Rights Act or the charter." The Society may still decide to pursue this case to the Supreme Court. We must continue to fight for victory in this situation! 

---

Trinity Western University (TWU), a Christian university in British Columbia, is facing intense discrimination for their Christian beliefs.

The university’s proposed law school has been put on hold because committees in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia have stated that they will not give graduates of the university licenses to practice law. All students and staff of the university must sign a faith-based covenant. Included in the covenant is a statement affirming the Christian belief that sexual relations should be reserved for marriage, and that marriage should always be between one man and one woman.

Apparently, holding and voicing Christian belief no longer acceptable in Canadian higher-education. We must speak out now to ensure that Christian universities like TWU are protected from disestablishment.

Ontario’s Court of Appeals admitted that this case infringes on TWU's religious freedom, but the decision to refuse licensing was allowed to stand in Ontario because, “TWU’s Community Covenant in issue in this appeal is deeply discriminatory to the LGBTQ community, and it hurts.”

Ontario’s Law Society praised the decision of the Court of Appeals, claiming it promotes “the desirable goal of promoting a diverse profession.”

A profession that has no room for Christian beliefs is hardly a “diverse” profession!  

Universities and lawyers are being commanded to disavow their beliefs or stop operating. We must speak up in their defense.

Your signatures on this petition will be sent to the law societies that are refusing to license graduates of TWU. The petition will also be sent to the appeals courts of Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, and the Canadian Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will most likely hear this case once a decision is reached by the courts in British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

Please sign this petition to ensure religious freedom for universities and lawyers throughout Canada.

--

Further information:

https://twu.ca/studenthandbook/university-policies/community-covenant-ag...  

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/canadian-law-societies-target-christian-universitys-faith-based-beliefs-on/

 

CitizenGO
010,000
  6,687
 
6,687 signatures
Against the law to preach the Bible?

In Iowa, it’s now against the law to preach the Bible, at least according to the Civil Rights Commission. The commission is stretching a state code to ban churches from teaching on biblical sexuality and to force the churches to open restrooms and locker rooms to members of the opposite sex.  The commission reasons that since churches are places of public accommodation, they cannot “discriminate” against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation.

This is absurd and unconscionable. Our culture has become so obsessed with sex, that we are losing our fundamental principles. America was founded on the principles of freedom—particularly freedom of religion.  Please stand with us in fighting back against the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. 

We cannot allow the State of Iowa a to muzzle people of faith and force us into silence. This is an issue of critical importance. We must stand together to make our voice heard and our strength felt. 

The Civil Rights Commission has interpreted Chapter 216 of the Iowa Code to mean that if a pastor discusses anything in the Bible that relates to sexuality or marriage, he has broken the law.

Cary Gordon is the pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach, a nondenominational church with around 900 members in Sioux City, Iowa. He says his greatest concern is the “flagrant disrespect for the First Amendment of the Constitution.” Under this interpretation of the code, “the state retains the power to correct or control what I say and teach out of the Bible.”

“It’s fundamentally wrong and I can’t comply with that,” Gordon said. “I’ve taken an oath to the Lord Jesus Christ, and I obey the Bible above all men. … I have to obey God, and that puts me in a precarious position.”

As Christians, we need to show that we will not quietly abdicate our freedoms. The right to religious liberty is ingrained in the very fabric of our nation. The ability to faithfully preach the word of God must be protected. Please stand with us in pushing back against this attempt to silence the church from discussing the biblical context for sexuality. Rally your church, your family, and your neighbors: this is something we all can, and must, resist.

Further Resources:

http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/06/pastor-says-state-law-threatens-his-right-to-teach-the-bible-in-his-church/

CitizenGO
020,000
  18,057
 
18,057 signatures

What's happening on CitizenGO

050,000
  21,520
 
21,520 signatures

Trending in Religious freedom

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Help free Yahaya and end blaphemy laws in Northern Nigeria!

Imagine being threatened with death because of something you said that others found offensive to their own beliefs? 


This is what some blasphemy laws around the world allow; the death sentence for opinions that others find offensive.

Blasphemy laws are prevalent in many countries where Sharia law operates and are often used to persecute Christians and religious minorities.

Read more
050,000
  21,520
 
21,520 signatures
ADF International
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  304,130
 
304,130 signatures

Trending in Other

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Stop the UN's desperate pandemic treaty push

Driven by your support, CitizenGO is fighting tooth and nail in trying to halt the proposed World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Treaty. Unfortunately, we cannot lower our guard yet...

For two years since nations agreed to develop a Pandemic Treaty that allows the WHO to dictate "potential" emergencies, controlling lockdowns, vaccinations, and mobility restrictions, you and I have fought to keep any new powers away from the WHO. 

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Stand with Päivi Räsänen: Defend our Christian voices #StandWithPaivi

Have you ever thought that the erosion of free expression is limited to repressive regimes? Think again. Shockingly, it is rampant even in the West.

A case that exemplifies this deeply troubling trend is that of Päivi Räsänen, a grandmother, medical doctor, and former member of Finland's Parliament.

Can you imagine facing criminal charges and a trial for simply expressing your beliefs? This is the reality Päivi finds herself in today, and it is a direct attack on Christian’s fundamental right to free speech and expression.

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Alert: the LGBT agenda threatens Our Christian Beliefs

The clash between Christian rights and the LGBT agenda has reached a tipping point. 

Recent discussions during the 53rd UN Human Rights Council have raised legitimate concerns about the potential impact of enforcing LGBT standards within religious contexts.

A report was released that claims religious freedom violates LGBT rights.

This report has shaken us to our core.

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Send your message of encouragement for Caroline Farrow

Thanks to the thousands of generous donations that enabled us to hire a top-tier lawyer to defend her, the civil order against Caroline Farrow has officially been dropped.

However, she still faces a significant challenge: the possibility of a criminal investigation. 

The transgender accuser is pursuing Caroline civilly for allegedly revealing private information about his criminal offenses (which are public knowledge and were addressed in an open court). 

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