In its brief to the House of Commons Justice Committee, the BC Humanist Association warns that new criminal code offenses risk silencing religious dissent.
Bill C-9 amends the Criminal Code to address hate symbols, define hate crimes and impose new sanctions for obstructing access to religious or cultural spaces. The bill is currently being studied by Members of Parliament on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
While supportive of efforts to combat hate and bigotry, the BCHA warns the current bill instead privileges religious institutions and threatens civil liberties.
The irony is that these laws would criminalize Jesus Christ himself for the story where he entered the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers.
A coalition of civil liberties organizations has also spoken out against the measures proposed in the bill.