Check It Out: Love cannot be censored

By Joan Janzen

I’ve heard that growing old is like software updates: every time something improves, another thing crashes. A dear friend of mine recently celebrated her 100th birthday. One of her most prominent traits is the ability to laugh at herself and maintain a keen sense of humour.

Longevity is something most people desire, and there’s a lot of helpful advice available as you navigate through more and more birthdays. However, my friend claimed the secret to reaching her milestone birthday was forgiving people and moving on.

In most cases, forgiving people who hurt you is easier said than done, and the centenarian was quick to admit it. She also said, “Without the Lord with me, I can’t do anything.”

Now, I know there are skeptics who will brush aside those words, but after living for a century, she has earned the right to speak. Not only has she survived, but everyone she knows says she is a pleasure to be around. Her positive attitude is a result of living and following the principles revealed in the Bible, which produce the qualities of joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control and love.

That list doesn’t sound harmful. In fact, people possessing those characteristics will contribute to a safe environment and will be less likely to have a negative impact on those around them.

So it feels a bit confusing when Bill C-246, which would require separate prison sentences for repeat sexual offenders, was defeated. Bill C-243, a bill to protect families of murder victims from automatic parole, was defeated. Bill C-220, a bill to prevent lighter sentences for criminals, was defeated. But Bill C-9, which removes long-standing protections for Canadians to express their faith, was passed. Some of the MPs cast their vote on Bill C-9 while holding their Bibles.

Of those four bills, which one would ensure the most safety for Canadians? I’ll let you provide your own answer.

The quest to defend religious freedom in Canada now moves to the Senate. In Project Confederation’s recent newsletter, they noted that under the current system, the federal government is responsible for appointing judges.

The newsletter made the following observation: “When a disagreement arises over authority, or constitutional limits, one of the sides involved in the disagreement effectively gets to choose the referees! Simply put, that’s not fair.”

As a result, four provincial leaders, premiers of Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, wrote the Prime Minister asking for meaningful provincial input on who serves on their courts.

The time is critical since Justice Sheilah Martin announced her retirement, and the Prime Minister will get to pick her replacement. Justice Malcolm Rowe is also required to retire before the next scheduled federal election.

“The selection of a Supreme Court judge can have a profound impact on our country,” the newsletter continued to explain.

In the letter, the following question was posed: “Could more of the five other Trudeau-appointed justices currently on the court choose to step down early as well, to ensure the Prime Minister selects their replacement, rather than whoever wins the next election? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

But it isn’t just at the Supreme Court where the federal government holds great influence. The letter explained that Ottawa also gets to appoint every provincial superior court and provincial appeal court judge.

Is it fair that judges in the provincial courts of our province are selected by the federal government in Ottawa, and not by the provincial government? The exception is in Quebec, where the federal government usually appoints whoever the provincial government wants.

Canadians need a fair and balanced judiciary. This becomes obvious as Bill C-9 moves to the Senate.

Rod Taylor spoke about Bill C-9 online. He said the government claims that freedom of speech and freedom of religion will still be protected, even though they have inserted an amendment that specifically eliminates the expression of opinion based on the word of God.

“The same word of God that is engraved on the stones of our Parliament Buildings. The same God who is referenced in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Taylor added. “The controversy around C-9 has been widespread. Hundreds of thousands of phone calls have been made to MPs coming from both the right and left.” MP offices were flooded with emails.

However, he said the loss of freedom of speech, religion, movement or association will have deep and long-lasting impacts on our social structures, institutions, families, churches, communities and on the entire fabric of our nation.

In the days to come, every senator will have the responsibility and opportunity to earn the admiration of Canadians by taking his or her role seriously as one of the people of sober second thought by rejecting this attack on freedom. The voices of Canadians have been heard loud and clear through calls, letters and signed petitions.

If passed, it’s very likely the amendment that eliminates the expression of opinion based on the Word of God will result in censorship, because people can’t possibly know how every human being will interpret their words.

However, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control and love cannot be censored. Those qualities endure because they are the fruit resulting from lives lived according to the values and principles found in the Word of God. My 100-year-old friend is living proof.