The following letter from Bishop Frederick Henry, Roman Catholic bishop of Calgary (Alberta), to Ed Stelmach, Premier of the Province of Alberta, was recently published on the front page of the diocesan website. Bishop Henry is known for his willingness to speak publicly about controversial issues. The Human Rights Commission has been a particular concern of his in the past. This letter provides further insight into Bishop Henry's concerns.

Dear Premier Stelmach:

I have raised the issue of the Alberta Human Rights Commission several times with you in the past eighteen months. On each of those occasions, you said that you understood the issues and shared my concerns. However, the situation is continuing to deteriorate across our country and the various levels of governments are seemingly non-responsive.

April 2008: The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered an evangelical Christian charity, Christian Horizons, to rescind its morality code and require employees to undergo anti-discriminatory training. In addition, Christian Horizons has been ordered to pay $23,000 plus lost wages for terminating Connie Heritz’s employment based on a morality code which she freely and knowingly signed as a condition of employment and which she failed to adhere to.

Every religious institution should have the jurisdictional independence to determine its own confessions, doctrines and ordinances, including conditions of employment.

May 2008: A Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal has fined a Regina marriage commissioner, Orville Nichols, $2,500 after finding he discriminated against a gay couple when he declined to perform their same-sex ceremony. Nichols, who has performed nearly 2,000 marriages since 1983, had referred the couple to another marriage commissioner because he said his religious beliefs (Baptist) kept him from performing the ceremony.

The conflict between social pressure and the demands of right conscience can lead to the dilemma either of abandoning a profession or of compromising one's convictions. Faced with that tension, despite the ruling of the Commission, we must remember that there is a middle path which opens up before workers who are faithful to their conscience. It is the path of conscientious objection, which ought to be respected by all, especially legislators.

Every person has the right to have their religious beliefs reasonably accommodated.

Each judgment emanating out of our various Human Rights Commissions seems to be more brazen and bizarre than the one that preceded it. However, for inane stupidity and gross miscarriage of justice our own Alberta Human Rights Tribunal deserves to take first prize for its treatment of Stephen Boissoin.

June 2008: The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal fined Stephen Boissoin, $5,000.

Section 30 of the Alberta Human Rights Act states: “Evidence may be given before a human rights panel in any manner that the panel considers appropriate, and the panel is not bound by the rules of law respecting evidence in judicial proceedings.” It would also seem that this panel is also not bound by reasonable argument or the elementary rules of logic but is free to skewer anyone not espousing and proclaiming politically correct views. Darren Lund, the complainant, said that Boissoin’s words in his 2002 letter to the Red Deer Advocate were hateful, and furthermore, an assault on a gay teenager three weeks later could be connected to them. No proof of either was presented.

Lori Andreachuk, the chairperson of the Tribunal, agreed that his words were “likely” to expose gays, “a vulnerable” group, to hatred due to their sexual orientation. No court in the land would connect the letter and the assault but this silly tribunal did.

Andreachuk acknowledged that “In this case, there is no specific individual who can be compensated as there is no direct victim who has come forward...” However, she also wrote: “Dr. Lund, although not a direct victim, did expend considerable time and energy and suffered ridicule and harassment as a result of his complaint. The Panel finds therefore that he is entitled to some compensation.” One might ask on what grounds?

She concluded that Boissoin “... shall pay to Dr. Lund an award for damages, jointly and severally, in the amount of $5,000.00.” Lund wasn’t the victim of any kind of discrimination and yet he is handsomely paid, and subsequently, feted as Gay Pride Parade Marshall in Calgary.

The tribunal effectively stripped Boissoin of his right to freedom of speech. “Mr. Boissoin ..... shall cease publishing in newspapers, by email, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the Internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals.” What is meant by “disparaging”? This is tantamount to ruling out honest debate and a plurality of views in the public sphere lest someone be offended by a differing viewpoint.

The tribunal decided to extract a further pound of flesh by way of public humiliation. “Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. provide Dr. Lund with a written apology for the article in the Red Deer Advocate which was the subject of this complaint.” What happens if Lund is not satisfied with the apology?

Mr. Premier, we have talked enough about the inadequate provisions of and appointment to the Alberta Human Rights Tribunals, it is time to repeal Section 3(1)(b) of the Alberta Human Rights Act . ("No person shall publish, issue or display or cause to be published, issued or displayed before the public any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that is likely to expose a person or a class of persons to hatred or contempt because of the race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income or family status of that person or class of persons.") and to protect the rights of religious freedom. Every person has the right to make public statements and participate in public debate on religious grounds.

Sincerely yours,

F. B. Henry
Bishop of Calgary
July 6, 2008

[Religion Monitor press release] When Pope Benedict XVI travels to Australia for the first time for World Youth Day this week, he will be descending on one of the least religious nations in the western world. Although two-thirds of Australians identify themselves as Christians, religion plays an important role in the minds and everyday lives of only a minority according to the Religion Monitor, an international survey carried out by the Bertelsmann Foundation, Europe's biggest operating foundation. The Religion Monitor is the most extensive and detailed international comparative study on the significance of religion in the main cultures of the world.

According to this representative international survey of 21.000 people, 28% of the Australian population see themselves as not at all religious, with religious practices and beliefs barely featuring in their lives. A similar number classify themselves as deeply religious (25%) whilst 44% of Australians say they consider themselves religious but that religion does not play a central role in their lives.

48% of Australians do not partake in personal prayer, and 52% never or very seldom visit a church, mosque, synagogue or temple for religious reasons. 31% said that they did not believe in God or a divine power or in life after death. Religion scored lower than all other parts of daily life, with 50% of Australians considering religion the least important when compared to family, partners, work/career, leisure time and politics.

• Read the entire news story from the Bertelsmann Foundation's Religion Monitor
• Take the Religion Monitor Online Survey

[Nouvelles COE] Les expériences des Eglises d'Allemagne dans le domaine de la violence domestique devraient occuper une place importante dans la Déclaration sur la paix du Conseil œcuménique des Eglises (COE) prévue pour 2011. Les Eglises ont trop longtemps nié ce problème, a déclaré Georges Lemopoulos, secrétaire général adjoint du COE, le samedi 28 juin à Francfort.

Francfort-sur-le-Main était la première étape de la visite d'une équipe du COE composée de six personnes sous la conduite de l'archevêque anglican Bernard Ntahoturi, du Burundi. Jusqu'en 2010, des visites de ce genre auront lieu plusieurs fois par année pour préparer le Rassemblement œcuménique international pour la paix, qui marquera la fin de la Décennie "vaincre la violence". Les Eglises allemandes, qui se sont d'emblée fortement engagées dans la Décennie, se montrent particulièrement actives, comme les visiteurs ont pu le constater en prenant connaissance des projets et expériences du sud-ouest de l'Allemagne qui leur étaient présentés à Francfort.

Dans le Bade-Wurtemberg, l'Eglise protestante préconise d'introduire le sujet de la violence domestique dans les programmes scolaires et d'intensifier les services de conseils pour les victimes, a expliqué la pasteure Helene Eichrodt-Kessel, du projet "vaincre la violence" de l'Eglise évangélique luthérienne du Wurtemberg. La violence domestique y est également traitée dans la formation théologique initiale et continue. "Nous formons un groupe professionnel qui se rend dans les familles et nous avons la possibilité de parler." Les paroisses reçoivent des appels au secours de femmes et d'enfants; une femme sur quatre a déjà été une fois victime de violence.

L'exposition "Rosentrasse 76", de Pain pour le prochain (Brot für die Welt), qui aide les paroisses à parler du thème de la violence, circule dans plusieurs pays et est accueillie cette année par l'Eglise de Westphalie. Janette Bächtold Ludwig, directrice du Conseil national des Eglises chrétiennes du Brésil, a apprécié la conception pédagogique de cette exposition et les manifestations d'accompagnement organisées par des paroisses rurales et urbaines.

"La violence domestique sévit à l'intérieur des maisons. Quand nous en entendons parler, c'est déjà trop tard", a déclaré l'archevêque Ntahoturi. Dans son pays, cette violence est considérée comme une conséquence de la guerre. Depuis peu, son Eglise, dans le cadre de son programme "La famille au centre", a eu connaissance de cas de sévices sexuels.

Comme la délégation lui demandait dans quelle mesure la culture et la religion ont une influence sur la violence domestique, Eli Wolf, directrice du Centre protestant des femmes de Francfort, a répondu qu'actuellement les maisons de femmes accueillent surtout des femmes issues de la migration, mais que la violence domestique se rencontre dans toutes les couches de la société. La pasteure a également parlé de la collaboration avec des musulmans qui travaillent à faire admettre une autre image de l'homme dans leurs milieux.

Grâce à son réseau œcuménique international, l'Evangelisches Missionswerk in Südwestdeutschland (EMS, Œuvre missionnaire protestante du sud-ouest de l'Allemagne) a pu favoriser la lecture en commun de textes bibliques sur la paix. C'est ainsi qu'un groupe biblique d'une paroisse allemande peut lire le même texte qu'un groupe africain ou asiatique. "Il a fallu tout traduire, ce qui a nécessité de la patience", a expliqué la pasteure Dorothea Frank à propos d'échanges avec un groupe d'étudiants du Cameroun, "mais nous avons découvert que la Bible constitue notre trésor commun et que personne ne peut prétendre en détenir la seule interprétation valable."

Les organisatrices de la rencontre à Francfort placent de grands espoirs dans la Déclaration pour la paix, a souligné la pasteure Ulrike Schmidt-Hesse, secrétaire générale adjointe de l'EMS. Elle souhaite qu'à côté des grandes orientations, ce texte comporte aussi des prises de position sur certains défis actuels.

La journée de Francfort a été préparée par les Eglises évangéliques de Hesse-Nassau, de Bade et du Wurtemberg, par le Réseau œcuménique du Wurtemberg et l'EMS.

• Informations sur la Décennie "vaincre la violence"
• Visites des "lettres vivantes" en Allemagne
• Evangelisches Missionswerk in Südwestdeutschland (EMS, en allemand et en anglais)
• Eglises membres du COE en Allemagne (en anglais)

[WCC News] German churches' experience with the issue of "domestic violence" will play an important role in a Peace Declaration of the World Council of Churches planned for 2011. "The churches have denied the existence of this issue for a long time", said Georges Lemopoulos, deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), speaking on Saturday 28 June in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt was the first stop for a WCC team of six people led by Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi from Burundi. The visit of the WCC team in Germany is one of several such team visits planned throughout the world between now and 2010 to prepare for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in 2011. The convocation is the culmination of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence 2001-2010, in which the German churches have been particularly active and committed from the outset. In Frankfurt, projects and experiences from south-western Germany were presented to the international team.

Rev. Helene Eichrodt-Kessel, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg's office for the Decade to Overcome Violence, told the WCC team that the protestant churches are pushing to have the issue of domestic violence included as part of the school syllabus in Baden-Württemberg and also to increase access to advice for victims. Domestic violence is an issue taken up both in theological training and in-service training. "In our jobs, we go into people's homes and have the opportunity to speak with them," she said. Congregations received calls for help from women and children. One in four women has been a victim of violence at least once.

The Rosenstrasse 76 exhibition by the development agency Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World) helps local congregations talk about the issue and is used both nationally and internationally - this year by the Evangelical Church of Westphalia. Janette Bächtold-Ludwig, director of the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil (CONIC), praised the way the exhibition had been conceived and the accompanying events that rural and urban parishes organized around it.

"Domestic violence takes place behind closed doors. When we learn about it, it's already too late," said Archbishop Ntahoturi. In his home country Burundi it was seen as one of the results of war. Through its "focus on the family" project, his church had also found out about cases of sexual abuse, he added.

Answering a question from the delegation about the extent to which culture and religion influence "domestic violence", the Rev. Eli Wolf, director of the Protestant women's centre in Frankfurt, said that at the moment most of the women seeking protection had a migration background, although domestic violence affected all parts of society. She also talked about working with Muslim women who are working on changing male role models in their environment.

Through its international ecumenical network, the Association of Churches and Missions in South Western Germany, (EMS), has been getting people to read biblical peace texts together with partners abroad. "Everything had to be translated and that demanded a bit of patience", said the Rev. Dorothea Frank, about the exchange with a student group from Cameroon. "We learnt that we have the Bible as our common treasure and that no one has the right to insist on just one way of interpreting it."

The organizers of the meeting in Frankfurt have great hopes for the ecumenical declaration on just peace that will be issued by the peace convocation in 2011, said the Rev. Ulrike Schmidt-Hesse, deputy director of the EMS. She hoped that clear positions on current challenges would be taken up alongside more general reflections.

The day in Frankfurt was prepared by the Evangelical Church in Hessen and Nassau, the Evangelical Church in Baden, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg, the Württemberg ecumenical network and the EMS.

• Further information on the Decade to Overcome Violence
• Living Letters team visit to Germany
• Travel blog by two members of the WCC's Living Letters team
• Association of Protestant Churches and Mission in South Western Germany (EMS)
• WCC Member Churches in Germany

[Anglican.ca] What follows is a statement by Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, in response to the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) statement issued in Jerusalem last weekend.

The Gospel of God in Christ is faithfully proclaimed by Canadian Anglicans today just as it has been by generations who have gone before us. I believe it is important to state this truth in response to the recent statement from the GAFCON gathering in Jerusalem, which suggests otherwise.

The GAFCON statement is based on a premise that there is "acceptance and promotion within the provinces of the Anglican Communion of a different gospel which is contrary to the apostolic gospel." The statement specifically accuses Anglican churches in the Canada and the United States of proclaiming this "false gospel that has paralysed the Communion." I challenge and repudiate this charge.

In my first year as Primate, I have visited many parishes across the country, attended synods and participated in gatherings of clergy and laity who care deeply for the church, its unity and witness. What I see is a faithful proclamation of the apostolic gospel in liturgy and loving service to those in need and in advocacy for justice and peace for all people.

The mission statement of the Anglican Church of Canada professes that we "value our heritage of biblical faith, reason, liturgy, tradition, bishops and synods, and the rich variety of our life in community." And we do. The Anglican Church of Canada also values its role in the worldwide Anglican Communion. We are committed to constructive dialogue on all issues facing our beloved church and the Communion, including the blessing of same-sex unions. We remain convinced that as contentious as this issue may be, it should not be a Communion-breaking issue. We have a deep and abiding commitment to the Windsor Report, and the Communion-wide conversations regarding a Covenant among the provinces.

We cherish our relationship with the See of Canterbury and honour our Archbishop as "first among equals" and as a vital instrument of communion. At his invitation, our bishops and their spouses will participate in the Lambeth Conference 2008. They go mindful of the Archbishop’s hope that through this conference, our relationships in Christ will be deepened and our capacity as leaders in mission will be strengthened.

I do not believe the Anglican Communion is paralyzed by a false gospel. While we recognize that our relationships are bruised and broken the gospel calls us to be reconciled, to pursue healing and to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit. It calls all those in leadership to use their authority "not to hurt but to heal, not to destroy but to build up" and "to unite the church in a holy fellowship of truth and love."

As we continue to work our way through these times of tension in the Communion, I ask for the prayers of the church that we may be faithful to the gospel of Him in whom we are forever one.

Fred Hiltz, Archbishop and Primate

Resources:

• Canadian Primate responds to GAFCON statement
• Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA responds to GAFCON statement
• Final declaration of the Global Anglican Future Conference

• LWF Council Approves Preparation of a Lutheran Statement to Ask Forgiveness for Anabaptists Persecutions
• Council Actions Affirm Ecumenical Dialogues and Conversations

[Arusha, Tanzania • LWI] The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) voted to provide for preparation of a statement that will, on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), ask for forgiveness for Lutheran persecutions of “Anabaptists,” in which many died as this violence was justified by appeal to the Lutheran Reformers’ theological statements.

Receiving recommendations from its Program Committee for Ecumenical Affairs, the Council also acknowledged with appreciation the communiqués from the Lutheran-Mennonite International Study Commission in 2007 and 2008, and commended the study commission for its thorough and important work. It encouraged the Commission to publish the final report of its work in 2009.

The committee, chaired by Prof. Joachim Track, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, Germany, had discussed the outcome of the Lutheran-Mennonite study commission, and focusing on the 11th Assembly in July 2010, elaborated possible Assembly actions with regard to weighing the language of regret and asking for forgiveness.

The Council endorsed the committee’s recommendation that Rev. Dr Theodor Dieter, Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France; Rev. Dr Donald McCoid, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Archbishop Nemuel A. Babba, Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, prepare a draft of such a statement.

Lutheran – Roman Catholic Commission on Unity

Based on recommendations from the ecumenical affairs program committee on a fifth phase of the discussions on the Lutheran – Roman Catholic Commission on Unity, the LWF Council received with appreciation the report from the 2007 preparatory meeting, and noted it was looking forward “with hope” to the beginning of a fifth round of the Lutheran – Roman Catholic Commission on Unity.

The LWF governing body also approved the preparation of a “Text on the Anniversary of the Reformation in 2017”, and approved the theme of the Commission’s work, “Baptism and Growth in Communion.”

The Council approved the appointment of Lutheran members to the dialogue, taking into account gender and regional balances. They include co-chair Bishop Dr Eero Huovinen (Finland); Rev. Dr Wanda Deifelt (Brazil); Prof. Turid Karlsen Seim (Norway); Dr Fidon Mwombeki (Tanzania); Prof. Friedericke Nüssel; (Germany); Prof. Michael Root, USA; Prof. Hiroshi Augustin Suzuki, Japan; Rev. Dr Theodor Dieter as a consultant; and an additional woman from Eastern Europe.

Lutheran – Orthodox Relations

The Council received the Common Statement from the 2008 plenary of the Lutheran - Orthodox Joint Commission. It requested the General Secretary and the Office for Ecumenical Affairs to identify one or two additional members for the Commission in order to allow academic specialties necessary for its examination of ministry to be present on the Commission, and to strengthen its gender and regional balance.

The Council also received with appreciation the report from the 2008 conversations with the Oriental Orthodox churches.

Lutheran – Anglican

The Council received the 2007 and 2008 communiqués from the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission.

It also received the communiqué from the 2007 All Africa Anglican-Lutheran Commission (AAALC), and affirmed it would support efforts toward the goal of a full communion relationship among LWF members and those belonging to the Anglican Communion in Africa.

Lutheran – Reformed

The LWF Council received the communiqué from the Lutheran-Reformed Joint Commission 2007 with appreciation. It affirmed the continuation of the common efforts of cooperation between the LWF and its Reformed partners during the time of transition to the World Communion of Reformed Churches, which will unite the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council.

International Lutheran Council

The Council received for information the communiqué from the 2008 contact meeting between the LWF and International Lutheran Council (ILC). It expressed appreciation for the continued consultative process between both global Lutheran bodies.

It affirmed the importance of the communication between the two Lutheran families on issues that are important to both of them and to their respective member churches.

Global Christian Forum

The Council received with appreciation the Final Message from the November 2007 gathering of the Global Christian Forum (GCF). It also received the report of the first subsequent meeting of the GCF committee, and expressed hope for the new expression of Christian unity, and encouragement for its ongoing structure.

Ecumenical Assemblies

The possibility for the Lutheran communion to find room to gather in the context of the “expanded space” foreseen for future assemblies of the World Council of Churches (WCC) was discussed by the program committee. The Council asked the general secretary to establish an ad-hoc group of about four people to assist in developing and articulating the LWF’s position in preparation for meetings of the WCC Discernment Committee and other discussions on the relation of LWF Assemblies to other ecumenical gatherings. (781 words)

* * *

Around 170 participants attended this year’s Council meeting including church leaders, officials from LWF partner organizations, invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators, LWF staff and co-opted staff and accredited media.

The Council is the LWF’s governing body meeting between Assemblies held every six years. The current Council was appointed at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. It comprises the President, Treasurer and 48 persons elected by the Assembly. Other members include advisors, lay and ordained persons, representing the different LWF regions.