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Intolerance in Canadian Supreme Court

November 19, 2000Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
Fax +41-61-261 61 18APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD

Adventist Church Argues Against Religious Intolerance 
in Canadian Supreme Court

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.    An attempt to prevent 
graduates of a Christian university from teaching in 
public schools amounts to religious intolerance, 
attorney Gerald Chipeur told Canada's Supreme Court 
on November 9. Chipeur, representing the Seventh-day 
Adventist Church in Canada, made his argument in 
support of Trinity Western University, a Christian 
institution, in a case Chipeur says "could not be more 
important to Christians in Canada."

At the center of the dispute is Trinity Western's code 
of conduct, in which students and faculty pledge to 
refrain from engaging in extramarital sex, including 
homosexual activity.  The British Columbia College of 
Teachers (BCCT) argues that this code of conduct 
creates the risk that teachers who have graduated from 
Trinity Western will discriminate against homosexuals 
in the classroom.  For this reason, the BCCT is refusing 
to grant automatic professional certification to 
graduates of Trinity Western's education degree program, 
requiring them instead to complete one year of their 
degree course at a public university.  

Attorneys for Trinity Western counter that the BCCT's 
actions amount to religious intolerance; that the BCCT's 
ruling discriminates against individuals who hold 
Christian beliefs.  They also point out that BCCT has 
brought forward no evidence that teachers who have 
graduated from Trinity Western have discriminated, or 
are likely to discriminate, against homosexuals.

"The BCCT is arguing that a teacher who believes in 
Christianity, including its ban on homosexual behaviour, 
cannot and should not participate in the public sphere," 
says Chipeur.  

The Adventist Church in Canada, along with the Canadian 
Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Conference 
of Catholic Bishops, are "interveners" in the case, 
filing briefs and presenting argument in support of 
Trinity Western. 

"This case is especially significant for Adventists," 
says Chipeur.  He points out that the Alberta-based 
Canadian University College, which is owned and operated 
by the Adventist Church, also has a code of conduct 
prohibiting extramarital and homosexual activity among 
its staff and students.  A win for the BCCT in the 
Trinity Western case could foreshadow similar attacks 
on the professional certification of CUC's education 
degree program, says Chipeur.

According to Chipeur, an adverse outcome in this case 
may have an even broader impact on Christians in Canada.  
If the court rules against Trinity Western, says Chipeur, 
then individuals from all professions--nurses, 
pharmacists, accountants, lawyers--may be forced to 
abandon their Christian beliefs about sexual conduct or 
be deprived of their professional accreditation.

Since the mid-1800s, the Adventist Church has promoted 
religious freedom and tolerance for all people of faith. 
An official position statement released by the church 
in 1995 affirms "freedom of conscience and religion 
as a fundamental human right."

Canada's Supreme Court is expected to rule on the 
Trinity Western case within the next 12 months.