Rev. Stephen Boissoin published a letter that was ruled a “hate crime” by the Alberta Human Rights Commission. The ruling has been overturned:
EDMONTON – A Court of Queen’s Bench judge has ruled an anti-gay letter written by a former Alberta pastor in 2002 was not a hate crime and is allowed under freedom of speech.
Justice E.C. Wilson overturned a 2008 ruling by the Alberta Human Rights Commission that the letter by Stephen Boissoin that was published in the Red Deer Advocate broke provincial law.
At the time, the commission said it may even have played a role in the beating of a gay teenager two weeks after it was published.
The commission had ordered Boissoin to refrain from making disparaging remarks about homosexuals and to pay the complainant, former Red Deer high school teacher Darren Lund, $5,000 in damages.
Neither order can now be enforced, as Wilson declared them “unlawful or unconstitutional.”
You can read the entire letter here; it begins:
The following is not intended for those who are suffering from an unwanted sexual identity crisis. For you, I have understanding, care, compassion and tolerance. I sympathize with you and offer you my love and fellowship. I prayerfully beseech you to seek help, and I assure you that your present enslavement to homosexuality can be remedied. Many outspoken, former homosexuals are free today.
Instead, this is aimed precisely at every individual that in any way supports the homosexual machine that has been mercilessly gaining ground in our society since the 1960s. I cannot pity you any longer and remain inactive. You have caused far too much damage.
Darren Lund was a schoolteacher when he made the initial complaint; he is now an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Calgary where his speciality is social justice issues in schools and communities.
Lund is a bit of a misery: in the spirit of keeping Christ out of Christmas, he doesn’t like Operation Christmas Child because the help it provides to children is tainted with evangelism; and he believes 9/11 was by caused by a lack of respect for the religion – Islam – of “others”. Lund also appears to be a racist, since he subscribes to the canard that racism is the exclusive failing of white people.
Thus, he is quite at home preaching in the United Church of Canada where he is wont to intone piously on “diversity” and critical approaches to counter racism, sexism, homophobia or other forms of discrimination and oppression.
Altogether, Darren Lund is a colossal bore.
He thinks that most parents who fill shoeboxes are unaware of how they are to be used by Samaritan’s purse? Only if they can’t read! Good Grief.
The Rev. Boissoin is indeed a brave man to have spoken out so publically on this issue. He effectively painted a target on his own back as those who push the agenda of sin and death have clearly demonstrated their willingness to attack and silence this man. But unless more of us choose to act the situation will continue to get worse. Remember that Jesus taught that if we are persecuted in this world because we have chosen to serve Him, than our reward in Heaven will be that much greater. But also remember that Jesus also taught that when we choose to serve Him we will be persecuted for it.
It is nice to see the HRCs slapped around by real judges for going over the line with sloppy judgements.