Christians in Canada say their freedom to express beliefs about morality and faith is under assault. The outcry comes after a recent decision by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council that Christians are not permitted to make on-air moral statements on sexual behavior—in this case homosexuality.

A station broadcasting a program from the U.S.-based “Focus on the Family” was ordered to issue an apology for identifying homosexual practice as unacceptable from the standpoint of Christian morality. In earlier decisions, the CBSC has made similar determinations relative to homosexuality.

According to Canada’s Anglican Archbishop, Michael Peers, many Canadians in public office now believe that values such as pluralism and secularism require that no reference to religion be made at any public event. He referred to the national service of mourning after September 11, which contained no religious references, and to warnings to Christian participants at the service to mark the Swissair crash off the coast of Nova Scotia not to quote scripture, not to pray Christian prayers, and not to mention Jesus.

“Such attitudes are truly alarming in a self-declared democratic country,” comments Dan Jackson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. “Despite Canada’s commitment to religious liberty and freedom of speech, it increasingly appears that what is guaranteed is ‘politically correct’ speech and freedom as defined by some—not universal freedoms at all. More and more Christians are being targeted as ‘intolerant,’ and any moral stand is viewed with hostility. We simply want to be faithful to the standards upheld by the Bible, and remain true to the message of Jesus who said, ‘neither do I condemn you,’ but also ‘go and sin no more.’”

“Attitudes in Canada with regard to this issue and other religious perspectives, have taken such a shift against freedom of speech for religion,” adds Gerry Karst, a vice-president of the Adventist world church and a Canadian national. “It is legitimate to criticize, humiliate, and poke fun at religion, but unacceptable for Christians to address moral ills within society. Canada prides itself in being a very tolerant society. But that toleration seems only to apply to aberrant moral and secular values. Such tolerance quickly becomes very intolerant when religion, the Bible, or Jesus is brought into the picture.”