Canadian court rules in favor of religious freedom

REGINA, Saskatchewan — In a victory for religious freedom, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal unanimously ruled April 13 that a Canadian man did not violate the law when he purchased a newspaper ad that included Bible verses condemning homosexuality. The decision overturned rulings by lower courts, which had said the man, Hugh Owens, broke the law.

The advertisement at the center of the controversy was printed in 1997 in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. It listed Bible verses from Romans, Leviticus and 1 Corinthians on one side, an “=” sign in the middle and two stick men holding hands on the other side. A circle with a slash across it covered the stick figures.

Previously the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission ruled that the ad violated the provincial human rights code, and it ordered Owens to pay $1,500 each to three homosexuals who had filed a complaint. The code prohibits the publication of statements that “ridicule, belittle or otherwise affront the dignity of” people based on their “sexual orientation.”

In his opinion, Saskatchewan Court of Appeal Justice R.G. Richards wrote that while the advertisement was “bluntly presented and doubtless upsetting to many, the essential message conveyed … is not one which involves the ardent emotions and strong sense of detestation, calumny and vilification required.”

Ruth Ross, executive director of the Christian Legal Fellowship in Canada, said in a statement, “What this decision confirms is that passages contained in the Holy Bible, the foundation of our faith, cannot and should not in themselves be deemed hate literature.”