The BC Human Rights Tribunal has decided that free speech is no longer a fundamental human right - at least not when it involves the subject of homosexuality. Chris Kempling, an upstanding and tax paying citizen of Canada has been denied his Charter rights on the ground that he had “no chance of success”.

The tribunal determined that because a recent BC Court of Appeal ruled against Dr. Kempling, there was absolutely no point in hearing his complaint against the Quesnel School Board.

Dr. Kempling’s school board had held a disciplinary hearing back in Nov. 2004 because he had shared his personal views about the dangers related to homosexuality with a CBC Radio journalist back in December 2003.

In its decision, the board determined to suspend Dr. Kempling without pay from his teaching position because it viewed his commentary as critical towards homosexuality and ruled that this was a violation of his obligations as a public school teacher.

The board’s decision amounted to an act of tyranny: because its decision was so broad it radically restricted Dr. Kempling’s right to free speech. Unless prior consent from the board was granted, Dr. Kempling was forbidden from ever publicly speaking about homosexuality.

Chris bravely appealed the ruling. But, on Monday, the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal demonstrated itself to be an enemy of human rights by refusing to accept his complaint.

Both Dr. Kempling and free speech have been dealt a major setback by the tribunal’s decision, making it ever more apparent that Canada’s judicial establishment is not interested in defending Charter rights like free speech, freedom of religious expression and freedom of conscience, when those rights conflict with left-wing dogma.

One might question the rationale behind calling them a Human Rights Tribunal when they’re not even interested in defending human rights as basic as free speech, freedom of conscience and freedom of religious expression.

Dr. Kempling has been victimized by the tribunal’s decision. As he said, “If I can’t discuss the services of my private Christian counseling practice on my own time, where is the freedom of speech that is supposed to be guaranteed by the Charter? The school board presented no evidence whatsoever that anyone from the public had complained about the broadcast. And now I can’t even argue my case or present any witnesses to support my claim of discrimination. It’s very frustrating.”

But this is more than frustrating. This is an outrage. All people of good will and conscience should be outraged because all have been victimized by the tyranny of a few who are so desperate to legitimize a particular lifestyle that they will stop at nothing to strip away the fundamental rights of those with whom they disagree.

Look, irrespective of whether one is a Christian, anyone committed to democratic freedom must be concerned about the suppression of free speech and a tribunal’s delinquent decision to refuse a hearing on the matter. Such a sham cannot go unchallenged by people of good will.

And don’t be fooled. It is no longer a question of tolerance. This agenda has now advanced well beyond the tolerance test. In fact, for some radical left-wingers, the very idea of tolerating homosexuality is offensive. As a sympathizer of the homosexual movement recently remarked to me, “To say that you ‘tolerate’ homosexuality is to suggest that homosexuality isn’t normal or good – that’s extremely offensive to homosexual people.”

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal decision has made it clear that it is not concerned about tolerance – it is suppressing all opposition – a type of jihad against free speech and freedom of religion.

Because they can’t advance their agenda in the open market of ideas, secular humanist radicals had to resort to imposing from the top down. And so, here we are, nearly 40 years after Trudeau’s now infamous statement, “the government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation,” and our courts and tribunals are telling Canadians that we have no business expressing our perspective in the public square if that perspective conflicts with the new dogma.

Ironic isn’t it? What was supposed to encourage an air of tolerance between the private proclivities of consenting adults has now been used as a bully stick to beat down all opposition.

Homosexual activists have gone far beyond the mark of “tolerance” – they are now guilty of the same type of victimization that they have blamed others of.

The ECP Centre is committed to contending for our "Charter rights" in the political arena. We believe, as many of you do, that the right to free speech and religious expression is essential for a healthy democracy. These rights are also essential for the free proclamation of the gospel. If our courts can dismiss Chris' case, they can dismiss every religious based case, including a the most basic right of all - to share the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. When this happens we no longer have a democracy.

The ECP Centre is committed to defending our Charter rights because we believe that freedom is essential for us to practice our religion and proclaim the gospel. And we are making it our mission to get as many Christians and people of good will to defend the same rights, because if we don't defend them, no one will.