A challenge to Christian publications was offered by Lois Sweet, a journalism professor at Carleton University in Ottawa. "Ways in which gays and lesbians have been portrayed in the religious media can lead people to believe that they are not human and [are] totally defined by their sexuality," she said. "To present them as people who threaten society in some way is hate mongering."

Marianne Meed Ward, writing in The Toronto Sun, warned preachers that they will have to be careful in addressing any issue of sexuality. "Expressing views on alternative expressions of sex is not a crime," she said. Nevertheless, she presented a blatant warning about "expressing" such views: "But preachers (and everybody else) will have to exercise caution in how they express their views. And that's not a bad thing. We don't need ads showing a slash through a gay couple. We don't need placards saying 'God hates fags.' We don't need people quoting Leviticus out of context...." So, preachers in Canada have now been warned that their interpretation of Leviticus could now become a matter of hate speech. Ms. Ward gets to decide what Leviticus means in its context? Hermeneutics is now translated into a potential crime.

When preachers are told that they will "have to exercise caution in how they express their views," religious liberty is effectively dead. This is especially clear when comments made by the bill's proponents identify any criticism of homosexuality--whatever its motivation and form--as criminalized hate speech.

Christian groups in Canada have responded with understandable alarm. "Today the Senate sounded the final death knell in legislation that will severely limit free speech and freedom of religion and even freedom of the press in Canada," said Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition. Rushfeldt described C-250 as "a draconian piece of legislation that will criminalize people who express an opinion contrary to homosexual behavior, including views based on religion, conscious, morality, and even medical or humanitarian concerns." He continued: "Given the undefined, ambiguous wording in this severely flawed piece of legislation, Christians and other faith groups are worried that expressing their religious or moral views, or even quoting from the Bible or another religious text, may become a criminal act."

Indeed, some Canadian legal experts argue that adding "sexual behaviour" to the hate speech legislation now makes it a crime to teach that sex outside of marriage--whatever its form--is wrong.

Anne Cools, an MP from Ontario, described the bill as "an intent to create . . . a section which would be used to cleanse many people of their moral opinions." Canada's first black senator, Cools expressed concern that the law will be used to criminalize churches opposed to homosexuality. "Once you put a power before [authorities], and then try to rely on goodness for the power not to be exercised, you're indeed naive."