| Churches in Canada have no jurisdiction, and as such do not have any civil authority. They are, effectively, associations, and Canada's Charter expressly permits Freedom of Association.
Which is all fine. What isn't fine is if one of these Associations begins to preach hatred or discrimination. For example, parts of certain Holy Books clearly discriminate against women. Given that these books and beliefs were largely written by human beings, I think it behooves any Church to question the various teachings and reject the ones that are harmful or less than egalitarian.
The secular government is well within its right to protect its citizens from harmful or degrading church doctrine. |
