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Well, we’re halfway there already, what with political correctness. But here in Canada, we have something called “Human Rights Commissions.” These are the equivalent of Child and Family Services for grownups. If you tick off someone else, they can complain their human rights were violated and drag you before a tribunal which may financially or otherwise penalize you. Certainly, you’ll find there’s a social penalty to face, just for becoming a defendant.

A few years ago, a rash of gay-versus-Christian cases went through the HRCs. A prairie newspaper was fined for running a privately-paid ad which gave scriptures regarding homosexuality. An Ontario printer was punitively fined for refusing business from a homosexual activists’ group who targeted him for not printing their propaganda literature. There were rumours that a Bible camp here in my home province was going to be targeted for having a morality code of conduct in relation to the use of its privately-owned land. A west coast teacher is still struggling to hold onto his job after standing up for his views on homosexuality on his own private time, while not on his jobsite.

Everybody thought that was great. Or irrelevant. And where were the churches in this? Well, some groups collected funds to support these individuals. From what I saw, that seemed to come primarily from those who believe it’s a Christian’s job to “convert the culture,” a belief that quickly brings out my sarcastic side. (Could we please invest our caring in real live people, not ideas?) Most of us, though, sat back clucking and shaking our heads at “the world out there,” preaching stump sermons around the coffee pot after Sunday service, and generally doing our best to stay off the radar of social awareness. Pretty typical.

Now, the same laws are being used by a group of Muslim students to attempt extortion against a national magazine. (Maclean’s is Canada’s equivalent of TIME.) Suddenly, Human Rights Commission abuses are an issue. People are lobbying for changes in the laws. Will it really happen? Who knows. Canadian Christians see this as an opportunity to seek protection for themselves (and other citizens, as an aside) by lobbying this issue–let’s get back to our cozy comfort zone, and avoid this “persecution” ugliness, please. It’s interfering with the small talk at the potluck.

I would really love to see churches quit engaging in eternally irrelevant cultural stopgaps. It’d be nice if the same energy went into the real problem and the real solution: the griminess of human nature, and the truth of Jesus Christ’s offer to make you and me right with God and give us a personal relationship with Him. All good leftist grassroots activists know that you change the world one person at time. Funny how the churches have forgotten.

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