BCPTL Life Views - Standing Up for Parents and Teachers' Rights

From the United Mothers, Fathers and Friends Newsletter for June 8, 2009:
Victory! Alberta Enshrines Parental Rights

History was made in the Alberta Legislature Tuesday, June 2, at 1:20 a.m. as parental rights were enshrined in the Alberta Human Rights Act with the passage of Bill 44 by a vote of 35 - 7.

This is the first time that the fundamental rights of parents have been recognized in human rights legislation in our nation.

Bill 44 included a proposal that the Government of Alberta enshrine in Alberta Human Rights Legislation the right of parents to be notified when school curriculum or materials include the explicit teaching of religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation, as well as the right of parents to opt their children out of participation in such curriculum or materials without academic penalty to the child.

Thank you Alberta for upholding the family as the fundamental unit of society, and for setting this profound precedent for the rest of Canada!

. . . .

Petition Impacts Legislature!

Province of Alberta Hansard, Monday, June 1, 2009, afternoon session.

“The Speaker: The hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere.

“Mr. Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

“I would like to table a petition signed by 820 Alberta parents, compiled over roughly a 72 hour period, which reads as follows.

“This petition urges the Government of Alberta to follow through with its proposal to enshrine in Alberta’s Human Rights Legislation the right of parents to be notified when school curriculum or materials include the explicit teaching of religion, sexuality or sexual orientation, as well as the right of parents to opt their children out of participation in such curriculum or materials without academic penalty to the child.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”

We send our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who took the time to become informed about this critical measure and spoke out by signing our parental rights petition, contacting your MLA, and encouraging others to become informed.

You made a difference by sending a strong message to the Alberta legislature that Albertans believe parental rights are a fundamental human right and should be enshrined in the Human Rights Act.

In just a matter of days, word spread via the Internet and over 1,000 Albertans spoke out through our petition.

You can see the list of signatures here and read the many insightful comments: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/enshrine-parental-rights-in-alberta-human-rights-legislation.html

On Monday, June 1, MLA Rob Anderson (Airdrie-Chestermere) presented our petition to the house in the afternoon legislative session.

Later that evening, Mr. Anderson again referred to our petition during third reading debate on Bill 44 stating:

“The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona earlier had mentioned that she believed the majority of parents were against this bill. I could not disagree with her more on this point.”

Mr. Anderson then referred to our petition’s over 900 signatures by Monday night as proof.

After quoting four of the comments from our supporters posted on our petition Anderson concluded by saying:

“I could go on. There are hundreds and hundreds of comments like this. There are many others, but the point is, honourable member, that there are thousands and thousands of parents, the silent majority, severely normal Albertans that are extremely happy with this legislation, that believe it’s right to affirm the right of parents as being the primary educators of their children in these subjects. I think that it’s a credit to this government that it has stood up for what is right on this matter despite the inevitable cries of foul that come from the opposition benches.”

. . . Alberta Passes Bill 44!

Premier Stelmach allowed his Tory caucus a free vote on Bill 44.

After heated debate, it passed 35 – 7 in the early hours of the morning on June 2, with all the Conservatives in the house supporting the bill, and all the NDP and Liberal opposition voting against it.

MLAs Voting For: Ady, Anderson, Benito, Berger, Bhardwaj, Blackett, Boutilier, Campbell, Dallas, Danyluk, Denis, Doerksen, Drysdale, Elniski, Fritz, Griffiths, Groeneveld, Horne, Johnson, Johnston, Knight, Liepert, Lukaszuk, Marz, McQueen, Morton, Oberle, Olson, Prins, Quest, Renner, Rodney, Sarich, Stelmach, Webbber.

MLAs Voting Against: Blakeman, Chase, Hehr, Mason, Notley, Swann, Taylor.

http://www.assembly.ab.ca/ISYS/LADDAR_files/docs/hansards/han/legislature_27/session_2/20090601_1930_01_han.pdf

Bill 44 and amendments as passed: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=bills_status&selectbill=044

. . . Take Action Alberta: Send your 1 click letter

Let us not neglect our opportunity to say thank you for enshrining parental rights!

Send your 1 click letter to Premier Stelmach, Minister Blackett, Education Minister Hancock, and your MLA to let them know of your appreciation for the MLAs who voted in support of the family as the fundamental unit of society by enshrining parental rights in the Albert Human Rights Act.

Take Action:

Send your 1 click letter. “Thank you Alberta for Enshrining Parental Rights” http://unitedmothers.ca/links/1click/

All it takes is 5 minutes to make a difference.

. . . Take Action Other Provinces: Send your 1 click letter

Residents of other provinces: Send your 1 click letter encouraging your premier and justice minister to enshrine parental rights in your human rights act.

Send your 1 click letter today. “Our Province Needs to Enshrine Parental Rights” http://unitedmothers.ca/links/1click/

All it takes is 5 minutes to make a difference.

Worth Reading: Parental rights: Whose kids are they, anyway?
By Nigel Hannaford, Calgary Herald, May 30, 2009

“....For once then, I find I'm with the Alberta government, which has rightly decided moms and dads who didn't like what was happening in B. C. shouldn't have to worry about it happening here. Bill 44 obliges schools to let parents know if there's a module coming up that deals with religion, human sexuality or sexual orientation. How hard can that be? Post it on the web, send home a note. Twitter.

“Whether a parent's fears are reasonable, or their opinions offend today's self-proclaimed progressives, is not the point. What matters is that some decisions belong to parents, among them what their children are taught where fundamental beliefs about the world and morality often collide.

“Children belong to parents, not the state, by right. Now, if we could just get more parents to accept their parallel responsibility to guide, inform and instruct. . . .

“At least Alberta has offered a tool, however small, to those who are willing to do so.”

Read the entire article here:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/Parental+rights+Whose+kids+they+anyway/1646317/story.html

[To visit ithe United Mothers and Fathers website, click on the link to it in the column to the right.]

, From Christianity Today online:

Stopping Discrimination

The directive expands anti-discrimination protection beyond employment to health care, social benefits, education, and "access to goods and services." Originally intended to prChotect the disabled, the proposal was expanded to include discrimination against religion and belief, age, or sexual orientation. Exemptions in the draft legislation for "organizations based on religion and belief" were removed before the final vote.

"In its present form, I would say I am extremely concerned," said Don Horrocks, head of public affairs for the European Evangelical Alliance "It is very serious, though many regard it as extreme." He believes the directive is unlikely to be passed in its present form, and expects that the government may hold public consultations before it is finalized.

If the directive were passed into law, faith-based social services would face problems, said Luke Goodrich, legal counsel at the The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

For example, faith-based schools and daycare centers could be barred from taking applicants' religion into account for enrollment and employment. Marriage counselors and adoption agencies could have less discretion in accepting clients.

British Churches to be Forced to Hire
Active Homosexual Youth Workers under Equality Bill

LONDON, May 21, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com ) - British churches will be forced to accept practicing homosexuals or "transsexuals" in positions as youth workers and similar roles, under upcoming equality legislation, the government has said. The Labour government's Equality Bill will prohibit churches from refusing to hire active homosexuals even if their religion holds such behavior to be sinful, said deputy equalities minister Maria Eagle.

The legislation is due to come into force next year, and churches fear that it will force them to act against their religious convictions in a broad range of areas. Eagle indicated at a conference called "Faith, Homophobia, Transphobia, & Human Rights" in London, that the legislation "will cover almost all church employees."

"The circumstances in which religious institutions can practice anything less than full equality are few and far between," she told delegates. "While the state would not intervene in narrowly ritual or doctrinal matters within faith groups, these communities cannot claim that everything they run is outside the scope of anti-discrimination law.

"Members of faith groups have a role in making the argument in their own communities for greater LGBT acceptance, but in the meantime the state has a duty to protect people from unfair treatment."

The bill allows a religious exemption for roles deemed to be "for the purposes of an organised religion" but restricts this definition to those who conduct liturgical celebrations or spend their time teaching doctrine.

The Daily Telegraph quoted Neil Addison, a Roman Catholic barrister and expert on religious discrimination law, who said that the bill will leave churches powerless to defend the fabric of their organization. "This is a threat to religious identity. What we are losing is the right for organizations to make free choices," he said

Equality commissioners include the homosexual lobbyist, Ben Summerskill, the head of the leading British homosexualist activist group Stonewall. Summerskill has called for churches to be forced to employ homosexuals and for the police to stop Christians who were peacefully protesting against 'gay rights' laws outside Parliament.

Tony Grew, a homosexualist activist and the former editor of PinkNews.co.uk, wrote recently that the Equality Bill will "entrench gay rights in all aspects of public life." Grew wrote on PinkNews that the bill will open unprecedented opportunities for homosexuals.

The bill, he said will cover central government departments, local authorities, education bodies, NHS bodies and the police service, plus a wide range of other public and private bodies, including churches and church-run institutions. It will impose the "Equality Duty" on all organizations providing public services, he said, such as residential care homes that "would have to consider the needs of same-sex couples."

OTTAWA, Jan. 27, 2009 - The Christian Heritage Party of Canada and the CHP's former leader have been notified by the Canadian Human Rights Commission that allegations of 'hate' by an Edmonton man against the Party, one of its Electoral District Associations and former leader Ron Gray have been dismissed.

The CHRC dismissed the three complaints because "the content and context of the material which forms the basis of the complaint is not likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt based on sexual orientation," says the letter from Lucie Veillette, secretary of the Commission, to Ron Gray. "Accordingly, the file on this matter is now closed."

Gray was critical of the CHRC's procedures, and the effect its proceedings can have of "chilling" public discussion of important policy issues.

"I wrote to the CHRC about these complaints Feb. 19, 2007--almost two years ago--and have not yet had a reply to that letter," Gray said. "The proceedings have cost about $50,000. Fortunately, there were people across Canada who believed in free speech enough to cover those costs with voluntary donations.

"I want to thank the hundreds of people who helped to defend free speech rights in Canada by contributing to our legal defense fund.

"But the CHRC's method of operation is both slipshod and unjust. The complainant bore no costs at all for filing a frivolous and groundless complaint; as Ezra Levant has said, 'The process is the punishment'--whether the respondent is innocent or guilty.

"The idea of protecting people and groups from 'hate speech' that incites to violence is still sound," Gray said. "But such incitement is already a criminal offence, and the defense against it belongs in criminal court, where the normal rules of evidence and the presumption of innocence apply. In a real court, these ridiculous charges would never have been admitted."

The new CHP Leader Jim Hnatiuk maintains that the CHP is the only federal political party in Canada that has and will continue to defend "traditional marriage" between one man and one woman.

The new CHP Leader, Jim Hnatiuk, re-affirms the commitment of the CHP to fight for the repeal of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. "We are the only political party which is taking seriously the threat to our freedom of speech posed by this repressive piece of legislation."

This follows on the heals of last summer's fight for freedom of the press, in which Human Rights Commissions were forced to back down from their investigations of Ezra Levant, Macleans Magazine and Mark Steyn.

These cases against the CHP and Ron Gray were a test of the political metal of our Party. Would we kowtow to having our freedom of political opinion taken away? "We did not," Hnatiuk states, "and we will not!"

Hnatiuk also affirms his Party's will to fight against the repression of freedom of speech such as suffered by Rev. Stephen Boissoin and Dr. Chris Kempling.

"We're in this for the long haul; for the sake of all Canadians," Hnatiuk confirms.

Dr. Chris Kempling is Leaving the Public School System
[from the May-June, 2008, British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life E-Mail Bulletin]

Dr. Chris Kempling, the Christian teacher and school counsellor who has been harassed over the last number of years and penalized for speaking out in his own time against the pro-homosexuality propaganda program being promoted for use in the schools, has decided to leave the public school system. We trust that this will bring a greater measure of freedom for Chris, but it does not prevent the BC College of Teachers from continuing their attempt to penalize him further for exercising his democratic rights and speaking out according to his conscience. He is going to need our continued support in the months ahead.

On January 28, 2008, I received another citation from the BC College of Teachers. They have laid 12 new charges against me for "conduct unbecoming a member". They include: writing a letter to the editor as the representative of my political party objecting to the then proposed same sex marriage law, submitting an essay for publication on the BCTPL website (which was also published in the Calgary Herald), submitting an essay to a family journal in Germany (which they have not read), for being the "local representative of the Christian Heritage Party", and for having "knowledge" that an article written about me by CHP Leader Ron Gray was published on the party's website. The list goes on, and is the most Orwellian document I have ever read. My lawyer told me that I should expect a very substantial suspension. I've been subpoenaed for a four day hearing in late September.

I've decided I've had enough of the College of Teachers. I'ver resigned my position with the Quesnel School District to take a job with St. Ann's Academy in Kamloops. Although the remuneration is less, it is worth it to me not to have to be a member of the BCCT. Unfortunately, one side effect of this decision was that the BC Teacher's Federation has cancelled my legal aid, so my lawyer has withdrawn her services. There is a great deal of legal preparation needed before the hearing, so I have appealed the BCTF decision to the executive committee on a technicality. Should that appeal fail, I've asked Kevin Boonstra of Kuhn and Company to represent me. I have sufficient funds in my legal defense fund to cover his costs for the hearing (but I was hoping to use those funds for my next Supreme Court appeal). The Lord provided last time--every cent--and I'm trusting Him for this next battle, too. Please pray for me as I continue to take a stand on this very important social issue.

Chris Kempling
[from an e-mail dated June 23, 2008]

Chris Kempling to Quit BC Teachers' College after Years of Harassment for Christian Beliefs

By Hilary White

QUESNEL, BC, July 7, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Dr. Chris Kempling will be leaving his position in the public school system after years of harassment for his Christian beliefs and his moral stand against the campaign to promote homosexuality in schools. Kempling has announced he will be taking a job at St. Ann's Academy in Kamloops.

Earlier this year Kempling received a fresh list of citations for "conduct unbecoming a member" of the BC College of Teachers (BCCT) for his exposition of the Christian position on homosexuality, which fact Kempling said drove him to leave the College of Teachers.

Kempling said that although this move will afford him greater freedom, it will not prevent the BCCT from continuing their attempt to penalize him for having spoken out against their homosexualist program.

In January this year, the BCCT laid 12 charges against Kempling, citing him for his letters to editors; for quoting biblical passages about homosexual behaviour in an interview with CBC Radio; and for having published an article, re-published by the Calgary Herald in December 2003, outlining the differences between social liberals and social conservatives.

"I've decided I've had enough of the College of Teachers," Kempling said in announcing his decision to change jobs. "Although the remuneration is less [at St. Ann's], it is worth it to me not to have to be a member of the BCCT."

One upshot of the decision to leave the College, however, is the loss of Kempling's legal aid fund, which was provided by the College. The schoolteacher will be covering his own legal costs for an upcoming hearing with the College, but he still faces enormous financial challenges as he throws himself into a fight that is anticipated to take years and which he has said he intends to pursue all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada if necessary.

Kempling was also cited by the College for publishing a scholarly article in a German periodical on homosexuality, for offering "orientation change therapy" to homosexual people and for mentioning this in a radio interview, and for "for having knowledge," while a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party, that an article written by party leader Ron Gray in support of Kempling was posted on the party's website.

Kempling says the list of charges is "the most Orwellian document I have ever read." He also says his lawyer had warned him to "expect a very substantial suspension" if he remained a member of the College. Kempling has been subpoenaed for a four day hearing in late September.

The mild-mannered teacher has been employed as a teacher and counsellor by the Quesnel School District at a high school in Quesnel, British Columbia since 1990. In 1997, he began his life in the limelight as one of Canada's most prominent proponents of free speech and traditional values when he wrote a series of letters to the local papers warning parents and citizens of the efforts of the school system to normalise homosexuality to children.

Kempling wrote in the Quesnel Cariboo Observer, "I refuse to be a false teacher saying that promiscuity is acceptable, perversion is normal, and immorality is simply 'cultural diversity' of which we should be proud."

For writing this, in 2001 Kempling was cited and suspended for professional misconduct by the BCCT. In January, 2003, Kempling expressed his views on CBC radio, at which point his school district instructed him not to express his views on homosexuality in school or in public. But Kempling has chosen to continue to speak out against the homosexualist political doctrines and has stood as a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party in the Cariboo-Prince George riding.

Human Rights Commission Drops Complaint Against Catholic Magazine
Judicial Review Still Possible

TORONTO, July 4, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Canadian Human Rights Commission has dropped a complaint by a homosexual activist against Catholic Insight a Toronto-based national Catholic news magazine. A year and a half - and many thousands of dollars in legal fees - after a nine-point human rights complaint was filed by Edmonton-based homosexual activist Rob Wells, Catholic Insight has been informed that the case has been dropped. However, a judicial review before the Federal Court is still possible should the complainant pursue that avenue.

In a letter the Commission noted that it decided "to dismiss the complaint because the material (produced by Catholic Insight) is not likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt based on sexual orientation." It added that "the file on this matter has now been closed."

Wells filed the complaint over the magazine's allegedly offensive coverage of homosexual activism and the issues it has affected. According to editor Father Alphonse de Valk, however, the magazine has consistently set out the Roman Catholic Church's position on such questions, making it clear that persons with same-sex attraction must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity and every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.

"We welcome the Canadian Human Rights Commission's decision in this matter and were confident from the outset that we would be vindicated," said Father de Valk. He added that his publication not only has the right, but the responsibility, to report, analyze, comment on, and criticize where necessary, homosexual activism as it pertains to important social issues such as the nature of marriage, adoption rights, the allocation of social benefits, burdens on the health system caused by unhealthy behaviours and so on.

"It is chilling to think that a publication can be hauled before a government tribunal simply for reporting to interested citizens developments in these areas of controversy," said Father de Valk. "This matter underscores once again the necessity of urgent reform of the Canadian human rights system." He added that, coupled with a series of actions launched by a Toronto-based homosexual activist, Catholic Insight has been unnecessarily burdened with $20,000 in legal fees to date.

Given the consistently unsuccessful nature of these homosexual activist attacks upon it, Catholic Insight will now examine the prospects of launching countering legal actions against those who have been unnecessarily harassing and financially burdening the publication, said Father de Valk.

Rights commission ‘remedy’ flawed

By Joe McLaughlin - Red Deer Advocate - June 17, 2008

A lot of folks in Alberta and beyond are feeling bruised and abused by the Alberta human rights commission’s conduct in dealing with a letter to the editor that was published on this page six years ago today.

We at the Advocate are among them.

We have had our eyes opened to some state-sanctioned ugliness.

The letter, by a local pastor, expressed love and compassion for some homosexuals, while decrying the activist homosexual agenda of some educators, MPs, judges (and possibly, though not specifically mentioned, Advocate editorialists who have long supported gay rights.)

Stephen Boissoin’s letter promoted a flurry of responses, pro and con, in our pages and two complaints to the Alberta human rights commission against the Advocate.

Both complaints were successfully resolved with no finding of fault, no Advocate admission of wrongdoing, no promise to act any differently in the future.

Darren Lund, a former Red Deer high school teacher now at the University of Calgary, also lodged a complaint against Boissoin. That led to a lengthy, dispiriting process that culminated at the end of May with the rights commission ordering Boissoin:

• to pay two people whom the commission acknowledges were not direct victims of his words — $5,000 to Lund for ridicule and harassment and up to $2,000 to a witness;

• to apologize in writing to Lund;

• to ask that the Advocate publish his letter of apology and the commission’s seven-page Decision on Remedy.

Boissoin has no intention of apologizing, as he makes clear in a letter on this page.

The galling presumption of the rights commission to subvert a newspaper’s own judgments over whether, when or where it should publish coerced opinions offers a window into its dangerous thinking.

The commission has its own website where it can readily publish any and all of its documents. Curiously though, more than two weeks after its Decision on Remedy was handed down, that ruling was not posted.

The more fundamental and serious defects of the rights commission surround its flawed processes that can lead to repressive and dangerous fallout.

[Click here to read the whole article on the website of the Red Deer Advocate.]

We hope that not only his fellow-Christians, but all who retain a love for our basic freedoms, will respond to Chris's appeal in the letter immediately below:
A Letter from Chris Kempling
on the Latest BC College of Teachers Action Against Him

I regret to inform you that the BC College of Teachers has again cited me for conduct unbecoming a teacher, in a letter dated January 28, 2008. They have cited me for participating in a CBC radio interview where I quoted the Bible saying that homosexual behaviour is a barrier to salvation, for contributing an essay discussing the philosophical differences between social liberals and social conservatives (published in the Calgary Herald on December 29, 2003), for publishing a scholarly article in a German family journal on the topic of homosexuality, for offering orientation change therapy as part of my private counselling practice and mentioning this in a radio interview, and, incredibly, for "knowing" that an article written by Christian Heritage Party leader Ron Gray in support of me was posted on the party's website. They also cited me for being "the local representative of the Christian Heritage Party". This is certainly true as I was the candidate for the CHP, Canada's sixth largest registered political party, in the last federal election in the Cariboo-Prince George riding (I came 5th out of 8 candidates.) All of the items listed occurred between February, 2003 and April, 2005.

The last time I checked, we had freedom of speech and freedom of religion in Canada, and the right to join the political party of our choice. It appears to me that these rights are in jeopardy, as the BC College of Teachers has threatened to withdraw my license to teach, despite the fact that there were no complaints registered with the College as a result of any of the items they listed. I am currently working in the Quesnel school district, am abiding by my letter of direction, and have been told by my principal that he has no concerns about my conduct or my job performance, which includes working professionally with students of all orientations.

This is extremely distressing for me and my family, and I would welcome your prayers. It appears that I may have to ask those who care about freedom to help me defend myself again. The registered trust fund is called the:

Christian Public School Teachers' Legal Defense Fund, c/o Mr. Jim Sagert, Trustee, 798 Beaubien Avenue, Quesnel, BC V2J 1A6.

Letters of acknowledgement will be issued, but, as it is not a charity, there can be no tax receipts.

I am not afraid to face them but please do not leave me like Uriah to face the enemy alone. I take comfort in the words of our Lord: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven..."

I am happy, because I know my Christian brothers and sisters will stand with me as I face this trial yet again.

What I’m not Allowed to Say
-by Dr. Chris Kempling Psy.D. R.C.C. October 20, 2007
[1984 some 20 years later]
[What follows immediately below is a print version of the speech given by Dr. Kempling at the Dr. Chris Kempling Appreciation Dinner put on by British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life. It should be noted that this was a private dinner for those who paid the fee charged.]

I am not allowed to speak publicly about homosexuality. I’ve been banned from being a school counsellor. I’ve been convicted of “personal harassment” because a colleague didn’t like a letter to the editor I wrote, even though I had never once communicated with that person on the matter. I’ve served a total of four months of suspension without pay and have countless letters of discipline on my personnel file, none of which has to do with my on-the-job performance. It’s no picnic standing up to the gay juggernaut. But I haven’t given up yet.

On Thursday, I attended a workshop at the BC School Counsellors Conference, entitled Coming Out and Sexual Minority Students: What’s the Big Deal? The presenter urged us to help confused teenagers come out to their peers. So I thought I’d inform him that there was a big deal. I asked him if he was aware of the research done by Gary Remafidi, a homosexual pediatrician, who found in 1991 that ¾ of all first suicide attempts by gay youth followed self-labeling, and that 1/3 attempt suicide in the first year after coming out. Dr. Remafidi also found that in his study group, 30% admitted to prostituting themselves, 51% had been arrested for a criminal offense and 85% used illegal drugs. Yet this is the “healthy” lifestyle the school system wants to urge our young people to embrace as “normal”.

Here is some additional data of this normal alternative lifestyle, done right here in Vancouver by Dr. Robert Hogg, at the BC Centre of Excellence in HIV-AIDS. He studied 700 gay men under the age of 30. He found that the level of HIV infections increased an astonishing 300% in the previous five years and that their lifespan was being shortened by 8-20 years. Hogg and his colleagues continue to be upset when social conservatives quote his statistics. Yet here we are on the brink of changing the entire school curriculum in BC to teach that homosexual behaviour is safe and normal. It is neither, and that is why I have taken the risks I have.

Perhaps I’ll briefly recap how this all got started. On May 9th of 2002 I was convicted of conduct unbecoming a member of the BC College of Teachers . The reason was because I expressed my opinion in my local newspaper. Between April 1997 and July, 2000, I wrote one freelance column and six letters to the editor of my town’s newspaper, which questioned the wisdom of promoting the homosexual agenda. I provided factual information on rates of promiscuity and disease infection which had been previously published in scholarly journals. I said that many religions consider homosexuality to be immoral, that it may be caused by negative psycho-social influences, and that it was nothing to be applauded. I said that I would refuse to be a false teacher, compromising my faith to teach information which the Bible clearly says is immoral. I said this not in my classroom, or my staff room, but on the editorial pages of my local newspaper. I had thought that the editorial page was a place where all Canadians have the right to express their points of view, whether other people like them or not. I highly value the freedom of the press, and all points of view should be represented in our newspapers, including those opposed to ours.

I appealed the conviction to the BC Supreme Court, but lost in February of 2004. I appealed to the BC Court of Appeal and lost again in June, 2005. I appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada but it was rejected. As a last resort, I sent my case to the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva . I did not get any response at all. As a result of my case, teachers are not be able to write privately to their own supervisors to question a new curriculum resource, write privately their own elected officials on a matter of public policy, nor can they able to address the topic of homosexuality in post-graduate research papers. I was disciplined for doing all of these things. This is an unacceptable restriction of freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and freedom of intellectual expression.

The College presented no complaints about what I had written publicly from teachers, none from students, none from parents, and most importantly, none from any member of the gay community. The people who did disagree with me did so by writing their own letters to the editor, and I fully support their right to do that.

My school district supervisors have also decided to silence me. They have disciplined me repeatedly for speaking out, including for advertising my intention to offer orientation change therapy services through my private practice. On March 31, 2005, I appeared before a formal hearing of the Quesnel School Board to explain why I publicly criticized the government’s same sex marriage legislation. I was then suspended for three months without pay, even though not one homosexual person has gone on record to complain about what I wrote. I filed a Human Rights complaint against the school district for religious discrimination, but surprise, surprise, they did not even bother to investigate my complaint. In June , 2005, I was requested by the parliamentary committee examining the same sex marriage bill to testify before them. I agreed, but when I returned from Ottawa , I was slapped with yet another disciplinary letter. It was only after MP’s Vic Toews and the NDP’s Bill Siksay (who happens to be gay) wrote to the school board reminding them that is a federal offense to intimidate an official witness of parliament that they backed down.

My latest letter of discipline came last spring. In an article discussing the proposed legislation increasing the age of consent from 14 to 16, our local Member of Parliament was quoted as saying that there was very little opposition to this bill. But I happened to know that there was opposition to it from EGALE Canada (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere). They submitted a formal brief to Parliament arguing that raising the age of consent was a bad idea. So I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out that there was opposition to the bill and it was from EGALE. I received a letter from my Director of Instruction saying I had crossed the line again. I then challenged my superior to defend EGALE’s wish to have continued sexual access to 14 and 15 year olds, but imagine that, he declined and backed off further discipline.

I have one more round to go with the College of Teachers , who are considering whether to discipline me again for my January 2005 letter to the editor criticizing same sex marriage. I will likely be facing more discipline. I am a Christian seven days a week, both on the job and off the job,
and I will not compromise my faith to teach falsehoods to children.
As servants of the Most High God, it is our duty to speak up courageously
for what is right. I do not know what may become of me,
of my career.

But here is what the book of Ecclesiasticus says of such a situation, and this is God’s message for those of us who call Christ our Lord: “My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal. Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honoured at the end of your days. Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, since gold is tested in the fire, and chosen men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust Him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in Him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; do not turn aside in case you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him and you will not be bilked of your reward. You who fear the Lord hope for good things, for everlasting happiness and mercy. Look at the generations of old and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who ever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken? Or who ever called out to him, and was ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress. Woe to faint hearts and listless hands…Woe to the listless heart that has no faith, for such will have no protection. Woe to you who have lost the will to endure; what will you do at the Lord’s visitation? Those who fear the Lord do not disdain his words, and those who love him keep his ways. Those who fear the Lord do their best to please him, and those who love him find satisfaction in his Law. Those who fear the Lord keep their hearts prepared and humble themselves in his presence. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, not into the hands of men; for as His majesty is, so too is His mercy.”

My friends, the fate of our children rests with you, because the secular humanists who control our school systems are bent on imposing their worldview on all Canadian children, no matter what their sincere religious beliefs may be. And if that conflicts with their parent’s beliefs—well too bad. You can just keep quiet while we indoctrinate your children. But here is what Abraham Kuyper, the great Dutch statesman who believed that Christian principles and civil politics were not incompatible: “When the principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then the battle is your calling, and peace has become sin. You must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy with all the fire of your faith.” Godless principles are now winning the day, and now is the time to go to battle for the lives of our children and our children’s children.

Thank you for inviting me to speak, and may God bless you all.

Dr. Chris Kempling Psy.D. R.C.C. Registered Clinical Counsellor 250-983-3949 Quesnel , BC V2J 5R5 Kempling@telus.net

Table of Contents for this Page:

Dr. Chris Kempling is Leaving the Public School System

"What I'm Not Allowed to Say" [by Dr. Chris Kempling]

A crucial case for all Canadians:
Defending YOUR free speech & religious liberty

Rights commission ‘remedy’ flawed

I stand behind my 2002 letter

Table of Contents for this Page:

Dr. Chris Kempling is Leaving the Public School System

"What I'm Not Allowed to Say" [by Dr. Chris Kempling]

A crucial case for all Canadians: Defending YOUR free speech & religious liberty

Rights commission ‘remedy’ flawed

I stand behind my 2002 letter

A crucial case for all Canadians:
Defending YOUR free speech & religious liberty