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Studios de l’AEC disponibles pour les affiliés de Toronto et d'Ottawa
Traduit de l'anglais par François Godbout De plus en plus, le travail des organisations chrétiennes doit inclure une présence en ligne vitale et dynamique. Les consommateurs de ces messages s'attendent à un contenu vidéo et audio de haute qualité. L’AEC est en train d’aménager deux studios médias - un à Ottawa et un studio satellite plus petit à Toronto - que nous mettons à la disposition des ministères affiliés à l’AEC pour une location à prix abordable. L'idée de ces studi
Jan 26, 20241 min read


10 days of action on MAiD for mental illness
The justice minister has suggested a delay of the March 17 implementation date might be possible. That would give more time to try to stop this misguided expansion. (Why? See TheEFC.ca/HaltMAID.) Please contact your MP in at least one way in the next 10 days to reach them before Parliament resumes Jan. 29. Step 1: Find your MP’s contact info using your postal code, www.ourcommons.ca/members/en. This site has the MP’s email, address and phone numbers for the MP’s local constit
Jan 16, 20242 min read


Submission on conscience to CPS Alberta
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta asked for feedback on its policy on conscientious objection by Jan. 15, 2024. One of the proposed changes introduces “effective referrals” into the policy. Many doctors object to ending the lives of their patients through euthanasia and would object to providing an effective referral for it. The EFC made a three-page submission, which you can download as a PDF.
Jan 15, 20241 min read


Loving our neighbour through advocacy
Why do we engage in policy discussions, as Christians? Politics is messy; it can be complex and sometimes dysfunctional, and sometimes it seems so hard to make a difference. But what the law says matters. Laws and policies affect how people are treated, what options they have or don’t have, who is protected, who is helped. When the Canada Summer Jobs program screens employers based on their beliefs, real ministries and organizations are excluded. Youth who would have been
Jan 4, 20242 min read


Submission to Special Joint Commitee on MAID for mental illness
The EFC submitted a three-page brief on MAID for mental illness, to the Special Joint Parliamentary Commitee. This brief (aussi disponible en français) calls the government to halt or at least to a delay of the planned March 2024 expansion to allow legal euthanasia for reasons of mental illness alone without any additional safeguards. Download the bilingual EFC brief
Nov 16, 20231 min read


Letter on MAiD expansion to three new ministers
[ La version française suit ] The Hon. Arif Virani Minister of Justice The Hon. Mark Holland Minister of Health The Hon. Ya’ara Saks Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Dear Ministers, We offer our congratulations on your new portfolios. We appreciate that with these roles come additional responsibilities and commitments. We want to thank you for the work you do on behalf of all Canadians in these important areas. We are writing today out of our deep concern about Medica
Oct 17, 20237 min read


Submission to the UN's Universal Periodic Review on human rights in Canada
The EFC and the World Evangelical Alliance have again jointly submitted a brief in the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of human rights in Canada. (See the previous EFC/WEA submission from 2017.) Our 2023 UPR stakeholders report provides information to the international community on how Canada is meeting its human rights obligations and makes recommendations on how Canada can promote and protect human rights in Canada in the areas of: protection of persons with disabi
Mar 31, 20231 min read


Letter of support for Bill C-314 on reversing MAID for mental illness
The Hon. Ed Fast Member of Parliament for Abbotsford House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 February 23, 2023 Dear Mr. Fast, We would like to express our support for your private member’s bill, Bill C-314. This legislation would exclude a mental disorder from being considered a grievous and irremediable medical condition for the purposes of Medical Assistance in Dying. There are so many reasons to halt this expansion and walk back the provisions passed in Bill C-7 that allow
Feb 23, 20232 min read


Bill C-314: Reverse MAID for mental illness alone
Bill C-314 would exclude a mental disorder from being considered a grievous and irremediable medical condition for the purposes of Medical Assistance in Dying. This would mean that no one would be eligible for MAID for mental illness alone MP Ed Fast introduced Bill C-314 in the House of Commons on February 10, 2023. Update: A vote on Bill C-314 was held Oct. 18, 2023. Bill C-314 was defeated 167-150, but an improvement compared to a similar vote in 2021 that was 184-148. Ple
Feb 22, 20231 min read


Christian leaders affirm duty to care and resolve to mobilize communities
[ le français suit ] This Declare and Resolve Statement has been signed by more than 50 leaders of Christian organizations, as noted in the PDF version below. It was first presented at the EFC Presidents Day, Oct. 27, 2022. As leaders of evangelical churches, ministries and institutions, we declare and resolve the following: We lament hastened death in Canada. We grieve the expansion in law that has made those whose death is not reasonably foreseeable eligible for hastened de
Feb 21, 20236 min read


Submission to the CPSO on MAID and Human Rights
The EFC made a submission to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) consultations in November 2022. The EFC asked the CPSO to make sure that discussions about MAID are only initiated by patients, not doctors. The EFC also asked the CPSO to protect doctor’s conscience rights and to push for MAID to be included as the cause of death on death certificates. The consultations were on the CPSO Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and Human Rights in the Provision of
Nov 29, 20221 min read


Review of Medical Assistance in Dying by special joint parliamentary committee
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2023 - See new EFC government submission on MAID for mental illness, below A special joint committee of MPs and senators is recommending making minors eligible for medically hastened death. Their February 2023 report also recommends allowing advance requests, thus opening medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to people no longer able to consent. The committee’s report recommends but doesn't require the government to make these changes to the law. A group of docto
Apr 25, 20222 min read


Bill C-230: Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act
Bill C-230, the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act, was a private member's bill introduced by MP Kelly Block on Nov. 22, 2021. Bill C-230 would have made it a criminal offence to coerce someone to participate in medical assistance in dying. This bill was debated and defeated in the House of Commons in October 2022. Although it didn’t pass, it raised an important discussion of conscience issues and concerns. Resources Sample letter to use in contacting your MP about these
Mar 8, 20221 min read


Letter of support on Conscience Bill C-230
Mrs. Kelly Block, MP House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Dear Mrs. Block, Thank you for taking the initiative to introduce Bill C-230, the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act. Bill C-230 clarifies that health care professionals must not be coerced into participating – either directly or indirectly - in medical assistance in dying. It offers much needed assurance that they will not be forced to choose between violating their conscience and losing their job. Doctors and
Mar 7, 20222 min read


Submission to the CPSO Consultation on MAID policy
The EFC's submission in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Consultation on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) policy shares our perspective and concerns about conscience protection and care of those who are vulnerable and recommends specific changes to the policy.Download the pdf of the EFC’s seven-page submission. Related resources Bill S-268: Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act Take action on conscience rights (main page)
May 14, 20211 min read


Letter to MP Kelly Block in Support of Bill C-268
Mrs. Kelly Block, MP House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Dear Mrs. Block, Thank you for taking the initiative to introduce Bill C-268, the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act. Bill C-268 clarifies that health care professionals must not be coerced into participating – either directly or indirectly - in medical assistance in dying. It offers much needed assurance that they will not be forced to choose between violating their conscience and losing their job. Doctors and o
Mar 16, 20212 min read


Letter to MPs on Senate Amendments to Bill C-7
Dear Member of Parliament, In the days ahead you will have the opportunity to speak and vote on a bill that makes watershed changes to Canadian law, medicine and society. Bill C-7 expands euthanasia to people who are not dying and removes other critical safeguards. The Senate has proposed changes that make this deeply flawed bill even worse. Bill C-7 allows euthanasia for people living with disability or chronic illness, but who aren’t dying. It is a tragedy that this bill
Mar 9, 20212 min read


Bill C-268: Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act
Note: This bill has been succeeded by Bill C-230 This bill was intended to prevent medical professionals from being forced to participate in euthanasia or Medical Assistance in Dying. It would have created an offense in the Criminal Code making it illegal to compel a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other health care professional to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying. Also, it would have become illegal to
Feb 18, 20211 min read


Bill C-7 to expand Medical Assistance in Dying
UPDATE MARCH 2021: Parliament passed Bill C-7 into law March 18, 2021. This bill expands euthanasia to allow people who are not dying to be considered eligible for hastened death. Bill C-7 also removes some key safeguards for people who are at the end of life, such as the 10-day reflection period. This new law also means that, starting March 2023, MAID will become available for people with mental illness alone. Issue summary Bill C-7 is now law. It allows assisted death for C
Oct 5, 20203 min read


Brief on Palliative Care to the Health Committee
In this five-page submission (download PDF) to the House of Commons standing committee on health, the EFC recommends: a continued focus on compassionate, life-affirming care that maintains the distinction between palliative care and euthanasia/medical assistance in dying. support for palliative care providers and hospices, include strong, clear conscience protection for individuals and institutions increased training for health care providers in palliative care across all set
May 4, 20201 min read
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