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The harassment that members of Parliament face, including death threats and vandalism, is on the rise. Two months ago the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms reported that cases rose from 8 in 2019 to 530 in 2023. Threats are becoming increasingly common – MPs are followed on the streets, filmed in stores and have their offices vandalized. One Parliament Hill staffer describes answering the phone and having angry Canadians yell at her about the decisions the MP had made and cal

A private member’s bill that would allow advance requests for euthanasia is moving through the Senate. Bill S-248 was introduced by Senator Pamela Wallin and has passed two of three votes in the Senate. The next step is for the bill to be studied by a Senate committee. The Criminal Code requires a person be able to consent to their death at the time their life is ended through MAiD. There is currently a narrow exception for people whose death is “reasonably foreseeable” for t

Recently the EFC had the opportunity to collaborate on a video statement to the UN Human Rights Council. Together with the World Evangelical Alliance and the Salvation Army, we affirmed a report that examined how prostitution impacts women and girls globally. The EFC welcomed this report given by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, as it clearly links prostitution to different forms of violence against women and girls and names prostitution as a form o

With any quick Google search, Canadians of any age can access sexually explicit material. Simple, often innocent search terms can bring up websites with sexually explicit content, much of it violent and dehumanizing. It is extremely easy to access in Canada, and we are seeing the devastating consequences of this on our population, especially children and youth. From March to June 2024, the standing parliamentary Committee on Canadian Heritage undertook a study on the harms

The Canadian Interfaith Conversation issued a statement on behalf of over 60 signatory faith traditions and institutions, to present a common public position adopted by Canada's faith communities, on combatting hate against and between our country's religious communities. The EFC and many of its affiliates are signatories and are members of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. Download the statement: English, français Standing Together Against Hate Based on Religious Identit

To: The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightsRe: Report of Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Prostitution and violence against women and girls (HRC/56/48) The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s Centre for Faith and Public Life, based in Ottawa, Canada, welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls titled Prostitution and Violence Against Women and Girls. The EFC has engaged on this is

This article is reprinted with permission from Faith Today (May/Jun 2024). →en français Amid the vitriol and animosity in Canadian public discourse, there are increasing calls for civility (including in my recent columns). These are pleas to self-moderate our speech and use our expressive freedoms wisely. This includes our freedom of religion. Religious freedom is sometimes referred to as the first freedom. That’s not because it is listed first in a constitutional document, b

Imagine being the parents of a 13-year-old girl who is pressured to send the boy she likes an intimate video of herself. Imagine she discovers the video has been uploaded to pornography sites and viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Imagine she drops out of school and her social circle, becoming fearful, anxious, thinking about ending her life. This isn’t just imagination. The girl’s name is Serena Fleites, and she is just one of many. There are real people in vulnerable mo

The Honourable Marc Miller Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 365 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1 Dear Minister Miller, We understand that the ministry’s recent cap on international students is intended to address rapidly increasing numbers of international students, particularly at institutions who do not provide supports. However, we are very concerned about unintended consequences and impact of the cap. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is th