COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – Was this weekend a scene from Orwell’s 1984?

You may have heard the buzz on the weekend about U.S. Christian musician Sean Feucht’s six cancelled concerts. Cancellations were claimed justified in order to meet community standards of well-being, health and safety.

The majority of Canadians had probably not heard of Sean Feucht until this past weekend. The actions of the federal government and these municipalities along with media coverage changed that.

But who is Sean Feucht? He is a self-proclaimed musician, missionary, author and activist. He ran as a Republican and is vocal about his opposition to abortion. His political platform included being proactive about homelessness, more affordable housing and the protection of parental rights. He also has strong views on traditional family values.

Regardless, who he is, seems to have driven cancellations of his worship events across Canada.

It begs the question. Who determines what thoughts or ideas are acceptable? Does it follow that people should be told how and what to think and believe?

In George Orwell’s 1949 dystopian novel, 1984, when he imagined a world where one must always assume ‘Big Brother is watching’, people are told how and what to think. A notable quote says, “It is a sin to think that you can think alone.”

Yet we know, some of the greatest thinkers through history in philosophy, religion, leadership, the arts, politics, crafted ideas that were shared with others, and considered for edification, discussion and implementation. That is because we value growth, learning, knowledge, and understanding as a society. From my Christian worldview, truth can prevail in the midst of competing ideas simply because it is true. But in order for truth to prevail in a free society, it needs to be heard.

That’s why we treasure our freedom of conscience and belief. Just as Conservative MP Garnett Genuis posted as he left for church on Sunday morning, he was “grateful to those who fought and died to defend our fundamental freedoms.”

In Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the freedom of conscience and religion is the first freedom listed and considered a fundamental freedom. It is a value that has had to be refined from being challenged throughout our history.

And so, it seems again.

Liberal MPs Shannon Miedema and Sean Casey both commented publicly in an Orwellian doublespeak on the singer’s events, insisting they have “the utmost respect”, and “fully respect” the value of free speech, “but” that the event doesn’t align with what the government believes. Therefore, to them, the cancellations were acceptable.

Thankfully, the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) was quick to challenge that view with a statement that called the actions censorship and that of setting a dangerous precedent. CCF Counsel Josh Dehass explained that “shutting down these gatherings because the speaker has views that government doesn’t like is an obvious violation of the Charter protections for religion expression and assembly.” Litigation Director of CCF, Christine Van Geyn commented that the actions of these jurisdictions were highly suspect. She cautioned that “if government can prevent a Christian singer from performing because he has controversial views, then right-wing governments could shut down a drag queen or rapper.” They added that they were not aware of any justification for “shutting down these gatherings.”

Despite the venue cancellations and viral coverage, Mr. Feucht’s tour was not deterred. Alternative sites were quickly secured, and the events went forward. In Montreal, Feucht performed in a local church. Still, the Mayor’s office claimed that the worship service “would not be tolerated” because “hateful and discriminatory speech is not accepted in Montreal.” She then added that it “contradicted the city’s values of inclusion, solidarity and respect.” The singer was visited by the police, the church was issued a $2,500 fine for a worship service, and although a protestor tossed a smoke bomb, it didn’t result in an arrest.

We are being watched—not just in an Orwellian sense—but by other countries. As former Member of Parliament Damien Kurek reminded us on Sunday in a post quoting President Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same.”

Our neighbours to the south are watching how we handle our freedoms. Considering the challenges we are facing in securing a trade deal, how we handled their Christian singer seems unwise. As Feucht posted, “I’ve been in touch with senior White House officials, and they are watching what is unfolding with blatant Christian persecution in Canada.”