Today I travelled to Toronto to observe the court proceedings against Bill Whatcott, an Alberta man who has been charged with a “hate crime” for passing out Christian literature to homosexuals at the Toronto “Gay Pride” parade in 2016.

Bill remarked, “I’m the first Christian arrested for putting out fliers at a gay parade.”

At the core of the Christian religion is the message that all people are sinners, and that we must repent of our sins and trust in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. Among the behaviours delineated as “sinful” in sacred Scripture is homosexuality (or sodomy). (See Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26,27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

As a Christian, Bill felt compelled to present this message at the “Gay Pride” parade, out of concern and love for the people there. For this, he was arrested.

At today’s proceedings, Bill’s lawyer asked the Crown to fully disclose its basis for pressing charges against Bill. In order to mount a credible defence, Bill’s legal team needs to know why the charges were laid, and what parties were involved in the accusation.

The Crown agreed to provide disclosure, and the trial was set to resume September 20th.

About ten supporters and friends joined Bill in the courtroom, including pro-life heroine Linda Gibbons. Linda has spent over ten years in prison for her repeated witness in front of abortion clinics.

Bill appreciates the support he has received thus far. He is also very grateful for our CitizenGO petition, which has been signed by over 40,000 people. (You can sign and share it here: https://www.citizengo.org/…/163468-christian-charged-hate-c…).

Bill has faith in God to see him through this ordeal. He also believes that the more people speak out and stand up for free speech, the more likely it is that our new Ontario government will listen.

However, it appears the cards are stacked against Bill.

There is a great deal of prejudice against Bill in the public square. He has been labelled an “anti-LGBTQ activist” and his literature has been decreed “homophobic” in several media outlets. Various politicians have denounced him.

When dealing with other types of crimes, the media will usually say the accused is an “alleged” criminal, having “allegedly done this or that”. However, in the case of a Christian like Bill, they have already passed judgement, even before the court gets a chance.

I asked Bill about the “anti-LGBTQ” label placed upon him. He immediately denied it. He said, “I’m opposed to sodomy, but I’m not opposed to people.”

When asked if he would ever carry a sign that said, “God Hates Homomsexuals,” he said he never would. “I won’t carry that sign.”

Bill expressed hope that Ontario’s new attorney general, Caroline Mulroney (a Harvard graduate), will recognize the absurdity of these charges. He expects she will see that he has done nothing illegal, and that these charges are merely political – laid to further the former liberal government’s agenda.

Bill will now return to his home in Alberta to look for employment as he awaits his next court date.

FOR FURTHER READING
-LifeSite News article: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadian-christian-activists-legal-battle-against-hate-crime-charges-contin