Ontario church, Alberta pastor paying price for worship
The authority of God, and the necessity of worship during a time of great tribulation supersedes the imposition of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, argue a number of churches across Canada that are facing legal action for holding services in violation of lockdown rules against indoor gathering.
The latest, Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, Ont., west of Toronto, has been ordered to pay $38,000 in fines and $45,000 in legal costs for holding services in defiance of Ontario's limit on 10 people per indoor gathering, and of a court injunction ordering them to follow the rules.
“Our offence is that we believe that God is our Supreme Authority, above and beyond all parliaments and courts,” wrote Pastor Jacob Reaume in a blog post about the fines. “Christians, throughout history, have often found themselves conflicted when earthly rulers order them to do what God forbids or forbids them from doing what God commands. In such instances, we must obey God over government.”
That church isn't the only one. In one high-profile case, Pastor James Coates, who ministers to Gracelife Church in Parkland County, just outside of Edmonton, has been behind bars since Feb. 16. He has refused to abide by bail conditions that would see him released, which include not attending or holding services.
Coates was charged in midFebruary with violating public health orders. Following his release, he was arrested again for violating his conditions of release. His lawyers have argued the lockdown provisions violate Charter rights to religious freedom.
His trial is set for May 3 and he remains in the Edmonton Remand Centre.
In Canada, Charter freedoms are not absolute — the government can restrict them, but they must justify them, said Kristopher Kinsinger, an Ontario lawyer who's written for Postmedia about churches and restrictions.
“That's not infinite and there are limitations there,” Kinsinger said. While the goal has been to restrict gatherings to protect public health, that could change as vaccines become more available.
“The justification for restriction on assemblies, not just for religious groups, but for everyone, is going to be harder and harder to justify,” he said.
Coates is represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a right-wing legal advocacy group that is also fighting against restrictions on church services in British Columbia, representing more than a dozen ticketed groups and individuals. Recently, they won a legal spat against the B.C. government, which had sought an injunction preventing services until the case could be heard.
There have been small protests at Coates's hearings. And, in Calgary, Pastor Tim Stephens, who heads Fairview Baptist Church, held a full in-person church service last Sunday in support of Coates.
The Edmonton Interfaith Centre, meanwhile, has argued in a letter to the community that religious citizens should not be following public health orders “begrudgingly and minimally, but willingly and with an overabundance of care.”
“This may require certain sacrifices of self and of freedom, but such is the path of love,” the letter says.
It is signed by several Muslim leaders, as well as representatives from Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, United and Unitarian Christian churches.
As for Reaume's church in Waterloo, the fines now total $83,000 for holding services. While the case dates back to services held in December, on Jan. 22, an Ontario court was unequivocal with an injunction: No more than 10 people were allowed to worship.
The church went ahead, two days later, holding a service with more than 200 participants. “Risking reputation and financial viability to offer eternal hope and warm Christian fellowship to a world in despair is an act of love that I am certain Jesus smiles on,” Reaume wrote.
The church and its elders were brought before the court and, this week, the sentence was delivered. The church's website says it was scheduled to be open for in-person services on Sunday.
DUBAI — Iran on Sunday ruled out holding an informal meeting with the United States and European powers to discuss ways to salvage the unravelling 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, insisting that Washington must first lift all its unilateral sanctions.
"Considering the recent actions and statements by the United States and three European powers, Iran does not consider this the time to hold an informal meeting with these countries, which was proposed by the EU foreign policy chief," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, according to Iranian media.
The United States said it was disappointed, but that it remained ready to "re-engage in meaningful diplomacy" on the issue.
Iranian officials had said Tehran was studying a proposal by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to hold an informal meeting with other parties to the nuclear pact and the United States, which reimposed sanctions on Iran after thenpresident Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018.
The new administration of President Joe Biden has said it is ready to talk to Iran about both nations returning to the accord, which scrapped United Nations sanctions against Iran in return for curbs intended to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons — something Iran says it does not want.
But the parties cannot agree who should make the first move. Iran says the United States must lift sanctions while Washington says Tehran must return to compliance with the deal, which it has been progressively breaching.
A White House spokeswoman said Washington remained keen to achieve a "mutual return to compliance" with the deal.
She said it would consult with its partners who are signatories — China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany — on the best way forward.
NUCLEAR WATCHDOG TO MEET
One senior U.S. source said Iran's rejection was simply part of the diplomatic process.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran's nuclear chief urged the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 35-nation Board of Governors not to endorse a U.s.-led push to criticise Tehran's decision to scale back its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
"If the IAEA'S Board of Governors adopts a resolution against Iran, we will show an appropriate reaction," Ali Akbar Salehi said, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.
In a position paper seen by Reuters that was sent to other IAEA member states ahead of the board's quarterly meeting this week, Tehran threatens to end a deal struck with the IAEA a week ago temporarily maintaining some monitoring of its activities.
Diplomats said it was still unclear whether the board would adopt a resolution.
On Feb. 23, Tehran stopped implementing the so-called Additional Protocol, which had enabled the IAEA to carry out snap inspections at undeclared locations.
But under the Feb. 21 agreement, Tehran agreed to maintain the recording of extra data as specified by the 2015 deal for up to three months, and to let the IAEA access it at the end if sanctions were lifted.
Khatibzadeh said that, for the United States to "end its illegal and unilateral sanctions and return to its commitments", there was no need for "negotiation or a resolution in the UN nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors."