[EnderD_503]

It will continue to happen until christians in particular are removed as a privileged class. Christians continue to exist as a privileged class in the US partially because there are no consequences for degrading and inciting hatred against non-christian groups or those who the bible deems "blasphemous." What kind of example does it set when there are no consequences for christian extremists who disrespect grieving families, and who go unchallenged while carrying signs in public that say "god hates fags"?

I strongly believe that the freedom of speech laws as they exist in the US (meaning that cracking down on hate speech is deemed "un-American") need to change if there is going to be true equality among all people. Freedom of speech laws as they exist now in the US only protect the privileged, not the marginalized. In matters of "morality" they grant christians privilege over atheists or even other religious groups. In matters of family life and education it privileges heterosexuals over everybody else. In matters of race it privileges white people (and bigots who express racial hatred in particular) over everybody else. In matters of sex it privileges cissexed males over everybody else, or cissexed people over trans people. Not only does it privilege them, but it protects them from being made to face the consequences of discriminatory words that continue to directly harm those with less privilege in a given situation. And when others challenge them over their discriminatory words, they then cry "discrimination" themselves when the entire system is favours them. Freedom of speech without hate speech laws to police them only protect the already privileged.

And Canada also needs to tighten its hate speech laws. The religious are still rarely made to face the consequences of inciting hatred against certain target groups. Additionally we have a federal government that now wants to remove hate speech laws as "outdated," when we're living in a time when these laws are more relevant than ever, and need to be tightened rather than abolished. For example, the Ontario Catholic School Board still banning GSAs from its schools as a part of "catholic doctrine," while such action is at odds with the Ontario Human Rights Code. This only proves that we need to take hate speech laws more seriously, and realise the pitfalls of freedom of speech.

I know what I've mentioned above doesn't seem relevant, but in my eyes it really is, because the issue is christians as a privileged class even in supposedly secular nations. It is because they are privileged over atheists that mottos like "in god we trust" still exist in secular nations, that the state laws you mentioned still exist. Atheists won't be free from persecution in the US, either, until christians are not given free reign over the legal system or the governing of what is deemed "normal" or "good" or "moral" or "family values." There needs to be a little less legal tolerance for christians' "religious beliefs"/"opinions" that belittle, berate and degrade others, and we need to stop viewing the privileged as the discriminated when they lose even a little of their privilege. Enforcing laws or even maintaining laws that place christians as more fit to govern than others should be outright classified as inciting hatred and discrimination. Christians should not be permitted to picket abortion clinics and funerals with picket signs degrading women, women's rights, lgbtq rights, sexual freedom and so on. This is not protecting freedom of speech or freedom of religion, it is protecting the already privileged.