You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Religious Freedom’ tag.
On December 3, 2025, Calgary pastor Derek Reimer was arrested for breaching the conditions of his conditional sentence order after refusing to write a court-mandated letter of apology to a public library manager and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The apology stemmed from his earlier conviction for criminal harassment related to protests against Drag Queen Story Hour events at Calgary libraries in 2023, where he had confronted organizers and posted videos online.
Reimer, citing his sincerely held religious beliefs, argued that complying would constitute compelled speech in violation of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms; however, the court deemed his refusal a breach, leading to his immediate detention.At a bail hearing on December 5-6, 2025, no decision was reached on Reimer’s release, and he remains in custody awaiting a further hearing on Tuesday, December 9. The case highlights the extraordinary nature of the original sentencing requirement: court-ordered apologies are rare in Canadian criminal law and typically reserved for restorative justice or defamation contexts, not as a tool to enforce ideological conformity. By jailing a citizen for refusing to express remorse that contradicts his conscience, the justice system effectively punishes thought and belief rather than solely actions, raising serious concerns about state overreach.
This incident exemplifies growing authoritarian tendencies in Canada’s legal approach to dissent on cultural issues, where protections for freedom of expression and religion appear subordinated to enforcing compliance with progressive orthodoxies. Forcing individuals to voice insincere apologies—or face imprisonment—echoes compelled speech regimes in totalitarian systems, undermining the Charter’s guarantees and signaling that the government views certain religious convictions as incompatible with public order. As of December 6, 2025, Reimer’s continued detention without resolution further illustrates how such measures can be used to silence opposition through prolonged pre-trial incarceration.
Here are some reliable sources for readers seeking more details on Pastor Derek Reimer’s case, including the original protests, the court-ordered apology, his December 3, 2025 arrest for non-compliance, and the ongoing bail proceedings as of December 6, 2025:
- Original X post highlighting the case: https://x.com/RealMattA_/status/1997166177433321898 (Quotes journalist Chris Dacey’s update on the bail hearing delay.)
- Video update from the December 6 bail hearing (posted by
@chrisdacey
): https://x.com/chrisdacey/status/1997152423396204956 (Confirms no bail decision was reached and Reimer remains in custody until December 9.)
- Western Standard – Arrest coverage: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/watch-calgary-pastor-arrested-after-refusing-to-apologize-to-librarian/69520 (Includes details on the breach and compelled speech concerns.)
- Rebel News – Breaking arrest report: https://www.rebelnews.com/derek_reimer_arrested_after_refusing_court_ordered_apology (Features video of the arrest and background on the conditional sentence order.)
- Caldron Pool – Analysis of compelled speech: https://caldronpool.com/compelled-speech-canadian-pastor-arrested-for-refusing-to-issue-court-ordered-apology/ (Discusses Charter violations and Reimer’s religious objections.)
- LifeSiteNews – Recent developments: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadian-pastor-arrested-for-refusing-to-write-apology-to-librarian-who-hosted-drag-queen-story-hour/ (Covers the arrest and broader context of protests against drag events for children.)
The separation of church and state is a necessary part of a modern civilized society. Laws must be made in accordance with the reality that we know grounded in facts that the scientific method has allowed us to uncover. Does this necessarily happen even in so called civilized society? Of course not, secular societies are not much better when it comes to making rational laws and standards, but I do believe they have a better chance of legislating appropriately that religiously addled societies that need to take into account what the great mumbo-jumbo in the sky has to say on the pertinent issues at hand.
We have not featured Betty Bowers for awhile, thus, enter her definitely non-satirical take on the topic of religious freedom.
The world does not need more stupid. Honest. Yet it would seem that christianity is busily adding more coal to the IDiot furnace every day and pump pump pump pumping those bellows(!!) to spread their inane horseshit far and wide. Hobby Lobby is just the latest pinnacle of horseshit dispensary that is trying earnestly to keep their bronze age mumbo-jumbo sacred and impose it on others (typical behaviour for the religiously addled, one might add).
A -Pro Tip- for my foolish christian friends: Religious freedom means that you can do whatever you like with regard to religion…as long as it affects only you. When it starts affecting other people, you’re infringing on their religious freedom. If you run a company, your religious influence ends where benefits to your employees starts. Period. (thank you,Bionic Dance for the comment)
bleatmop
Mystro
The Arbourist
Dead Wild Roses 
Your opinions…