Yonge & Dundas Square is like Canada's version of Times Square in New York, with concerts, buskers, demonstrations and events — everything from Hare Krishna chants to marijuana rallies to a permanent kiosk where Muslim men hand out Korans.
All manner of artists apply to use the space at Yonge & Dundas Square. Including a group called Voices of the Nations, who have held a concert there for five years.
As a Christian choir, Voices of the Nations sings songs about Jesus. But this year, when Voices of the Nations applied for another permit, they were turned down. A Toronto bureaucrat banned the choir from performing in the public square, because their songs include the words "praise the Lord" and "there's no God like Jehovah."
According to the bureaucrats, Voices of the Nations weren't allowed to use the square because they were promoting religion, even though there are Muslim preachers using the same space.
So: having a booth specifically for the purpose of converting people to Islam is fine under the city's "no-converting people" policy. But singing a song in a concert that happens to praise Jesus — that's illegal.
Anyone can sing in that square. Except Christians. Anyone can proselytize in that square — except Christians. And even just singing the words "praise Jesus" is considering proselytizing — and it's banned.
This isn't the first time Christians have been censored in this same place.
Just last year, a Christian pastor named Rev. David Lynn was charged by police with illegal "busking," for singing Christian songs at Yonge & Dundas Square — not 50 feet from the Muslim Koran kiosk. The Rebel helped recruit a civil liberties lawyer to fight Rev. Lynn's case, and we won.
Well, the anti-Christian censors are back. They're not just going after Rev. Lynn — but a whole choir. Even though that choir has performed there for five years in a row.
Join our fight for freedom. End anti-Christian censorship and to permit Voices of the Nations to perform in Yonge & Dundas Square. We've got to tell Toronto bureaucrat Natalie Belman that anti-Christian bigotry is no better than anti-Jewish or anti-Black bigotry.
Excerpt from The rebel.media
Note: I do not allow any solicitation on my blog, so I have not included appeals to sign petitions. I do not approve of proselytizing, but if one group is allowed to sing their songs or tote their posters in a public place, everyone must be allowed the same right as long as they do not attack others physically, verbally or in any other way, or pressure anyone to listen to them or support them. If their music is loud, that is a publlc disturbance and not acceptable.
Phyllis Carter
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