EDITORIAL: Christianity is under siege while Liberals look away

Another house of worship reduced to rubble. More innocent believers murdered during Sunday service. This time, it was a Mormon church in Michigan on Sunday, where a gunman rammed a vehicle into the building, opened fire, and set the church ablaze. Five people are dead. Eight are injured. The pattern is unmistakable. The response from Western governments? Tepid. Inadequate. A disgrace.While this latest attack occurred in the United States, Canada is marching in lockstep toward the same dangerous destination. Our own Liberal government has been conspicuously silent as churches burn and Christians become targets. Since 2021, over 100 Canadian churches have been burned or vandalized. Let that number sink in. One hundred attacks on places of worship in our country. Would we tolerate this against any other faith community?The Michigan attack is not an isolated incident. It represents the bleeding edge of a global assault on Christianity. Organizations that monitor religious persecution annually rank the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians. The data reveals a horrifying reality that approximately 365 to 380 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution and discrimination. This isn't merely about hurt feelings or social discomfort. We're talking about killings, abductions, sexual violence, and forced displacement..McTEAGUE: To end the trade war, scrap the EV mandate.In Nigeria, Christians suffer violent attacks, abductions, and church burnings that have become tragically common. In China, advanced surveillance has led to more Christian arrests than anywhere else in the world. North Korea remains one of the most dangerous places on Earth for Christians, where faith can mean death in a labor camp.Yet what has the Liberal government done to address this global crisis? Where is the forceful diplomacy? The sanctions against regimes that persecute Christians? The unwavering defense of religious freedom as a fundamental human right? The silence is deafening.While Christians worldwide face brutal persecution, our own government contemplates policies that would further marginalize and weaken Christian communities in Canada. A Standing Committee on Finance report contained a shocking recommendation: to "amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose.”.This bureaucratic language masks a radical agenda. They want to strip churches of their charitable status. They want to make donations to churches ineligible for tax deductions. This isn't about fiscal responsibility. It's about silencing a voice that stands against their secular progressive orthodoxy.Research from think tank Cardus reveals the absurdity of this assault. The average congregation's positive socioeconomic impact in the community is more than ten times the value of tax exemptions and credits. Churches feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and support families in crisis. In places like Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, churches minister to people who are homeless or struggling with addiction. Take away their charitable status, and these vital services disappear, leaving the most vulnerable with nowhere to turn.The Liberal approach is clear. Target churches with taxation while reducing penalties for the criminals who burn them. It is madness. As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre noted, the Liberals "have reduced criminal penalties for arson.” They've created an environment where attacking churches carries little consequence.There is a better way. The Conservative Party has committed to protecting religious freedom and ensuring churches can continue their vital work. They understand what the Liberals do not, which is attacking churches hurts entire communities, especially the most vulnerable who depend on their services..MacLEOD: Alberta’s exclusion — A masterclass in political framing.Conservatives would bring in mandatory prison sentences for those who attack places of worship. They would redirect law enforcement resources toward protecting communities rather than targeting law-abiding citizens. Poilievre said that the "anti-Christian hate has got to stop.”.The choice before Canadians is stark. We can continue down the Liberal path of targeting churches while barely lifting a finger when they're attacked. Or we can choose a future where religious freedom is protected, where churches can serve their communities without fear of government retaliation, and where attacking a place of worship brings severe consequences.The time for quiet diplomacy is over. The era of apologies for Christian faith must end. We need leaders with the moral clarity to name this crisis and the courage to confront it. Our freedom to worship without fear depends on it.