The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is raising concerns about recommendations presented to the Trudeau Liberal Government calling for the removal of charitable status to religious charities and anti-abortion organizations.A Finance Committee report tabled in the House of Commons on Dec. 13, 2024 called for the change. Recommendation 429 says the government should “no longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations.” Recommendation 430 would 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.”Julia Beazley, Director of Public Policy for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada expressed the organization’s objections in a letter to Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc.“We have already communicated our deep concern about politicizing the charitable sector and singling out charities on the basis of belief, in previous correspondence,’” Beazley explained.“We urge you not to follow the recommendation of the Finance Committee, but instead to recognize the relevance and benefits of religion to the charitable sector and Canadian public life,” she added.Of the more than 73,000 charitable organizations registered with the CRA, more than 30,000 fall under the advancement of religion, roughly 42% of the charitable sector. The EFC estimates that there are 23,000 Christian congregations in Canada.The budget recommendations align with requests made by the British Columbia Humanist Association’s written submission to the committee.“Presently, to be classified as a charity an organization must have as its purpose the relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion or other purposes beneficial to the community. The latter category has been slowly broadened by our courts; however, this is an onerous and inefficient undertaking. This perpetuates injustice against marginalized communities, including organizations representing BIPOC communities, by creating a barrier to their equal participation in charitable organizations,” the BCHA wrote.“Our particular concern remains with the head of ‘advancement of religion.’ To qualify for this purpose, the CRA states a charity must include ‘an element of theistic worship, which means the worship of a deity or deities in the spiritual sense,’” the BCHA explained.The humanists said Canadian charitable definitions were carryovers from the 17th Century. They also claimed an acknowledgement of religion discriminated against them.“There is no similar provision to recognize the advancement of humanism or other nonreligious worldviews as a charitable activity. This undoubtedly breaches the state’s duty of religious neutrality by showing a preference toward theistic viewpoints over nonreligious ones. It relies on a presumed public benefit of faith. As an organization representing British Columbians with no religion, we contest that assumption.”The budget recommendations are found in Chapter Five, “A Competitive Fiscal Policy, Sustainable Finances and Efficient Government Operations.”The chapter’s preamble states, “Federal taxation plays a pivotal role in funding public expenditures and directing economic activity to sustain and enrich the Canadian economy.”The preamble also explains, “Personal income tax is the largest source of government revenues in Canada, followed by corporate income tax. Tax policy is also a major mechanism to motivate taxpayers to engage in activities that are deemed beneficial to society or, on the contrary, dissuade taxpayers from engaging in activities that are thought to be harmful to society.”Although the Conservative Party has a dissenting opinion in the report, and the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have supplementary opinions, none mention or oppose these charitable status recommendations.Last year’s deficit was $61.9 billion.
