Christian businesses unite to support TWU Law against major corporations

A Christian group of small business owners are looking for others to join them in lobbying an association of major corporations which have publicly opposed Trinity Western University’s project to start a law school that follows Christian principles.

It started with a trio of Dunnville, Ontario horticulturalists, all Christians, who were also all appalled to learn their banks had condemned Trinity Western University’s law school project through their legal counsels’ membership in a group called “Legal Leaders in Diversity.”

“Upwards of 83 major corporations sent a letter to the Federation of Canadian Law Societies telling it not to approve TWU,” Ben Lindenboom of Lindy’s Flowers told reporters. The list included RBC, BMO, and TD Canada Trust, and a cross-section of big companies such as the Edmonton Oilers, Deloitte, Bombardier, and Assumption Life.

The “Legal Leaders in Diversity” webpage provides links to several Black and LGBT lawyers groups but none to the Christian Legal Society, the Catholic Lawyers Associations of Canada, The Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association or the Jewish Legal Network.

Lindeboom’s group calls itself United Christian Business Leaders of Canada and asks those who want to sign on to contact it at UCBLOC@gmail.com.

“We want to send every one of these companies a letter asking them, if they are supposed to be promoting diversity, why isn’t a Christian law school included in the scope of their diversity?” Lindenboom stated.

The Dunnville group has signed up 53 small businesses, mostly through the Reform Church-inspired Word and Deed organization which matches entrepreneurs to missions and development projects in the Global South. But it wants to get a lot more.

The draft letter to the so-called leaders in diversity notes that each belongs to a group that has lobbied against TWU’s law school, and as such, “by implication, your company and the LLD are publicly standing against anyone with a Christian perspective on marriage and sexuality, including ourselves.”

The letter describes the two legal decisions in TWU’s favour, and claims these refute LLD’s argument that the school would discriminate against homosexuals by requiring them to adhere to Christian morality while enrolled.  “In light of these court rulings,” continues the letter, “the undersigned contends that your company cannot justify its claim of supporting diversity while opposing TWU and by implication Christianity.”

It concludes ominously, by warning that if the firm does not retract its opposition to TWU Law, “We will continue to make Christians aware of its opposition against us, so that they do not carry on business with your company unaware.”

Lindenboom told reporters that the Dunnville organizers did not want to threaten or urge a boycott because this might discourage participation. But already some participants are finding new banks.

Trinity Western’s application was approved by the Federation of Canadian Law Societies in 2013, but the Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia Law Societies broke with the parent group and condemned TWU. Since then the Nova Scotia and B.C. law societies have been overruled by the courts while Ontario’s has been upheld. Appeals will be heard this year with an eventual hearing in the Supreme Court of Canada expected in 2017.