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The Bible became an exhibit in a Regina human rights hearing examining the Leader-Post’s rejection of an anti-gay advertisement containing scripture verses.

For about a dozen years, Hugh Owens — who describes himself as “a Bible-believing Christian” — had placed the paid advertisement in the local newspaper during Gay Pride Week. But in June 2013, the paper turned him down.

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Testifying Wednesday in Court of Queen’s Bench, Owens said he used the yearly advertisement “to get the message out how God looks at this behaviour.” He felt it was his duty, as a Christian.

“It’s a difficult thing, I know, but it has to be done,” Owens said.

In cross-examination, the Regina corrections worker agreed he wouldn’t have been content with running an ad that contained such a biblical verse as “love thy neighbour.”

“I chose the four (verses) that were the most condemning,” he replied. At the request of the newspaper’s publisher in 1999, he agreed to cut back to three passages, since the fourth one dealt with the death penalty for “this behaviour.”