The Supreme Court of Canada heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit against a religious congregation's "shunning" practice, but the congregation and several other groups contend the justices had no right to even take part in the case.

Randy Wall, a real estate agent, filed the suit against the Highwood congregation of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization in Calgary, Alberta.

Wall was expelled from the congregation for getting drunk and not be properly repentant, court records said. He pursued an appeals process through the Jehovah's Witnesses then went to court because he said the Witnesses' "shunning" -- the practice of not associating with him in any way -- hurt his business.

He explained his two occasions of drunkenness related to "the previous expulsion by the congregation of his 15-year-old daughter."

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A lower court opinion said: "Even though the daughter was a dependent child living at home, it was a mandatory church edict that the entire family shun aspects of their relationship with her. The respondent said the edicts of the church pressured the family to evict their daughter from the family home. This led to … much distress in the family."

The "distress" eventually resulted in his drunkenness, Wall said.

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Wall submitted to the court arguments that about half his client base, members of various Jehovah's Witnesses congregations, then refused to conduct business with him. He alleged the "disfellowship had an economic impact on the respondent."

During high court arguments Thursday, the congregation asked the justices to rule that religious congregations are immune to such claims in the judicial system.

The lower courts had ruled that the courts could play a role in determining whether or not such circumstances rise to the level of violating civil rights or injuring a "disfellowshipped" party.

The rulings from the Court of Queen's Bench and the Alberta Court of Appeals said Wall's case was subject to secular court jurisdiction.

A multitude of religious and political organizations joined with the congregation in arguing that Canada's courts should not be involved.

The Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms said in a filing: "The wish or desire of one person to associate with an unwilling person (or an unwilling group) is not a legal right of any kind. For a court, or the government, to support such a 'right' violates the right of self-determination of the unwilling parties."

Previous case law has confirmed the right of religious or private voluntary groups to govern themselves and dictate who can be a member.

But previously rulings also reveal there is room for the court system to intervene when the question centers on property or civil rights.

The Association for Reformed Political Action described the case as having "profound implications for the separation of church and state."

It contends the court should keep its hands off the argument.

"Secular judges have no authority and no expertise to review a church membership decision," said a statement from Andre Schutten, a spokesman for the group. "Church discipline is a spiritual matter falling within spiritual jurisdiction, not a legal matter falling within the courts' civil jurisdiction. The courts should not interfere."

John Sikkema, staff lawyer for ARPA, said: "The issue in this appeal is jurisdiction. A state actor, including a court, must never go beyond its jurisdiction. The Supreme Court must consider what kind of authority the courts can or cannot legitimately claim. We argue that the civil government and churches each have limited and distinct spheres of authority. This basic distinction between civil and spiritual jurisdiction is a source of freedom and religious pluralism and a guard against civic totalism."

He continued: "Should the judiciary have the authority to decide who gets to become or remain a church member? Does the judiciary have the authority to decide who does or does not get to participate in the sacraments? Church discipline is a spiritual matter falling within spiritual jurisdiction, not a legal matter falling within the courts' civil jurisdiction. The courts should not interfere. Here we need separation of church and state."

The Alberta Court of Appeal, however, suggested the case was about more than ecclesiastical rules.

"Because Jehovah's Witnesses shun disfellowshipped members, his wife, other children and other Jehovah's Witnesses were compelled to shun him," that lower court decision said. "The respondent asked the appeal committee to consider the mental and emotional distress he and his family were under as a result of his duaghter's disfellowship."

The church committee concluded he was "not sufficiently repentant."

The ruling said "the only basis for establishing jurisdiction over a decision of the church is when the complaint involves property and civil rights," and that is what Wall alleged.

"Accordingly, a court has jurisdiction to review the decision of a religious organization when a breach of the rules of natural justice is alleged."

See the WND Superstore's collection of Bibles, including the stunning 1599 Geneva Bible.