I’m not sure how many times I have heard the phrase “conspiracy theory” throughout this health crisis. Anyone who does not follow the narrative promoted through media sources is automatically labelled a conspiracy theorist. This derogatory term is used in attempts to wave off dissenters and silence their opinions.
There is a conspiracy taking place in our nation, and it is simply a part of a larger scheme. No, I’m not referring to secret societies making decisions for humanity. Instead, I am referring to something more sinister and real— a spiritual conspiracy that has been waging since creation. What is a conspiracy? By definition, it is an act of joining in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act. So, there are a few parts to this. 1) It is an agreement to do something wrong. 2) It involves more than one individual working together. 3) It is secretive. Since the creation of the world, the devil has conspired with other angels to usurp God’s rule and authority over his creation. God creates Adam and gives Him a clear command – don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As head of the family, Adam passes this instruction on to his wife. And then enters Satan. And what does he try to do? He entices them to rebel against God’s authority. He does this by causing doubt, planting lies, and maligning God’s goodness. Through his activity, Satan causes them to believe they can act independently from God. A sin is an act of rebellion against God’s authoritative commands, which comes from believing that we can act independently from Him. And Satan has set up a system that promotes this way of thinking. Through His servant Paul, God reminds us not only of this system but also how we, as Christians, were part of this system. We read: Ephesians 2:1-3 – “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” “The course of this world” boiled down is simply man acting independently from God. And we tend to do this through either ignoring, rejecting or redefining what God has said. We have witnessed this in Canada for many years. And who is behind this? Satan, the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). For this reason, Paul reminds us who our true enemy is. He writes: Ephesians 6:11-12 – “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Satan cannot be everywhere, but his influence can be found everywhere. Now, here’s one thing we miss. We forget that the system involves people. So, on the one hand, our war is against the spiritual forces that are conspiring against God; on the other hand, tangible people are promoting Satan’s system. Look around, and you will see people advocating things that go contrary to the Word of God. For example, such things as socialism, evolution, Critical Race Theory, transgenderism, homosexual lifestyle, self-love, and forced isolation of healthy people go contrary to God’s Word. The sad thing is that those who promote such things have been deceived and blinded by the one who set up the system (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4). As Christians, we need to be aware that there is no neutral ground in the world because there is no such thing as a morally neutral person. Either we are following Jesus, or we are following Satan. We either believe that God alone dictates how we are to think and behave, or we follow Satan’s system and believe that we are autonomous and can choose for ourselves what is right and good. The devil has blinded the minds of all in society to follow His system. Only those who are saved can think differently. Therefore, as Christians, to believe that society and government have our best interest in mind is to pull the wool over our own eyes. Our current health crisis has simply made this distinction more apparent. The government continues to ignore God’s rule and pass legislation that violates not only their own law but also God’s Word. But as Christians, we shouldn’t be surprised, should we? Since creation Satan has been waging war against God by promoting the false ideology that man can act independently from God. This is the real conspiracy happening, and it is playing in front of our very eyes. And many have their blinders on. As a Christian, you are a soldier standing in an active battlefield (2 Tim. 2:3-4). I’m sorry if your pastor never told you the cost of following Jesus, your commander. But when you accepted Jesus, you signed up to follow him into the fray. And in this fight, we have been given one weapon – “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Eph. 6:17). I’ve always enjoyed watching movies where there are sword fights. As you observe their actions, you see the swordsmen both defend and attack with their swords. As faithful soldiers, we need to both parry the opponent’s false ideologies and attack (or counterattack) them. But just as learning to wield a sword well takes time and discipline, the same is true with the Bible. You need to invest much time learning the truth so that you can see the errors around you and expose them. There is a real conspiracy taking place, and you must stand your ground and use your sword. Do not be afraid to use it as you parry and attack the false ideologies you and society have embraced. And don’t be scared when it cuts. It’s a sword! That’s what they do! (Hebrew 4:12).
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A couple of months ago, my wife and I were working through the book of Jeremiah for our family devotions. The context of that book is the judgement of Jerusalem. God was judging them because of their rampant sin and refusal to repent. Does God judge nations today? Yes, and he is doing that today to our country.
God sent Jeremiah to warn the people of the judgement. To warn people of their sin and its consequence is a loving action that every pastor should be engaged in. In fact, like Jeremiah, John the Baptist and other prophets, we are to even speak out against the sinful practices and decisions which kings make. Remember, this is our Father's world, not man's. His way is to be done here on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). To call people to repentance is to call them back to God and a path of blessings (Psalm 1; Matthew 6:33). As Jeremiah warned the people, the false prophets were busily lulling the people into a false assurance of security. Looking at what was happening, God says: "They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14, NLT) These words are repeated in Jeremiah 8:11, and it was these words that cut me to the quick. As pastors, are we warning people of what is happening, or are we simply giving assurances of peace when there is none? As Jeremiah looks around, he says: "Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'" (Jeremiah 14:13) Jeremiah is disturbed by what is happening. God is judging the nation, and these men are refusing to accept the truth. Instead, they spread of cloak of lies and false assurance over the eyes of the people. I am afraid many pastors are doing this today. I believe I had been doing this. How? By giving comforting platitudes instead of proclaiming the truth into all areas of life. A religious platitude we often give as pastors is, "God is in control." Don't misunderstand me. These words are 100% true, yet today in our context, we use them almost as an assurance of false peace. Remember, God was in control as He led Babylon to destroy Jerusalem. And He was in control when the nation was led away as captives of Babylon. But, just because God is in control, it doesn't mean that we will escape persecution. Our nation is under judgement. Judgement doesn't always mean physical destruction like with Jerusalem, though that does indeed happen. Judgement also includes God giving us over to further wickedness. That's what you find in Romans 1:18-32. After Paul talks about God giving the nations up to a debased mind (v. 21), the lusts of their hearts (v. 24), the dishonouring of their bodies (v. 24) and the trading of natural sexual relations (vv. 26-27), Paul writes: Romans 1:28-32 - "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." Our descent into further wickedness is visible around us. Just take a look at the bills that are being passed in parliament. With each new law, the silent voice of the church grows quieter. What can we do? Instead of giving platitudes, we need to speak out about what is happening around us. We need to warn people of their sin and the judgement upon them. God warned Ezekiel if he saw trouble coming, and did not speak out, then he was responsible for the blood that was spilt. Ezekiel 3:16-21 – "And at the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me, 'Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.'" We need to speak out and warn others. We need to engage with current issues and shine the light of God's Word upon them. God's Word bears weight on every moral issue of life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It seems, though, that we are afraid of wielding the sword because we may cut someone. We are worried about what others may think of us. But Jesus warns us, "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). You need to be okay that when you speak the truth of God's Word on life issues, not everyone will be okay with you. We have a responsibility to speak the truth; we do not have the responsibility to make the decision for the person. Only the Holy Spirit can change a person's heart. So as you speak the truth, do so with much prayer that they will see the light and repent and turn to Jesus. Pray also for the wisdom and grace to share the truth with others. How well do double standards work in a home? Could you imagine as a parent telling your son or daughter that they cannot do something, and then turn around and practice the very thing you told them not to do? What would happen?
It's safe to say that double standards lead to frustrations and quarrels, especially when they are apparent and flaunted. And yet in our country we have provincial and federal leaders who have been operating with double standards for quite a while. . In Alberta, Jason Kenney has led a militant opposition against all churches which have refused to abide by the health protocols imposed upon the province. The government has levied outlandish fines against churches, locked them down, and even arrested pastors in the name of doing what is right for the province’s health. On February 16, Pastor James Coates was arrested and spent 35 days in jail for failing to comply with the restrictions. After his release, his church’s build was seized; then, three perimeter fences were set up to barricade it from entry. On May 8, Pastor Artur Pawlowski was arrested on his way to church for also not complying with the restrictions. He was released on May 10 on bail. On May 16, Pastor Tim Stephens was arrested after a church service for also not complying with the health protocols. Unlike Pastor Coates and Pastor Pawloski, he had not been served a court injunction. The injunction had been mistakenly given to another member of his church. Pastor Stephens spent two days in prison before being released. On June 5, his church's building was seized. This forced them to meet at an undisclosed location. On June 13, Tim was leading a church service outdoors when a police helicopter flew overhead and spotted them. Perhaps the helicopter simply stumbled upon them? After making a couple of passes, the helicopter left. At the end of the service, police showed up. There were no arrests made that day. The next day police arrived at Pastor Stephen’s home and arrested him in front of his emotionally town family. Listen to the video. There seems to be a reoccurring theme here. It appears that the health protocols are important and should not be trampled against, even if your conscience tells you that you must gather as a church. After all, these protocols are in place for the health and safety of the province! Honest politicians, who care about our physical health, and show their love by enforcing weighty consequences, are leading by example, right? Surely they aren’t bending or breaking the rules they have enforced. After all, that would be hypocritical, right? On June 1, Kenny held a dinner party at the rooftop of the Sky Palace with a number of his cabinet ministers. There were no masks, and social distancing was not in place. Though the Stage 1 Summer plan was in effect, and ten people can gather, it is laid out that there are to be no indoor components. In order to access the Sky Palace, you need to enter the building and then go up to the roof and exit onto the patio. Also, when it comes to dining on patios, the guidelines say that “parties should be limited to four per table, all from the same household, or three people if they’re single and with their desigated close contacts”. The same health protocols that make church gatherings of a specific capacity illegal are the same ones that Jason Kenny violated. And what is his consequence? Simply a verbal rebuke. A double standard is clearly in effect. The government can act one way, but the rest of the province must act another way, lest they are fined or even arrested. This display will only lead to further frustration. What does the bible teach about double standards? God’s Word says, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1). God continually lays down the framework that double standards and hypocrisy are abhorrent to Him. He commands people to walk justly before Him in integrity (Micah 6:8). How should we respond to what is happening?
The Manitoba government has announced and implemented a lottery as an incentive for getting the vaccine. There will be two draws, each providing $950,000 in cash prizes and scholarships, which will take place in the fall. More info can be found here.
For many, this may sound like a fun way of encouraging people to get the shot. But as Christians, we need to stop and filter everything through the Bible – even this. So, what does the Bible teach about participating in lotteries? The lottery is a game of chance where winning is entirely random and is determined by the number of people who participate. It is a form of gambling. Though the Bible depicts this activity negatively (Judges 14:12; Proverbs 20:21; 28:20; Mark 15:24), there is no explicit command prohibiting it. Therefore, this activity may fall into the category of Christian liberty and a matter of conscience. With that said, participating in a lottery may become sinful. With the chance to win money or other incentives, they can encourage greed. Greed is sin (Exodus 20:17). As Christians, we are to guard against covetousness (Luke 12:15), avoid the love of money (Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 2:15-17) and even put this desire for wealth to death (Col. 3:5). Greed causes us to lose our focus on Jesus and often makes us drift away from the faith (1 Timothy 6:10,17). So ask yourselves, can you enter the lottery without a desire for the cash prize? Lotteries also promote a path that goes contrary to God's way of gaining wealth. As Christians, we are to earn wealth, not by participating in a game of chance with grand prizes of $100,000, but through hard work. Through His servant Paul, God utters the command that if you do not work, you do not eat (2 Thess. 3:10; cf. Proverbs 10:4). Lotteries are often rightly viewed as "get rich quick" schemes. Is this in line with the path God has for His people? Perhaps these two verses would shed further light. "An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end." (Proverbs 20:21) "A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished." (Proverbs 28:20) My position would be that participating in a lottery could be a sin based on these two points - it elicits greed and goes against God's path to earning wealth. How about you? Thankfully the Manitoba Government has made it possible for people to opt-out. However, is this the only issue with the announcement and implementation of the vaccine lottery? I wish it were! Recently, it was announced where the money would be coming from. We are borrowing it from the next generation. When asked where this money is coming from, Pallister said, "Your two-year-old. We are borrowing money to get out of this pandemic. We just announced the largest deficit in Manitoba history here a few weeks ago. So let's be honest, um, we need to get out of this pandemic. And the faster we do that, the better. That's why we are after getting people vaccinated as quick as we can." What does the Bible say about debt and borrowing money? Everything belongs to God, who has given it to us as his stewards. Over and over again, we are instructed to be good stewards. To go into debt is to be unwise with what we have been given. We would say that a husband who pays for a vacation on his credit card with no money in the bank is very foolish. But that's not exactly what the government is doing, is it? They are paying for prizes, with no money in the bank, with the view of our children paying for it when they get older. In the Bible, God warns about being in debt (cf. Proverbs 22:7, 26-27); infact we are told to owe no one anything (Romans 13:8). Why? It's not simply unwise, but it automatically creates a servant/master relationship. In the earlier scenario mentioned above, the husband will have to work until he has paid the debt. In the situation we face in our province, our children will have to work until the debt has been paid. Debt is not always something we can avoid. In those times when we must burrow, we must also pay it back (Psalm 37:21). Is this debt avoidable? Perhaps you think what is happening is sensible. After all, it looks like we are taking out a loan on our children to potentially have a future. But is the vaccine the solution? When Pallister announced the vaccine lottery, an NDP minister challenged him and asked whether the money would be better used to fix the ICUs in the hospitals. I don't believe that the government should borrow money it doesn't have, but since they are doing that, would this not be a better place to use it? So, how should we respond to this announcement? Should we participate in the vaccine lottery? It's a decision you have to make for yourself. Whether you decide to participate or not, as Christians we can pray for our government. We can pray:
As Christians, we can also use this event to share the gospel. How? By sharing with others that all wealth belongs to God who is the creator, and that one day we will give an account for how we have used His resources he has generously blessed us with. It's believed that "faith leaders" play a crucial role in helping persuade others to get or not get the vaccine. As a pastor, I do recognize to some degree that what I say does indeed carry some weight. So, I acknowledge that what I am about to write regarding churches and vaccines may sway some people. However, I believe it is critical to look at everything through the lens of scripture and evaluate whether something is good and right.
To be clear, I'm not writing about whether a person should get the vaccine. Instead, I am writing about whether the church should promote vaccines and even take grants from the government to provide programming to encourage people to get immunized. Should the church do this? Well, what does the Bible say? 1. The church exists to share the gospel and disciple believers. Let's not confuse the reason why the church exists. Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Mt. 28:19-20). This is our mission which we are to give our complete attention. This mission begins with us going out and sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Those who believe are then discipled in the faith to become mature Christians who can train others (Eph. 4:13-16; 2 Tim. 2:2). This training takes place in the gathering through the reading of scripture, preaching of God's Word, singing, administering the Lord's Supper, using our spiritual gifts, and spurring on each other to love and good works. Click on this link to learn more about why we gather. 2. Taking the vaccine is a matter of conscience. There is nothing in the Bible that either demands or forbids the taking of a vaccine. Therefore, this is a matter of Christian liberty and one's conscience. To persuade someone to get the vaccine may cause a Christian to go against their conscience and cause them to sin. In the context of whether to eat meat offered to idols or not, we read, "But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). It was not morally wrong to eat meat offered to idols. However, some were convinced that to eat the meat would be to defile themselves. For them to go against their conscience and eat the meat, they would be sinning. The sin didn't reside in the meat but in the intent to act against what one believed to be the command of God. So the principle is this: If we are convinced by God's Word that something is evil and act against our conscience, it is a sin. For a church to promote vaccines would encourage some people to go against their conscience and thus prompt them to sin. 3. The Vaccines use unethical practices. Whereas some Christians choose not to get the vaccine due to reports of serious adverse reactions and lack of long-term study, some choose not to take the vaccine because of the unethical practices used by those who make them. It is reported that the Covid-19 vaccines use fetal-cell tissues for testing their vaccines. Some even have used them in producing of the active ingredients in its vaccine. Fetal-cell tissues come from aborted babies. Whether these are recent or not, it makes no difference. Therefore, for many Christians, to take the vaccine is to support and participate in the act of abortion. For a church to promote vaccines would be to misunderstand their identity as a church and cause some believers to sin. If we cared for people's souls, we would want to avoid this and instead focus on preaching the gospel and encouraging others to grow in their faith. So what does this mean? Churches should not be the place where vaccines are promoted or encouraged by the leaders or the pulpit. This is not our place. Our role is to speak into the culture, exposing sin and error as we preach the Word of God in all areas of life. The medical field should be the ones solely responsible for informing and inoculating. If you happen to be a Christian nurse and you think that vaccines are great, then feel free to tell your friends and administer them to those who wish to be vaxxed. However, the church should stay out of this, even if it means they will be missing out on grant money. Until now, I had never lived in an era of segregation. This segregation will not be based on ethnicity or skin colour but instead on medical history. Those who have been vaccinated will receive special treatment. In contrast, those who have not will continue to have their freedoms restricted.
On June 8th, Premier Pallister announced that Manitoba would be introducing an immunization passport. They will be available to all who have received their second vaccine. It will arrive 14 days after receiving the second dose. Should I remind you that all the vaccines have only been authorized for emergency use by the FDA and have yet to be clinically approved by the FDA? Or in other words, it's an experimental vaccine with no long-term study. It's a shot in the dark as to what will happen. Anyways, I digress. This passport will grant free interprovincial travel without having to quarantine when you get home. It will also allow the fully vaccinated not to have to self-isolate if deemed a close contact of a COVID-19 case. These freedoms will continue to be suppressed from those who choose not be to vaccinated for a virus that only has a 2% mortality rate in the province. The mayor of Winnipeg has thoughtfully asked if there will be a timeline indicating when the need for these vaccine passports come to an end. This is a great question which I hope will be given an immediate answer. There's no use keeping paying citizens in the dark as to the government's intentions. Oh, but wait! The province has also announced that healthcare facilities will permit expanded visitations if both the patient and visitor are fully vaccinated. But what about patients and visitors that have chosen not to have the experimental vaccine? I guess they won't have that same blessing extended to them. The Manitoba Government is currently talking about other "benefits" that will be offered to this special class of citizens. If you have been on Facebook or have taken the EngageMB survey, I'm sure you have already become aware of some. Two Facebook Ads I have seen had to do with air travel and going to the theatre. One incentive that stuck out to me on the recent Manitoba survey was increased faith gathering sizes. Yes, you read that right. They are considering using the church gathering as an incentive to get people vaccinated. Will this consideration become implemented? Time will tell. For the sake of argument, let's assume that the government did use the vaccine passport to limit the church gatherings. Would this be wrong? I can hear the arguments now, "It's for the sake of our safety," "Well, I've been vaccinated; why shouldn't I have the benefit of gathering with others," etc. We need to step back and ask a simple question - "In the Bible, has God ever limited those who could enter the gathering of believers?". If you hold to Leviticus 13 being relevant today, then yes. God instructed that those who were sick or had knowingly come into contact with someone who was sick (e.g. a caregiver) were to be kept from the gathering for a certain amount of time. If you don't hold to Leviticus 13 as being applicable today, then the only instance of someone being kept from the church gathering would be on account of church discipline (1 Corinthians 5). A vaccine passport is a man-made invention that holds no authority to keep people outside the church gathering. What if a church were to use the vaccine passport as a means of permitting certain people into the gathering? They would be going beyond the clear biblical teaching, leaving it behind in attempts to hold unto man-made traditions. This activity is something Jesus warned against. Mark 7:6-8 - "And he said to them [the Pharisees], 'Well did Isaiah prophecy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandments of God and hold to the tradition of men." Not every tradition passed down is wrong, only that which goes contrary to the Word of God. The vaccine passports fall into that category. Okay, what if a church were to use the vaccine passport as a means of simply figuring out where certain people should sit? I think it's safe to say that they would be participating in the sin of partiality. It would be the modern-day example of James 2:1-7. Instead of treating Christians differently based on their financial status, we trade that for treating them differently based on their vaccine record. At this point, the Manitoba government is not applying the vaccine passport to the church gathering. We shall see how this plays out. But let me ask you a question to get you thinking now. Why would the church want to engage in something which encourages a two-tiered societal system? Would this not go against the very work of Jesus (cf. Col. 3:11; Rom. 10:12;1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Eph.2:15)? In regards to the church and vaccines, there is one thing that will soon occur in Manitoba. Pallister has announced a new grant program to target Covid-19 vaccine uptake that the church and other businesses and establishments can participate in. CTV reports that, "Grants up to $20,000 will be made available to community, sport, religious, cultural and education organizations to provide programming to encourage people to get immunized and educate them on vaccines". What's the problem with this? Simply put, this is not our mission as a church. Our mission is clear. Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age". Our mission is to share the gospel and make disciples, not go and tell others they should be vaccinated. Any church which takes part in this program portrays a lack of understanding of what the church is. But some may say, "Couldn't we do both?". This is a good question that deserves a separate post. So, stay tuned for that! Alright, so this is what we should think about these issues. What should we do as Christians? Pray, speak up, stand firm.
What happens when a bill which makes something criminal is vague? As my Dad would often say, ‘We shall see”.
As many Canadians fixated on the draconian health restrictions, Bill C-6 has slowly been making its way through the parliamentary procedure. It was first introduced on February 18th, 2020, by David Lamettie, a Liberal MP for LaSalle-Emard-Verdun Quebec. On May 31st, it was in its third reading. Have you heard of this bill? For those who may not be familiar with it, it is an act to amend the criminal code and make it an offence to engage in any activities that relate to conversion therapy. When you hear the phrase "conversion therapy", what comes to your mind? Shock therapy is what came to my mind. So, what exactly is conversion therapy? That is a great question that sadly has no concrete answer. We are simply told that this bill prohibits, "certain activities that relate to 'conversion therapy', which is defined as practices, treatment or services designed to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender or to reduce non-heterosexual sexual attraction or sexual behaviour.” That's a pretty wide definition! The reason given for this bill is that conversion therapy has been “denounced by medical and psychological professionals as being ineffective and the source of harm and potential harm.” They attest that this activity “has resulted, or risks resulting, in harms such as distress, anxiety, depression, stigma, shame, negative self-image, a feeling of personal failure, difficulty sustaining relationships, sexual dysfunction and having serious thoughts or plans of – or attempting – suicide.” They also believe that conversion therapy harms "the dignity of the LGBTQ2 people by perpetuating myths and stereotypes based on sexual orientation or gender identity – in particular, that the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ2 people is undesirable and can and should be changed.” As a Christian who holds to the teachings of scripture, this should not sit well with you. It is an apparent suppression of the truth. If Bill C-6 is made law, anyone who provides conversion therapy could be sentenced to up to five years in prison. Are you awake now, church? As I studied this bill, there were a few questions that I had.
So, what should Christians think about this Bill?
So this is how Christians should think about this bill, but what should we do as it makes its way through parliament and becomes law in our land? Three things: Pray, speak up, stand firm.
Click on Resources for a growing list of articles, posts and videos on this topic. While many are preoccupied with fighting against the restrictions, regulations, and lockdown measures, parliament continues to make, read, and pass bills. Some of these bills are good; many are not. I’m convinced that the battle is more extensive than we can imagine, and the health protocols may just be a distraction.
So, let’s put a pause on our fight against the restrictions, long enough to look at what is happening in parliament. I’m not saying to wave the white flag of surrender, but rather, I’m suggesting a short time-out. Just so you know where I am coming from, let me say a few things:
Yesterday my wife shared with me about a bill I had never heard about – Bill C-233. Like me, maybe you are scratching your head and wondering, “what’s that bill all about”? Bill C-233 is also called the sex-selective abortion act. Cathay Wagantall, a conservative MP for Yorkton-Mellville Saskatchewan, introduced it as a private member’s bill. “This enactment amends the Criminal Code to make it an offence for a medical practitioner to perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought solely on the grounds of the child’s genetic sex. It also requires the Minister of Health, after consultation with representatives of the provincial governments responsible for health, to establish guidelines respecting information provided by a medical practitioner in relation to a request for an abortion.” (Bill C-233 | openparliament.ca) This bill, which would have made it illegal to perform an abortion solely on the grounds of one’s sex, failed the second reading. The vote was 82 in favour of the bill and 248 not in favour. This is a sad day for any Canadian who has a moral compass left intact. This bill would seek to protect the baby in the womb and reopen the abortion discussion in parliament. Currently, Canada has no criminal laws restricting abortion (Canadian Regulation of Abortion (arcc-cdac.ca)). This is undoubtedly tied to the fact that the Criminal Code defines legal personhood as beginning only when fully born alive (Criminal Code (justice.gc.ca)). In other words, a baby isn’t a person until it travels through the magical birth canal. As Christians, what should we think about abortion? In particular, what should we think of this bill?
There are a lot of objections that you may hear coming from those who support abortion. One argument which is heard is, “What about cases where a woman has been raped?”. Rape is horrible, and all rapists should be judged and given the death penalty; however, the cases of abortions based on rape are low. Less than 2% of abortions are for the reason of rape, incest, or the mother’s life being at risk (Reasons Women Get Abortions [Recently Updated] (hli.org)). In cases of rape, the baby in the womb is innocent of any wrongdoing. Why murder the baby for something they haven’t done when you could allow the child to live and be adopted by a family that cares? Perhaps the biggest argument revolves around the woman’s right to choose. “My body, my choice” is the mantra that you hear repeatedly. How should we respond to this objection? We can agree that a person has the right to choose what to do with their own body. However, the baby in the womb is separate from the mother and is not their body. The baby has as much of a right to live as does the mother. So, this is how we should think about abortion. But what should we do as Christians?
There's a word that we need to become reacquainted with; it's the word precedent. This word means "an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances."
As parents, we realize that what we do sets a precedent for our children on how we will deal with similar things in the future. As employees, we understand the actions of our employers set the example of how they will deal with similar events in the future. What about as citizens? Do we realize that our government's actions lay down how they will respond in future similar situations? We can squabble over what the government is doing regarding the restrictions, regulations and lockdowns. We can argue till we are blue in the face whether it is fair or unjust. But it does not change the fact that they are laying the precedent for similar situations in the future. We need to have our eyes wide open. When other viruses come that they think are a threat, there is no worth assuming that they will do things differently. Even in our current situation, they aren't doing things differently. The virus count spikes, and what is their first reaction? Lockdown! Why? Because that's the precedent. Today I woke up to some rather unsettling news. In China, there is a case of bird flu transmitted to a person. It's way too early to tell what will happen. Perhaps it will be contained to just one person. Or maybe, just as the covid virus had done, it could spread to others and then travel across the world through air travel. It's certainly something to be aware of, because if it does come to that, what will the government do? Well, they've already set a precedent. As the government imposes their restrictions, regulations, and lockdown measures, be aware that they aren't simply dealing with the present virus; rather, they are laying the foundation for dealing with all other viruses they deem pandemic worthy. Besides waiting and watching, what else can we do as Christians? Expose lies (Eph. 5:11), speak truth (Prov. 31:8-9; 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:15), trust God (Prov. 3:5-8) pray for your leaders that they may do what is biblically right (1 Tim. 2:1-2), and finally live in a way that pleases God. Article Link: First case of H10N3 bird flu infecting a human surfaces in China | National Post |
AuthorHello! I'm glad you found my blog. My name is David Hanson, and I am a concerned Christian who desires for the church of North America to become aware and begin to think biblically of what is happening around them in society. It's time for the church to awake and speak into the current events of the day. We alone have the truth to navigate life effectively. That truth is the Word of God. Archives
May 2022
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