BC’s Official Opposition Party Abandons Campaign
The Story: The political landscape in British Columbia instantly transformed after a shocking turn of events this week. BC United (formerly the BC Liberal Party) ceased election operations and struck a deal with the upstart BC Conservatives to allow some of their candidates to run in the October election under the BC Conservative banner.
The move comes as the BC Conservatives continue to climb in the polls, going from not having a single MLA in 2023 to threatening to win the upcoming election.
For BC United, a party that won the most seats in British Columbia as recently as 2017, the move was the final nail in the coffin after virtually all of its support fled to the burgeoning BC Conservative Party, leaving BC United with single digit polling.
The Significance: There will be plenty of punditry ink spilled over how the parties got here, and the different strategic and policy choices that led to this moment. Future politicians and strategists will likely benefit from studying the decisions made by all parties. The takeaway for Christians and all people of conviction is a little simpler, however: Don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to stand up for the truth.
This is not because BC Conservative Leader John Rustad is the ultimate leader and we should all be like him. Rather, his Party is simply proof that sometimes not giving up pays off. You never actually know what can happen. Many leaders, some arguably more impressive, more principled, or even more talented than Rustad, have quit a party or started a new one for all sorts of reasons and, most often, it doesn’t work. But sometimes it does.
Politics, like all of life, is unpredictable. Given that we truly never know what could happen, we may as well stick to our convictions and not let anyone tell us not to do so simply because it doesn’t seem “strategic.”
Read More: Noah Jarvis, True North, “BC United Suspends Election Campaign”
Canada Post Union Opposes Delivery of Parental Rights Flyers
The Story: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) is reminding Canada Post that they have a constitutional obligation to deliver flyers with which their staff may not agree. This warning comes after the union representing Canada Post workers allegedly threatened to not deliver “transphobic” flyers that were mailed to households in New Brunswick. The flyers, which were mailed by Campaign Life Coalition, contain a mixture of factual statements from studies such as the Cass Review and slogans such as “pushing transgenderism in schools harms children.”
Canada Post has so far stated that it “does not have the right to refuse a mail item because it, its employees or any customer objects to the item’s content.” However, some reports state that union workers were given an “option” to not deliver if it “would cause mental anguish or if they fear for their health and safety,” and a previous case involving graphic abortion flyers resulted in a compromise requiring the mailer to be put in an envelope.
The Significance: As Canadian culture further hardens their hearts against God, Christians will face growing pressure to either be silent or leave the public realm altogether. When the facts are undeniably against them, the opponents of Christianity seek to shut down all who disagree with them to keep others—and themselves—from hearing the truth. For the moment, we can and should make use of resources like the JCCF to fight legal battles where necessary. We must understand, however, that unless we bring the gospel to our fellow citizens, their hatred of all that is good, true, and beautiful will only grow.
After all, that which is good, true, and beautiful shines a light on their evil, lies, and ugliness, and, like all of us sinners, they are ashamed to see what they are. Only those who turn and follow Christ may be healed.
Read More: Sheila Gunn Reid, Rebel News, Canada Post warned against censorship of parental rights flyers
Calgary Pastor Convicted in Relation to Drag Queen Story Hour Disruptions
The Story: An Alberta Provincial Court has found Calgary Pastor Derek Reimer guilty on four counts of breaching bail conditions and one count of criminal harassment, while also clearing him of a causing disturbance charge.
Reimer was initially arrested in February 2023 after he disrupted a drag queen story hour event at a South Calgary library. Released on bail, Reimer proceeded to disrupt two other drag queen story hour events in the City—violating his bail conditions. The criminal harassment charge is the result of Reimer asking his followers in a Facebook post to contact one of the library’s employees.
The judge only dealt with charges relating to Reimer’s final two drag queen story hour disruptions. A verdict on charges related to his first disruption is expected in September.
The Significance: The wisdom of Reimer’s decision to breach his bail conditions may be questioned. The morality of his even agreeing to bail conditions he would later violate is also a live moral issue (Pastor James Coates, for example, refused to accept bail conditions he could not keep following his 2021 Covid-era arrest, thus extending his jail time). However, serious observers—while recognizing the moral quandaries of Reimer’s position—must not miss the heart of this story: A man was arrested for protesting an event during which provocatively cross-dressed drag queens read stories to young children.
Whether Reimer did or did not technically violate the law during his reasonably-conceived civil protest is a separate matter from the violation of God’s natural law which unfolded before the unprotected eyes of the young children inside those libraries. Further, the Calgary Police Service’s prioritization of arresting Reimer for disruption—a charge they initially leveled in accordance with a City by-law explicitly protecting LGBTQ events from protest—demonstrates the reality that sexual expression occupies the high throne of Calgary’s heart.
Every knee at Calgary City Hall will one day bow before the throne of Jesus Christ. For their own sake, City officials should do so as early as possible by repealing restrictions on the free expression of pastors and instead ending the horrific practice of placing young children at the feet of sexual deviants.
Read More: Meghan Grant, CBC News, “Calgary pastor on trial for library drag storytime protests guilty of harassment”
Quick Hit
Veterans Affairs Department attempted to cover-up assisted suicide promotion: Deperatment of Veterans Affairs documents obtained by Rebel News appear to show department officials covering up an assisted suicide scandal. According to the documents, Department Staff sought to only speak orally about the Department’s promotion of assisted suicide to veterans in order to avoid establishing written records of the discussions. The cover-up follows a major scandal in which government case workers offered assisted suicide, rather than treatment, to Canadian veterans in need of care.
Read More: Sheila Gunn Reid, Rebel News, “EXCLUSIVE: Veterans Affairs Canada tried to hide euthanasia scandal paper trail.”
A Truth To Consider
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25