Jewish Deli Firebombed
The Story: A Jewish-owned deli was the target of what seems to be an obvious hate-motivated attack. International Delicatessen Foods (whose sign says “IDF”) was the target of arson on Wednesday morning and police found “Free Palestine” graffiti spray-painted on the building.
The attack followed a week of so-called “pro-palestinian” protesters carrying out disruptive protests in Toronto in Jewish neighbourhoods, shutting down bridges, and targeting Jewish neighbourhoods in Ottawa as well.
The Significance: Every week since the October 7th massacre has brought another rash of stories of anti-semitism and violence. In each case people shake their heads and say “if the authorities don’t stop it now, then…” but no politician or police force has shown any willingness to do anything about it.
The other issue these incidents are highlighting is the simmering anger from Canadians who believe the government was wrong to use the emergencies act to clear out the Freedom Convoy. Canadians with images of tear gas and horses being used to push out senior citizens from downtown Ottawa are wondering why these demonstratively violent protesters in Toronto and other cities are not similarly treated.
Every issue that is being raised through the current incidents is important. A hundred op-eds could be written and still not cover every aspect of what we are facing. But the bottom line is that our country is reflecting a society that has rejected wise, ethical, and just leadership and is instead looking more and more like Israel as described in Judges 21:25 “ In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Read More: Chris Doucette Toronto Sun Firebombing of Jewish-owned North York deli likely fuelled by hate
Saskatchewan Government Stops Collecting Federal Carbon Tax
The Story: As of January 1 – and in open contradiction to federal law – the Saskatchewan government will no longer collect a carbon tax on home heating. The governing Saskatchewan Party made this change with unanimous support from their NDP opposition after the federal Liberal government removed the carbon tax on home heating oil. Heating oil is almost exclusively used in Atlantic Canada, a previous Liberal stronghold that showed flagging support for the Trudeau government directly before this announcement.
The Significance: “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is out of harmony with the moral law.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Most unjust laws in Canada are obvious: abortion, assisted suicide, and the undermining of parental rights. We have a responsibility to hold our elected officials to account on these unjust laws, work against them, and, at times, perhaps even openly disobey them.
But there is a less obvious kind of unjust law that is becoming frighteningly common: that of inequality under the law. In most cases, the inequality is in practice rather than letter: think of the treatment of the Freedom Convoy organizers compared to the organizers of pro-Hamas rallies who openly call for genocide.
However, by encoding unequal treatment into the law itself – and for political gain no less – Prime Minister Trudeau is taking another, very dangerous step toward the loss of legitimacy in our legal system. Premier Moe is right to oppose this vigorously. Although it would be preferable for this conflict to be over something more serious than a tax, the principle itself is worth the inevitable legal battle ahead.
Ultimately, laws find their authority from God (John 19:11), and our elected officials will be judged by whether they use that authority justly or unjustly – even in something as mundane as a tax.
Read More: Chris Selley, The National Post, “Saskatchewan’s carbon-tax boycott could force the crisis Liberals had tried to ignore”
Christian Charities Accuse Federal Government of Summer Jobs Discrimination
The Story: A new report indicates that some Christian charities are petitioning Members of Parliament over alleged discrimination in the Canada Summer Jobs grant application process. In 2017, the Federal Government required all applicants to recognize “the right to access safe and legal abortions.” After intense political pressure to reverse the policy, however, the Government removed the required attestation. Despite the attestation’s removal, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada wrote the Government that, “There is little transparency or consistency. We see that in this process, sometimes groups are being flagged because of their beliefs, not their actions.”
The Significance: If the allegations described in this report are accurate, the Federal Government has wrongfully punished Christians solely because of their faith. However, the most important dangerous implication of this story is the constant temptation to simply bow to false idols and ideologies.
Christian organizations may begin to justify compromise with evil by considering all the good deeds they will accomplish with additional funds or they may simply wave away any tremors of conscience about falsely affirming something God hates by stating that it’s “for the greater good.” However, to do so is to worship an idol and to publicly lie about God’s law. Instead, we must stand like Shadrach, Meschech, and Abednego, and never fail to understand that even if we are thrown into the fiery furnace for failing to worship a false god, a fourth man—Jesus Christ himself—will meet us in the flames.
Read More: Postmedia, “Church groups accuse feds of continued summer job grant discrimination: Report”
A Truth To Consider
