Pray for Kelowna and the Northwest Territories
As thousands of people are evacuated from Kelowna, BC, and Yellowknife, NT, amid rapidly spreading wildfires, we pray for the safety and protection of every resident in danger and every firefighter working to protect both communities.
Read More: Evacuation orders, alerts expand in West Kelowna
Read More: 95% of Yellowknife has now been evacuated
Camp Counsellor Arrested on 18 Child Pornography and Abuse Charges
The Story: A 26-year-old camp counselor and aspiring police officer has been arrested in Mississauga for a litany of horrific crimes against children. Alexander Clark was arrested in early August and has now been charged with seven counts of sexual assault, sexual interference, forcible confinement, possession of child pornography, and production of child pornography.
Peel Regional Police have identified at least 22 child victims in what is an ongoing investigation. All children identified were enrolled at MC Day Camp where Clark had been a volunteer up until the day of his arrest.
The Significance: This horrific story is a reminder that crimes against children take place in our own country and in our own communities. While films like The Sound of Freedom bring attention to the dark reality of international child-trafficking, these crimes also happen in our own neighbourhoods.
We should not live in fear and paranoia, but we also must be vigilant, informed, and equipped to fight evil in our own backyard. Jesus said, “It would be better for them to be thrown in the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble” (Lk. 17:2) Getting equipped to spot and stop child abuse is something that every Christian who believes in the value of every precious child should do. This story sadly confirms the urgency of that need.
Read More: Lucas Casaletto, CityNews, “22 victims identified in child porn case involving Mississauga camp counsellor”
Prevention and Awareness Resources: Luna Child And Youth Advocacy Centre
Ontario School Board Denies Request to Exempt Child from LGBTQ Content
The Story: The York Region District School Board, which contains multiple Toronto suburbs, denied a religious exemption request from a parent attempting to exempt their child from LGBTQ-related content and activities at school. According to a letter directed to the parent, the school board claimed that the request could not be accepted because, “[T]he Board is not in a position to accommodate students to be exempted from critical discussions about fundamental human rights. Asking for students to be removed from developing an understanding of equity and inclusion does not fit into the definition of accommodation, and in fact contradicts the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Ontario Human Rights Code.”
The Significance: As Canadian society continues its full-scale rejection of biblical morality, many invented constitutional “rights” have lost all connection to transcendent truth. In faithful service to the god of self-identity, Canadian culture has begun defining “rights” according to an unyielding affirmation of personal pleasure. As Isaiah mournfully declared, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Is. 5:20-21).
As the new religious doctrine, the worship of self-identity is now regularly taught to schoolchildren. Christians—who hold to the exclusivity of Jesus Christ and reject the deification of self-identity—should explore alternative educational options for their children in fulfillment of Scripture’s command to train young minds in the ways of righteousness.
Thankfully, many churches and parents have already begun doing so. Harvest Bible Church in Windsor, ON, recently launched a new classical Christian academy in their city. Some parents are choosing to homeschool their children. Still others are generously providing resources to low-income families so that they too can protect their children from the dark catechisms of progressive modernity. This culture is at war with righteousness and Christian children will not be prepared for the battle unless they have been properly equipped for the task.
Read More: Chanal Pfahl, Twitter, https://twitter.com/ChanLPfa/status/1676794115629907972
Biological Man Sets Women’s Weightlifting Record
The Story: Anne Andres, a biological male, placed first in the women’s 40-50 age group at the Western Canadian Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships—officially breaking a women’s national deadlift record and setting an unofficial world record in the process. This is Andres’ tenth first-place finish in a women’s weightlifting competition since the 40-year-old began lifting seven years ago. Although Andres transitioned 20 years ago, Canadian Powerlifting Union guidelines do not require hormone therapy, surgery, or even a medical opinion for a biological man to compete in the women’s category.
The Significance: In recent years, Canadians have been inundated with stories of biological men infiltrating women’s spaces and making a mockery of the beauty of femininity. The natural, even justified, response to this assault against nature is anger. And yet we do not often confront an essential truth: the advancement of transgender ideology is a direct response to a cultural loss of belief in God.
To deny that God exists is to deny that we are made in His image and likeness. Without this understanding of human nature, the intrinsic desire to grow and become better is directed toward nothing. It is no wonder, then, that so many men and women abuse the good gift of science to pursue twisted self-identities. Unless we take the time to share the gospel with those suffering from damaged self-identities, we risk fulfilling a modified version of C.S. Lewis’ prophetic words: “Man’s final conquest has proved to be the abolition of woman.”
Read More: Tristan Hopper, The National Post, “Canadian sport policy slammed after trans woman shatters female weightlifting record”
Senator Who Helped Defeat Proposed Abortion Law Dies at 88
The Story: Pat Carney, a businesswoman and former BC Senator appointed during the administration of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, died on July 25 at the age of 88. Carney used her Senatorial appointment to advocate for a wide variety of causes, including the legalization of abortion in Canada. In 1990, following the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend Canada’s only abortion law, Parliament debated a measure that would have limited abortion in cases where the mother’s health was not at risk. After passing the House of Commons, however, the Bill failed on a tie vote in the Senate—in part due to Senator Carney’s own vote and efforts to lobby her colleagues.
The Significance: The complete absence of a Canadian abortion law stems from the parliamentary failure of the legislation Senator Carney worked to defeat—legislation that would have fulfilled the Supreme Court’s directive to draft a new abortion law in the aftermath of the 1988 Morgentaler decision. Sadly, some Canadian pro-life groups opposed the Bill, arguing that a law which allows abortion at any stage would be intrinsically unjust and should, as a result, be defeated. The effect, however, has been 35 years of no legal protections for preborn children, approximately 300 of whom die everyday in Canada.
The Scriptural framework of governance seeks to obtain the greatest measure of justice possible under worldly circumstances. However, we must never confuse temporal political justice with the complete justice that will be offered when Christ returns at the conclusion of world history. His justice is final, and will perfectly avenge the oppression of every aborted child. In the meantime, we must rescue those being led away to death, including by fighting for every attainable limit on the currently limitless practice of abortion. Canada needs an abortion law. A just country would already have one.
Read More: Rod Mickleburgh, The Globe and Mail, “Progressive Conservative politician Pat Carney helped keep abortion out of the Criminal Code”
Quick Hits
Supervised-consumption worker arrested in connection to murder of Toronto mother: Khalila Zara Mohammed has been arrested in connection with the stray-bullet shooting of Karolina Huebner-Makurat. Mohammed is employed by the South Riverdale Community Health Centre, which runs the “safe-consumption site” where gang violence led to Huebner-Makurat’s murder. She has been charged with accessory after the fact for helping some of the men responsible avoid arrest. Sadly, the attitude that leads to safe-injection sites, where addicts are enabled to remain in their addictions rather than confront the consequences of their actions, is the same belief system that would allow someone to justify helping an accidental killer escape the consequences of his actions as well.
Read More: Brian Lilley, Toronto Sun, “Two arrested in shooting now connected to safe injection site”
Supreme Court denies appeal for churches challenging pandemic-era worship restrictions: The Supreme Court has refused to hear appeals from Ontario and BC churches challenging pandemic-era worship restrictions. The appellant churches sought a hearing on unbalanced pandemic restrictions such as BC’s wholesale ban on in-person worship while gyms and restaurants remained open, and Ontario’s decision to impose a 10-person capacity limit on in-person worship services while allowing grocery stores to operate at 50% capacity. The Court’s refusal to hear the appeal is consistent with the Supreme Court’s recent abysmal record on religious liberty cases and further erodes Charter protections for churches and other religious organizations.
Read More: Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post, “Canadian Supreme Court refuses to hear appeals over worship restrictions on churches”
A Truth To Consider
