Global Affairs Department Pays for Surrogacy Expenses
The Story: A gay Global Affairs employee has won an employment tribunal ruling regarding travel expenses for surrogacy births. Hugues Alexandre Moniz, based in Hong Kong, will be reimbursed for the cost of traveling to take a newborn baby boy from his birth mother via arranged surrogacy. While Global Affairs will compensate staff living in China if they choose to travel somewhere deemed safer for the birth, Moniz’s claim was originally denied because neither he nor his male partner were traveling for medical reasons. While the decision was initially upheld, the final arbitration ruled that it was discriminatory to make a decision based on medical facts.
The Significance: Surrogacy is an affront to the dignity of motherhood, but it is also the natural result of a sexuality divorced from procreation. For over 1,900 years, Christian teaching declared that sex is reserved for marriage and must be open to the gift of procreation (Genesis 1:28). Our failure to abide by these Biblical truths has resulted in unintended but foreseeable consequences: abortion, no-fault divorce, gender confusion, pornography, gay “marriage”, and surrogacy.
Some claim that surrogacy is akin to adoption and, therefore, we should not condemn it. This is not true: adoption seeks to make whole what is broken; surrogacy breaks what is whole. Surrogacy is human trafficking with an Instagram post and a smile.
Perhaps no one has said it better than Pope Francis: “I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”
Christians should oppose this egregious evil and demand that Canada follow the example of other countries like Italy and Spain to ban outright the practice of renting a woman’s body and purchasing her child.
Read More: Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press, “Global Affairs Canada changing policy as gay diplomat wins surrogacy expenses case”
Quebec Doctor Disbarred for Explaining Biological Sex to Trans Patient
A doctor in Quebec has been disbarred for three months after telling a biological woman that she is, in fact, a woman. The patient, who claimed to be socially transitioned, stated a desire to receive hormone treatments in order to physically transform into a “male body.”
The appointment between the doctor and his patient became increasingly contentious after Dr. Raymond Brière, who has practiced medicine for over 40 years, first tried to refer the patient to a different doctor who had more experience providing trans-hormonal treatments, and then repeatedly referred to the patient by her biological sex, telling her that until she had chemically transitioned, she was still “a woman, dear lady.”
The patient recorded the entire appointment and immediately reported the incident, resulting in the doctor’s temporary disbarment.
The Significance: Canada is a country where stating scientific facts is now a punishable offense.
This incident is a terrifying warning to anyone practicing medicine or therapy of any kind that relying on scientific and biological facts is not enough to protect your job. In this instance, the doctor did not even refuse treatment, instead offering to refer the patient to a different doctor who was more experienced in “trans-treatments”. One only needs to look to the recent mandated re-education of Jordan Peterson to see how being a factual and honest practitioner of one’s discipline is no longer enough to escape punishment.
Scripture is full of encouragements to tell the truth and warnings about what happens when we don’t. Christians might be frightened by these stories, but we cannot back down from a life of honesty. Psalm 15:1-2 asks the question “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” and the answer is “he who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart”.
Speaking the truth, for the follower of Jesus—who is Himself “the Truth”—is not optional. We must speak it in love (Ephesians 4:15), but we must speak it no matter the cost. Christians in Canada should be fully aware that they may suffer for it at times, but Psalm 24 holds the promise for those who live righteously and speak the truth, that “they will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.”
Read More: Elie-Cantin-Nantel, True North, ”Quebec doctor receives three-month disbarment for misgendering trans patient”
Former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley Resigns as NDP Leader
The Story: Former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has announced that she will resign as Alberta NDP Leader and Leader of the Opposition once the Party completes a Leadership election. Notley served as Premier from 2015 to 2019 after leading the Alberta NDP to a surprising majority victory in 2015 over two right-of-centre parties. Notley’s NDP was later defeated in the 2019 and 2023 Alberta elections.
The Significance: Notley’s resignation marks the end of a significant era in Alberta’s political history. For decades, Alberta had exclusively elected right-wing (at least in name) governments. Notley’s victory in 2015, however, marked an end to this pattern. After forming Government, the Notley NDP proceeded to enact ideological measures in line with official party positions. During her tenure as Premier, the Alberta Legislature moved to empower gay straight alliances (GSAs) in schools hostile to parental involvement, expand abortion access throughout the province, and target Christian schools. The decision to elect the NDP, even against two less-than-ideal right wing options, had consequences.
The purpose of any election is to select the government that will shape the future of a society. When participating in an election, therefore, Christian voters should examine the biblical purposes for government and vote accordingly rather than using their vote as an opportunity to express themselves or vent personal frustration. Because each human being is sinful, we can expect every option on the ballot to be far from perfect. However, this should not stop us from selecting the best option available and opposing the most outwardly unrighteous options.
Read More: Janet French, CBC News, “Rachel Notley to step down as Alberta NDP leader”
BC Government Guidelines Approve Distribution of Hard Drugs to Minors
The Story: According to guidelines published by the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), medical professionals should be permitted to provide “safe supply” drugs such as fentanyl to minor-aged children without parental consent. BCCSU had been contracted by the BC Government to produce the guidelines. The BC Government provides so-called “safe supply” drugs as part of a pilot program operating in select regions of the province.
The Significance: The essence of life is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Human beings are created with a God-given mandate to live their lives in Christ for the love of God and the love of their neighbours.
The ideology of “safe supply,” however, is founded on the idea that the principal purpose of life is the avoidance of pain and the maximization of pleasure. To this end, the promoters of this ideology provide drugs—in an effort to keep the person alive—which destroy the true purpose of human existence. So long as the immediate cravings of the flesh are satisfied, life has purpose. The destruction of all ambition and capacity for living for Christ is simply collateral damage.
Christian citizens, who worship the Lord who conquered death, know that death is not final and life is more than survival. We should live accordingly and call our neighbours to die to themselves in order that they might live a death-defying life in Christ. In the words of John Piper, “if death… is no longer a fear, we’re free, really free. We are free to take any risk under the sun for Christ and for love.”
Read More: Adam Zivo, The National Post, “B.C. plans to give ‘safer supply’ fentanyl to minors. And parents won’t have a say”
Quick Hits
Jordan Peterson loses appeal in re-education case: The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled against Toronto psychologist Jordan Peterson in his attempt to reverse an Ontario College of Psychologists decision to require social media training in order for Peterson to maintain his license. The Ontario College of Physicians mandated the training after receiving several complaints related to political statements Peterson had made on Twitter. None of the complaints were filed by any of his clients. Canadians’ freedom to speak the truth has come under serious fire. Free or not, however, the truth must be told.
Abortion group lobbies government on Canada Summer Jobs money: According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) is lobbying the Trudeau government to ban groups opposed to assisted suicide from receiving Canada Summer Jobs funding. ARCC successfully lobbied to ban funding to pro-life groups, which ultimately resulted in the Attestation Scandal. As reported last week, CSJ funding is already going to pro-assisted death groups, and Christian groups are alleging active discrimination. Since 2017, the Liberals have consistently weaponized government programs against Christians and others they deem to be their ideological opponents on issues ranging from abortion to transgenderism to parental rights.
Trudeau Cabinet continues to play both sides on Israel: Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government have issued a series of contradictory statements on South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). While other allies of Israel, including Germany, Great Britain, and the United States, took a clear position, Trudeau and his ministers attempted to appease all sides by first stating that Canada “rejected the premise” of the case. After news outlets reported his statement, however, some Liberal Ministers then stated that Canada would still support any judgment from the ICJ legitimizing the outlandish accusations of genocide against our democratic allies in the Middle East. In a time when there is ample evidence that government funds have landed in the hands of paid pro-Hamas protesters. Trudeau and his government should stop trying to win PR games and simply take a stand against the genocidal terrorists who have stated they are trying to destroy Israel and Jews everywhere.
A Truth To Consider
