Darrow Miller and Friends

Is Christian Freedom Disappearing in Canada?

How long will Christian freedom remain in North America?

Unless the direction of our nations change dramatically, citizens of the United States and Canada will soon have occasion to apply these unforgettable lines credited to the German anti-Nazi, theologian, and Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller.

Neimoller quote

 

 

 

 

 

Niemöller’s words carry insight that has meaning for Christians and other persecuted minorities throughout history.

Jordanian wearing a kiffiyeh
Jordanian wearing a kiffiyeh

Today, Christians in Nigeria, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt are being attacked by militant Islamists. Though much more advocacy is sorely needed, these brothers and sisters are getting at least some voice from groups like BreakPoint, RUN Ministries, et al.

In the meantime, Christians in Canada are also being persecuted … not by jihadists wearing keffiyehs, but by secular fundamentalists in three-piece suits. Canadian Christians are not being threatened with beheading, but they are being attacked and marginalized, simply for their religious beliefs.

On January 9, 2015, a Canadian constitutional lawyer, Albertos Polizogopoulos, wrote an article in The Cardus Daily titled “Christian Lawyers and Doctors Need Not Apply.”

It has become a scary time to be a Christian professional in Canada.

In 2014, lawyers and doctors were targeted by their own professional associations for direct attack because of their religious beliefs.

For Christian lawyers, the first salvo was fired at Trinity Western University’s law school. TWU, which exists to “develop godly Christian leaders” in a variety of marketplaces, requires its students and staff to sign a Community Covenant. This pledge, based on religious beliefs, to abstain from certain activities and behaviours during their time at TWU, includes the use of alcohol on campus, viewing pornography, and “sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman.”

It seems that the Judeo-Christian concept of a covenantal marriage between a man and a woman is abhorrent to secularists. Wouldn’t a level playing field have room for all reasonable views? Apparently not. Confessing Christian professionals must be crushed. They have two options: renounce their faith (exactly what the jihadists demand), or flee for their professional lives.

On January 20, 2015, the American author and editorialist Rod Dreher, inspired by Polizogopoulos, wrote a piece on the same threat with the provocative title, “Canadian Christians: Tomorrow’s Soviet Jews.” Dreher ends his piece with these sober comments:

But how long will American Christians be free to work as lawyers and doctors (or other professionals) without having to deny their faith or participate in something they consider to be gravely immoral? I suppose the US Supreme Court will at least partly answer that question in its gay marriage ruling this summer.

If you are a North American Christian and you are not preparing, and preparing your children, to suffer for the faith, you are not reading the signs of the times. Do not let yourself be blinded by the Law of Merited Impossibility, which says, “It will never happen, and when it does, you people will deserve it.”

Will Christians in the West simply say, “This cannot happen here”? The signs indicate otherwise. It already is happening here. In Gresham, Oregon, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa have been found guilty for discrimination for declining a request to provide a cake for a same-sex “wedding.” They await a March 10 sentencing and could be fined as much as $150,000.

Yet the next generation need not suffer as the Jews did in Germany and Russia. Free people can rise up and stand against a growing tyranny. But we will need to love freedom more than we love our toys, our technology, and our comfortable lives.

  • Darrow Miller

See these related posts:

ISIS “deChristianizes” Mosul: Is the West Next?

Needed: A Theology of Suffering

Why Are Western Christians Silent While Their Brethren Suffer?

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About 
Darrow is co-founder of the Disciple Nations Alliance and a featured author and teacher. For over 30 years, Darrow has been a popular conference speaker on topics that include Christianity and culture, apologetics, worldview, poverty, and the dignity of women. From 1981 to 2007 Darrow served with Food for the Hungry International (now FH association), and from 1994 as Vice President. Before joining FH, Darrow spent three years on staff at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland where he was discipled by Francis Schaeffer. He also served as a student pastor at Northern Arizona University and two years as a pastor of Sherman Street Fellowship in urban Denver, CO. In addition to earning his Master’s degree in Adult Education from Arizona State University, Darrow pursued graduate studies in philosophy, theology, Christian apologetics, biblical studies, and missions in the United States, Israel, and Switzerland. Darrow has authored numerous studies, articles, Bible studies and books, including Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Culture (YWAM Publishing, 1998), Nurturing the Nations: Reclaiming the Dignity of Women for Building Healthy Cultures (InterVarsity Press, 2008), LifeWork: A Biblical Theology for What You Do Every Day (YWAM, 2009), Rethinking Social Justice: Restoring Biblical Compassion (YWAM, 2015), and more. These resources along with links to free e-books, podcasts, online training programs and more can be found at Disciple Nations Alliance (https://disciplenations.org).

3 Comments

  1. Clark Dahl

    February 26, 2015 - 10:49 am

    Our rights, as Christians, to practice our beliefs are already in grave danger. There are a multitude of examples such as the one you cited in your post, Sweetcakes is just one example. It is truly fitting that this happened in the Portland metro area which is a hotbed of hatred for traditional values. The city and now the state have a saying, “Keep Portland/Oregon weird.

    What is particularly telling is that this type of coercion is directed against Christians and not against other religions. Some areas in this country are already turning a blind eye to Sharia law practices. We are in for a dark age and its coming soon.

    • admin

      February 27, 2015 - 7:14 pm

      Yes, Clark, we are reaping the fruit of sowing the seeds of materialism and of the failure to disciple a nation.

      Thanks for reading and responding.

      Gary Brumbelow

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