Some of THIS ... and a little of THAT!
Happy Butter Tart Month!
In downtown Cobourg, close to where I live six months of the year, spectators were treated to a real feast for the eyes this past June ... boys dressed in dresses (high-jacked colours of God’s rainbow), with Pisa-styled, towering pompadour hairdos that defied adjectives ... and wearing makeup that tried to turn old faces into hot, stolen Corvettes. It didn’t work! Two dozen or so voyeurs, along with their children, applauded these dancing, devilish, dervishes, while most passers-by went on with their daily lives. June in Canada does not just bring nasty mosquitoes... but PRIDE revelers as well.
But PRIDE is not just in June! Here in Maple-leaf land, that ‘season’ is actually four months long ... June thru to September! ... and in my town, rainbow crosswalks keep vigil 12 months of the year. With the government lauding some 18 heritage and history months celebrating our diversity, no fewer than eight of them focus on the trans, queers and variations there-of, community. Absolutely nothing for left-handed people like me, regrettably.
The PRIDE celebration is said to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City, when on June 28, the city’s finest raided the Stonewall Inn, located on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village in the early morning hours. A popular gay bar, the riots that followed made Stonewall a pivotal moment in the Queer civil rights movement. I confess that these days I hear nothing about Stonewall ... but I do get to see bodies prancing around in semi-stages of undress, looking like something out of a travelling circus show – minus the Bearded Lady. Of course, these days, even she would be nothing out of the usual.
Canada’s Christian faith has quietly died, and
few cared to notice! The Scriptures on the walls
of our Parliament nevertheless serve as a
public rebuke to a path that has been lost.
Now in contrast to this country’s four month long PRIDE heritage celebration, you will find there are no ... none ... zero ... zilch heritage or history months acknowledging the Christian roots or faith of this nation. One hundred and 59 years since our founding, you would think the Feds – who are swift to recognize Tamil and African (January), Sikh (April), Hindu (November), Islam (January and October) and Indigenous (June, September and November) contributions to this land, would give even a teeny-weeny, measured nod to Christianity. Silly me for even thinking this. Do not expect any support from Quebec, the land of “Je me Souviens” (“I remember”), since they appear to remember very little about the foundational role Christianity played in their cultural survival and societal development, that helped mold their French-Canadian identity and built their infrastructure from the ground up.
While politicians and public figures marvel and make speeches about our wonderful inclusiveness and diversity, the strategy when it comes to Christianity seems to be — forget equal treatment ... ignore historical contribution ... dismiss diverse demographics ... AND ... just maybe they will go away. Yes, only Christianity deserves critical analysis in this country. All other faiths and religions get a free pass. After all, we would not want to offend the sensitivities of their belief systems. So, to no surprise, currently there is not a single Act respecting this nation’s Christian heritage, even though it has long been the scaffolding from which Canada was built.
In its forgotten devotion, Canada has pushed past the sovereign rule of God and made the autonomous rule of State its first love. So, we march towards our inevitable destiny as a nation — self-destruction.
This inconvenient truth is further reflected in the striking of ‘Dominion Day,’ from our Canadian lexicon – a day where as a nation we recognized God’s sovereignty. Carved into the Peace Tower is an inscription from Psalm 72:8, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea" ... and it was this inscription that inspired Canada’s national motto and foundational Federal name – “The Dominion of Canada.” Canadians celebrated this ‘Dominion Day’ anniversary for 114 years (1868-1982).
This changed July 9, 1982 when a private member’s bill changed the name to ‘Canada Day.” 1 Twelve Members of Parliament were present to pass bill C-201, even though a quorum in the House is 20 members. Twelve ... out of a potential 282. It took FIVE minutes – no debate! Next, the MP’s decided to end the session early (4:05 pm). The Ottawa Citizen reported: “’It is only appropriate that, in celebrating our new holiday called Canada Day, we should at least take a holiday of 55 minutes this afternoon, said New Democrat Maek Rose.’”
If you are looking for the beginning of the deconstruction of our Judea-Christian values in Canada, look no further than our 15th Prime Minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and his Charter of Rights ... without responsibilities. 2
The bill received royal assent and became law on Oct. 27, 1982. The Prime Minister at the
time was, not surprisingly, Canada’s 1st Trudeau. I sure hope there isn’t a 3rd “Mr. T” lurking somewhere, because I don’t think the country could survive another round.
The Psalm 72 passage is just one of 25 book and verse Scripture references etched, carved or embedded on stone, brass and glass on the Peace Tower and Memorial Chamber (Altar of Remembrance) of Canada’s Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. They testify to Canada’s heritage, a heritage that is largely forgotten by Millennials (81-96) ... and entirely forgotten by Generation Z-ers (97-2012).
The biblical vision of Canada has been ignored by our national historians, public schools, and even the Christian church. Perhaps one of the reasons for this country’s indifference is the excessive modesty of the church in celebrating its achievements.
There are no reasons for Christians to stutter when reminding secularists that the shared prosperity and thriving society this nation became, was through the Christian beliefs, norms and values that were foundational to our Canadian identity and prosperity. Christianity is threaded throughout the fabric of our nation ... and it guided our flourishing journey.
Explorers – John Cabot, Jacques Cartier, Samuel de Champlain, David Thompson.
Fathers of Confederation – George Brown, Samuel Leonard Tilley (Premier of NB). Sir Charles Tupper, Sir Adams George Archibald.
Prime Minister – Sir Wilfred Laurier.
Premiers – Earnest Manning (Evangelical, Alberta), Tommy Douglas (Baptist, Saskatchewan).
Governor General – George Vanier.
Education – Ryerson College (Egerton Ryerson), Acadia, McMaster (Baptist), Waterloo (Lutheran), Dalhousie, Queen’s, Western (Anglican), St. Michael’s, Saint Mary’s, Universite Laval (Catholic), Trinity Western (Evangelical).
Business – David Thomson (Globe and Mail), Jim Pattison (Jim Pattison Group; Children’s Hospital, Saskatoon), Timothy Eaton (Eaton Department chain).
Hospitals – Hotel-Dieu de Quebec, Canada’s first hospital (1639) and Hotel-Dieu de Montreal (1659, Catholic), Saint Paul’s, Vancouver (1994, Catholic), Concordia (1928, Mennonite/Anabaptist).
Women’s Rights – Nellie McClung.
Medical Missionary –Winfred Grenfell.
Our history reminds us that the core of Canada’s
oldest universities, were exclusively religious in their
origin – once again highlighting the role of Christianity in nation building. No amount of myth-making is necessary to demonstrate this obvious fact.
The conclusion seems obvious: In the eyes of our Federal government, the Christian faith is not deserving of ANY heritage profile, unlike other groups, many of whom are not even indigenous to Canada. Sure, we need to advance a public witness to the Christian faith in Canada. Sure, we need to recover our moral courage in reminding folks of this nation’s faith roots ... while living out our lives with tenacity and grace. Still, when it comes to nation-building recognition these days, an official heritage celebration of the mighty ‘Butter Tart’ (Quebec, around the 1600’s) stands a greater chance of making the Federal list than Christianity,
The Slow Sinking of the PCUSA Titanic
From the absurd department comes the recent news (June, 2026) a committee of the General Assembly of the PCUSA (Presbyterian Church – USA), voted that mandating monogamy among its ordained clergy, is “Out of Order.” 3 Article CON-10 (formerly OVT-044) bearing the title “On Requiring Ministers of Word and Sacrament to Be Monogamous,” was intended to amend their Book of Order, requiring that their clergy “in any relationship of a sexual nature,” be “living in a monogamous one.” Whoa! Requiring clergy to be monogamous? Now that’s a shocker. Instead, the proposal was kicked down the road for further study. I wonder if the PCUSA committee would have requested more time to study whether the devil in the Bible is real? Just wondering!
The PCUSA continues to self-immolate as it embraces the cult of human autonomy and chases cultural respectability over the witness of Scripture.
The source of the overture was “Presbyterians for the Kingdom,” a conservative group within the PCUSA committed to (a) restoring orthodox, confessional, Reformed theology, and (b) resisting the encroachment of theological liberalism within their mainline Protestant Christian denomination. In targeting multi-partner relationships evidently now going on, they argued ...
“The practice of polyamory or polygamy – defined here as the simultaneous maintenance of multiple legal or emotional relationships [often sexual] by one person – can create power imbalances, emotional harm, and spiritual confusion, particularly for women, children, and historically marginalized people.”
Predictably, rage among church progressives was swift ... if not bizarre:
The Advocacy Committee on LGBTQIA+ Equity noted the amendment “potentially creates a number of problems,” for it imposes “a narrow, culturally specific understanding of family’” that “privileges a dominant cultural framework over the lived realities of communities of color and global Christians.” Yup – people get to decide what ‘truth’ is. Oh, and they said the amendment smacked of “White privilege.” Got it!
The Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender Justice said the monogamy mandate “attempts to regulate the private lives of individuals in ways that risk harm rather than healing” ... and it could “unintentionally reinforce systems of shame, silence, and spiritual coercion.”
Finally ... and my favourite ... the More-Light Presbyterians response to CON-10 was (a) “it impedes the liberation of all God’s creation,” (b) reinforces “narrow and culturally bound definitions of relationships that have historically been used to exclude, police, and harm queer bodies and lives,” and (c) and besides, the Bible does not mandate one uniform family structure. Yup – they call themselves “More-Light Presbyterians. Now THAT is funny – and their title is priceless!
A ‘More-Light’ “Reverend,” who serves on its
board of directors, uses “they/ze” pronouns,
and currently lives in a polyamorous ‘marriage’ —
offers that Ruth and Naomi brought Boaz into
their queer relationship, to form a consensual couple.
No – I am not making this nonsense up!
And get this! These same ‘More-Light’ Presbyterians also remarked that “a single model of relationship as the only faithful expression of Christian life” would take the denomination “backwards.”
“Backwards”? The PCUSA is clearly already going backwards, but don’t take my word for it. The numbers testify that this former ‘Titanic’ denomination [largest Presbyterian denomination in USA] has cratered in the last 25 years, from a population of over 4.25 million (1965), to a mere one million (2025). A worldview that allows for the ordination of non-celibate homosexual clergy and no longer requires ordained clergy to live in “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness,” (2011) ... alters the definition of marriage as simply “two people” (2014) ... and embraces a theology, morality and Biblical interpretation that fails to align with the historic Reformed faith as expressed in the Westminster Confession ... and decides to put themselves at the mercy of societal forces, can expect such consequences.
The icebergs subtly drifting into the path of the PCUSA are neither a surprise ... or new. Follow its history and we are witness to theological and doctrinal disputes, confessional revisions, social and governance issues, and more recently gender identity and sexual orientation. Forewarned about the dangers, the masters of the vessel over the years, have been inclined to ignore the warnings. To illustrate ...
Around the mid 1920’s and early 30’s, J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937), a distinguished New Testament scholar at Princeton Seminary between 1906-1929, emerged as a chief voice for conservative, orthodox Presbyterians, following in the same tradition of B. B. Warfield, Charles Hodge, and A. A. Hodge, who were among the last great representatives of “old school” Princeton theology.
Authentic Christianity and theological liberalism
are incompatible. When a denomination adjusts
their focus to accommodate the spirit of the age,
do not expect things to end well for them.
In his 1923 book Christianity and Liberalism, Machen argued that theological modernism was a distinct, non-Christian religion and not a valid adaptation of the faith. His overtures opposing liberalism however, went unheard, and when the PCUSA (northern stream) rejected his counsel and reorganized Princeton in 1929 to be a more liberal, progressive school, Machen resigned (more accurately ... ‘forced out’) and helped found a more conservative, orthodox Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia (1929) and the Presbyterian Church of America (1936), later renamed the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC). In a church trial and by a vote of 6 – 0 (March 29, 1935), Machen would be defrocked by the General Assembly.
It can be said that no building collapses without some pre-existing internal decay. Now, almost a century later, the earlier warnings Machen sounded, have come true. The PCUSA demonstrates that it is possible to use the same terminology as conservatives, but with different meanings.
Having embraced liberal, social and theological platforms, she has tripped over her own candlestick and succeeded in almost snuffing out its diminishing flame ... or ... setting their house on fire (whichever metaphor you prefer). Indeed, after 200 years of Presbyterian mission, all of its current flock of missionaries have now been recalled, laid off or reassigned 4
Theological pluralism as a means of achieving unity and peace within the denomination, has done few favours for the PCUSA. Instead, compromise has diluted, if not destroyed, its witness and work ... and today the narrative of decline continues to unfold before our eyes. 5
“If the sharp contrast distinction is ever broken down between the church and the world, then the power of the church is gone.”
J. Gresham Machen
While confessing to have little sympathy for Christian denominations that chose to squander their stewardship, I am sympathetic to the plight of the many Presbyterians too old to change churches. With few places for them to flee, the answer would appear to be only biblical — Sitting by the waters of ‘Babylon,’ —— and weeping (Psalm 137:1) over what once was.
The fortunes of the PCUSA bring to mind the Genesis 3 account, where a talking serpent planted doubt in Eve’s head, asking “Did God really say ...?” Now 6,000 years later it seems evident that the denomination has embraced the ‘wisdom’ of that same serpent ... and reached a similar conclusion – God’s Word is to be doubted.
The PCUSA is a prime, but tragic example of what happens when Christianity loses sight of its transcendent purpose. When you seek to be influential and approved by a broader culture, your disease is terminal.6 The PCUSA will have justly earned the John 12:43 inscription on any future tombstone:
“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
AND ... from the Canadian ‘DAFT’ Department
Apparently 9/11 was not a terrorist attack, says the CBC, even though our own Canadian government, and much of the world believes it was. Interestingly, the Feds removed the offending article describing the actors as "terrorists" from their website between August 25, 2026 - Oct 1, 2026. However the internet never forgets; thank you to the "Wayback Machine!" https://web.archive.org/web/20240117153743/https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/sptmbr-11th/gvrnmnt-rspns-en.aspx
So, ahead of the recent 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Senior Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust at CBC News, Bashem Boshra, issued a directive to its editors and journalists, “Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks. Their reasoning? “Terrorist attack” is a subjective term. Why then does the CBC use personal pronouns (“she/her”) when referring to men who identify as women, when obviously they are not? I suspect the CBC would want Bin Laden’s diary to confirm his intent. This rubbish coming from the former editor of the Montreal Gazette, who whined about how Islamophobic Canadians were. Is this coincidental – a Muslim issuing a directive about Muslims? The episode is just ‘another reason’ why journalism in Canada is regarded so lowly by citizens.
On the day before the anniversary of 9/11 (Sept. 10, 2026), the Canadian Press published “25 years since 9/11, Canada is not further ahead on tackling
Islamophobia: advocates.” Interestingly, not a word,
a breath, or even a hint about the innocents ...
the firemen ... or 1st responders. None! Amazing!!!
Later, on August 29, 2026, after considerable heat, Boshra, an Egyptian-born Muslim, wrote, “Clarity and understanding are at the heart of our journalism. The leaked excerpt without context or explanation has raised more questions for the public that we must now answer. After reviewing our current language guidance, we have decided to adjust it to clarify that direct attribution is not required for describing the historic events of 9/11 as terrorism.”
The lessons learned? Well, (1) now the CBC knows what it’s like to be the casualty of a leak ... and a supposed victim of “without context or explanation” – just like those they target, (2) and public pressure pushed our national broadcaster to cry “Uncle,” over its absurd “direct attrition” nonsense. But wait! They say they have “journalistic standards.” Amazing what $1.4 billion in annual taxpayer money can get you – It’s called SPIN!
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are at it again. In 2023, a chaplain directive restricted chaplains from wearing specific “Faith tradition” scarves with explicit religious symbols (i.e. crosses or crescent moons) during official public military ceremonies. “What about Sikhs who publicly wear the turban (dastār) and steel bangle, as definitive articles of their faith?” Answer: “Ah, well ...”
Now in 2026 (July 29) chaplains have been instructed to no longer offer faith specific prayer, according to their practicing religion either. Called Military Personnel Instruction 03/26, the office of Chaplain General Colonel Lisa Pacarynuk, issued the directive that only generic, non-religious language is welcomed. Words like "God" or "Heavenly Father” are verboten. I want to add ... and “god help” anyone who violates this divine command from Mt. Ottawa. The good news is that the military’s ‘humanist chaplains’ [Yes, this ‘faith tradition’ exists within the ranks] are thrilled. Less pressure on them.
Instead of making room for ‘diversity’ within the military, “inclusivity” is the SPIN word used to privilege one particular worldview [secular/humanistic] over all others. Think of it as ‘secular proselytism’, because that is exactly what it is.
This past year Brenda and I visited Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery located in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Covering 172 acres, we walked among the 9,387 graves, marked with Latin crosses and white marble Stars of David. Thankfully, their religious tradition has not been demeaned in the name of secularism — Canada’s current path.
So, exactly what is a “non-religious prayer?” Does it start with, “O Great Spaghetti Person in the Sky” ... or “Hey you!?” ... or “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming” (Finding Nemo)? And, precisely what does spiritual reflection (which is NOT a prayer, by the way), offer when the subject is grief, sorrow, even depression on Remembrance Day? And finally, why does the CAF get to impose their worldview, which is not only secularist ... but itself a particular view of religion, called atheism? I suggest we revise an old familiar WW II idiom to fit a better suited reality within our military: “On a wing ... but without a prayer.”
John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” contains that haunting refrain, “I ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep ...” Shamefully, our leaders have suffered a case of amnesia over ‘remembrance,’ and broken this silent, binding covenant with our ghostly warriors.
Perhaps we should stop the sham, drop the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service (RCChS) and spend that money on (a) at least one really, really modern combat jet, since our current total complement of 79 fighter jets (CF-18 Hornets) – are an antiquated 44 years old ... or (b) equip our solders with new-er tactical gear when the government deploys them internationally to places like Latvia, wearing ill-fitted body gear and equipment shortages. 7
Canada was founded on a pluralism of differing religious viewpoints. The CAF needs to stop pretending that religions like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Bahaism are all the same. They are not! Military bureaucrats nor their political masters, should decide; the troops should. Religious freedom in Canada continues to shrink, even though we cite Flanders Fields every November. “OnlySaying ...”
1. Hal Herbert, Liberal MP for Vaudreuil was the sponsor of the bill, reminding us that once again you can count on Quebec to play a role in the secularization of Canada.
2. Read my January 2025 blog article “Leaving God Behind: The Criminalization of Christianity in Canada,” for a developed understanding of the journey Canada has been on.
3. The PCUSA was formed in 1983 with the merger of the northern stream (UPCUSA) and the southern stream (PCUS) which had broken away in 1861 over the issue of slavery. The PCUSA should not be confused with the PCA. Formed in 1973 by conservative churches that separated from the PCUS, it is theologically conservative and evangelical, it holds to the inerrancy of Scripture, limits ordination to men and requires its churches to adhere to the Westminster Confession of Faith.
4. In 2010, Presbyterian World Mission supported 200 mission coworkers. By 2025, the number was 60, with 54 of these laid off in February of the same year. Today – None!
5. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada may not be far behind. In 2023 it voted to create national resources to support conversations that include “ethical non-monogamous relationships.” The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) reports that in 2019, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC; established 1986) had 95,000 members. As of 2023, it has 40,171 members – a staggering 57.8% membership loss.
6. More recently the PCUSA has declared its abiding support for body-deforming trans gender surgeries for children, an overture called GEN-02 (441-30 in favor). As Rev. Olivia Lane, moderator of the 227th General Assembly’s Gender and Sexuality Justic Committee, expressed it, “All, without exception, without qualification, and without age limit.”
7. Visit https://abbotsfordairshow.com/canada-fighter-jet-fleet/ for a full rundown of our military aircraft.
Comments