As part of the preparation for writing this letter, I first collected my thoughts, made numerous notes, studied and consulted many sources. I pondered long and hard about how to express, as clearly as I possibly could, exactly what I am struggling with. It is very difficult for me to look at this past fifteen plus months without feeling very disappointed and somewhat annoyed with the church in Canada. In my opinion the Canadian church largely failed to provide the leadership and direction to the larger Christian community. As I write this, I humbly acknowledge I might be totally wrong in both my thinking and speaking on these subjects and I am open to hear other thoughts and further clarification.
From March 2020, we all have been subjected to conditions unlike anything we have ever seen before. Since we all lived through these unusual circumstances there is no need to repeat the history of events here. However, based on my own prior experience and education, I was very suspicious of what government authorities and the media were promoting as factual on a 24/7 basis. Somewhat reluctantly, I did concede that the initial lock-down, to flatten the curve, could be seen as a reasonable measure.
Of course that “lock-down” went on far longer than the originally promised 2 weeks. All during that time the world did not stop and new information about the “virus” and the risk it posed was being discovered on a daily basis. As it became more and more obvious that the risk was nowhere near as dire as first predicted, many became increasingly suspicious about what dark motives were at play in maintaining the false narrative. As therapeutics for safe, effective treatment were discovered, my own suspicion grew rapidly and especially so as such good news was actively suppressed or simply labelled as quackery and conspiracy. Government sources along with the mainstream media continually refused to report any of this hopeful, positive information and findings. Instead, they kept playing up the message that our only hope was coming in the form of vaccines and NOTHING ELSE!
Early treatment was never offered to those newly diagnosed – they were simply sent home, told to isolate and either get better or get admitted once sick enough to need hospitalization. No effort whatsoever was ever made to reduce the panic being generated in the public, instead it was weaponized and used to further drive punitive public policy. At the time I began to wonder why there seemed to be no effort, that I was ever aware of, on the part of the Christian church community in Canada, to explore and expose this deceit. Why was there no effort to at least explore any other agenda that might be driving this obvious deception? I still have to wonder why.
Once the first restrictions were eased, but before churches were allowed to open with a severely restricted capacity; mandatory masking was put into place. Remember, the “first curve/wave” was completely flattened without mandatory masking. So why now… beside the obvious power and public control factor, would such a policy be imposed? Masking has been conclusively demonstrated in study after study to be totally ineffective for situations such as this, and in many cases poses an even greater health risk. Anyway, by the time the churches were finally permitted to open, many congregations had already decided to remain closed, to omit the fellowship factor, and continue on-line instead. Those who did decide to open were directed to abide by a lengthy list of ridiculous, damaging and unnecessary restrictions.
Why was/is it OK to place such tight restrictions on church gatherings but not on the “big box stores,” liquor stores or cannabis shops? Once the churches were allowed to open, why were numbers so severely restricted as well as length of meeting times? Are church goers simply not as bright and require greater supervision and protection than say, liquor stores or cannabis shoppers? Fellowship and socializing were strongly discouraged… why?
I finally got some idea or at least one possible answer… not from a church source but from a Nova Scotia government appointed health official. Dr. Robert Strang stated on the record that one reason for the restrictions on such gatherings or meetings is to prevent the spread of “false information” about the pandemic. Basically he is saying it is dangerous to allow groups to assemble freely and discuss what is going on in the world around them; they might spread information that runs contrary to the official government narrative.
You see, the fact is large crowds of people shopping in Costco are unlikely to meet very many people they know… and certainly won’t “plan” or discuss at length any matters of substance. On the other hand, when groups gather where they know each other (such as clubs, meetings and churches) they are much more likely to discuss, plan and support each other. When such groups meet together, that sense of isolation will be broken. The authorities are depending on isolation to help break down all personal resistance and that sense of being part of a larger and greater body. The actual comment made by Dr Strang is here: https://rumble.com/vj68up-nova-scotia-official-admits-ban-on-in-person-gatherings-is-to-prevent-sprea.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=4
I was never able to determine why the broader Christian community left these restrictions largely unquestioned and unchallenged. Of course some individual churches and groups did question and challenge as they continued to meet to worship our God and Creator. They did so without adherence or strict enforcement of the government imposed restrictions and mandates. These places of worship, these gatherings proved NOT to be the “super-spreaders” the government claimed; yet they were harassed, bullied and persecuted for their efforts. Rather than show broad support for their Christian brethren however, a number of church leaders and fellow Christian believers, condemned their actions and celebrated their punishments… Why?
At this point, I believe many Christians were helping to perpetuate the deception and the panic. Panic was and is as evident in the church as outside the church… Why?
By the early part of 2021, the so called vaccine (which had been hyped as our only hope) became all the rage. People that had been kept largely isolated for close to a year were now at the point where they were sufficiently panicked. Not only panicked, but also desperate enough to do anything in order to, “return to normal.” When developing vaccines was first spoken of, late in the spring of 2020, I also was very hopeful and eagerly followed their development and testing. I not only heard the promises in the mainstream media, but also followed the reports of other experts in their field i.e. virologists, epidemiologists and immunologists. By the late summer of 2020, I was beginning to hear some very troubling reports (results from early lab testing) as well as speculation of what this might mean. Nevertheless I remained hopeful, even as the reports remained very doubtful and increasingly alarming. I gradually arrived at the point where I decided I wanted no part of this vaccine gambit… at least not until long term studies were completed and the shots were proven safe.
So
where does the church come into this part of the discussion?
Well, I am certain I’m not the only one with questions and
concerns about these experimental,
medically-injected-biological-agents. Since we had been very
effectively isolated for so long, our gatherings (where concerns and
any information might normally have been shared) were largely
non-existent. One of the most trustworthy (and safe?) places where
people might discuss and question such weighty matters, is one’s
church – and here it was being tightly controlled. I do know many
questions were asked but I don’t know how much discussion ever took
place or how many fears were allayed. People were largely left to
fend for themselves on so many Covid related matters.
While I clearly believe the “vaccines” are unproven, insufficiently tested, and very dangerous in both the short and long term, it is not my place to tell others what they should do. I am left wondering how anyone, contemplating getting the shots, comes to grips with the numerous manipulations and strong deception being used to get “needles in everybody’s arms.” Tactics used to aggressively push the vaccination program have included offering million dollar lottery tickets, targeting children with free ice-cream & other gifts, offering free dope and reduced jail sentences for prisoners. All the while we have witnessed the hiding and/or suppressing of actual death toll numbers and serious adverse reactions.
Children as young as 12 who are legally too young to go on a school outing without a parents permission are being permitted to get the experimental shots without parental consent. Governments are returning civil rights to those getting the shots but withholding the rights of those who are resisting AND there are indications only those who cooperate will be allowed to work and participate in society. All this for a virus that has been shown to be no more lethal than some of the bad seasonal flues we have endured in past years!
As to the experimental injection itself, it has not yet been approved or proven safe but made available as an experimental medical treatment on an emergency basis only. I believe therefore, that it is the responsibility of every adult looking to participate in this experiment to fully inform themselves of all possible outcomes and consequences.
For the record, I do not believe this is the so called “mark of the beast” spoken of in Revelation 13:15–18. I do however believe this vaccine (and the pressure to have everyone accept it) is the product of dishonesty and strong deception. There can be very little doubt that there are other agendas in play here and which I believe to be very evil. There can be no other explanation for the overwhelming efforts to shut down ALL effective treatments and silence ALL health care professionals. Remember many of those experts risked both their careers and reputations because they dared speak out against the official narrative. One must at least wonder about the dishonest and deceitful tactics used to portray the “vaccine” as safe, effective and approved. According to the medical experts that I’ve just noted and the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), tens of thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have had severe adverse reactions (at the time of this writing). Already there have been more deaths attributed to this experimental vaccine than to all other vaccine reports combined since VAERS records began to be kept! With this kind of record, any other medication trial would have been permanently shut-down and abandoned already.
Of course what is actually being suppressed is the fact that the vaccine is experimental, is not approved at all and is only being given on an “Emergency Use Authorization” basis. And of course, this explains why the emergency was declared (where none actually existed) and why effective treatments were actively suppressed and lied about. Big pharma could never have gotten their EUA waiver if there had been no declared emergency or if other effective treatments were already available. Also most people do not even realize they personally assume all risk and responsibility when they sign their consent to participate in this experiment and take the injections. The pharmaceutical companies (making billions of dollars off these “vaccines”) have zero liability. They have total immunity from being sued. Employers saying you must have the shots as a condition of employment may not be willing to accept liability for any death or disability caused by these shots. You are largely on your own as many unfortunate folks are already finding out.
The other day a very good friend told me she feared for her livelihood and is facing a pending choice between taking the shots and keeping her job or declining the injections and losing her job. Such choices are becoming more and more the fate folks must face. Look at the following article titled, “Unvaccinated employees could face masks, segregation upon return to office: Experts” (https://www.cp24.com/news/unvaccinated-employees-could-face-masks-segregation-upon-return-to-office-experts-1.5490223) It allows for the possibility some face of declining the shots at the expense of being treated as a second class citizen (should the employer choose to be so generous).
How about those who, having lost their jobs, were seeking employment as restrictions begin to get lifted. Here is an example of one Canadian government (provincial in this case) using the private sector to discriminate. See this link: https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=51489&posted=2021-06-24. To give you an idea, this article states in part, “Under the Healthy Hire Manitoba Program, local employers can apply for up to $50,000 in provincial support to help cover the wages of new employees who can attest they have been vaccinated or will be vaccinated.” This is being done in a way very reminiscent of the issue in 2018 where churches were denied youth summer job grants when ever Ottawa felt they were trying to weaken or limit access to abortion.
So far as I had been aware, the Canadian Christian church has had nothing to say or offer as it relates to the C-19 vaccines though they are clearly a major issue for a great many people. That in itself I find disturbing. As I did some online searching for thoughts & direction on these topics, I specifically looked for Canadian church, denominational or creed sources. Looking at the Evangelical Association of Canada I found very little useful information or suggestion on this particular topic. I did find one reference directing me to articles on cardus.ca and when I went there, what I found was extremely disappointing and annoying. Allow me to express my concerns by first quoting from a couple of their articles:
1) Vaccination Incentives for the Common Good “We’re almost there! The pandemic’s terrible toll on people’s lives and our country as a whole is coming close to an end. Notwithstanding the talk of a few doomsayers, Canadians are getting out to local clinics, pharmacies, hockey arenas, and other venues in order to roll up their sleeves for the one thing that will ultimately crush COVID-19’s deadly threat: vaccines...
...The key at this stage of the game is to keep our eye on turning that final ball into the sweet, soothing blue of pandemic freedom that comes with herd immunity.”
2) Canada Needs A COVID Vaccination Incentive Program Now “OTTAWA, ON – Canadian think tank Cardus is calling on the federal government to introduce vaccine incentives aimed at encouraging vaccine uptake.”
Under the proposal, each fully vaccinated Canadian would receive a cash incentive of up to $90 to be spent at local businesses and charities. More details are available in a newly released Cardus policy brief by Brian Dijkema, Vice President of External Affairs at Cardus, and Sean Speer, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.”
The only thought that comes to mind as I read these articles is, “such utter rubbish!” I note that in writing such position papers and policy proposals, the authors claim no medical basis for their opinions nor do they have any medical background. Their expertise seems to be only in public policy and labour relations. In this instance, the authors are using the platform of Cardus to help sell the government strategy without regard to the science. Cardus is described as “an independent think tank” and seen by many as having a Judeo-Christian background and values and is a registered charity as well. Indeed, in the article “Vaccination Incentives for the Common Good,” the authors refer to those with concerns (such as I have shared) as “doomsayers” and seems to hand wave us all away with that one pejorative term. I know many Christians utilize this organization as a source of authoritative information – but based on reading this, I find that very sad indeed and I would hope their research went much deeper than these articles appear to have gone.
All the information I’ve been privy to; the data, the testimony of countless experts, the personal experiences of those victims who’s lives have been forever changed and ruined... ALL has been available and freely shared by both myself and others. Multiple credible sources of information and evidence are available to everyone. As adults, faced with making the decision about the experimental shots, each person is responsible to inform them-self as they make up their mind. I believe the most recent moves to give this to children however, is not just ill-conceived but outright criminal and I stand firmly against that.
The last link I want to share is this video: Justice Centre's John Carpay delivers powerful speech at rally for Pastor Tim Stephens This is perhaps one of the most important considerations to ponder as it concerns our very freedom in this country. Here Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay delivers a powerful speech (at a rally outside of the Calgary Remand Centre) held in support of Tim Stephens, the jailed pastor of Fairview Baptist Church.
As this country again prepares to “reopen” and people eagerly look forward to resuming their “normal” daily activities, there are several important factors I am hoping to see direction and leadership on. First, only a small portion of our constitutional rights are actually being returned – and that conditionally so. Secondly, the government has retained new power for itself that it never had before. It has given itself, through this so called emergency, the ability to immediately reimpose all restrictions for any reason it decides is a “crisis” or “emergency,” apparently with no criteria necessary. Severe limits on gathering continue to exist in some jurisdictions and new inhibitions are being placed on our ability to speak freely and openly. I believe the church cannot help but be involved in the discussion – either freely and openly or grudgingly and by default.
It seems to me that one of the main reasons for a declining interest in the Christian church these days is a perceived lack of relevance to everyday life. Canadians today see matters such as those outlined above as having a huge impact on their lives as well as their families, friends and communities. These issues are clearly serious and are regarded as both urgent and pressing. Christians are obviously part of these communities and of course experienced the same things; they have many of the same questions. Many within the Christian community are living through the very same events as those of their friends and neighbours and are no doubt left wondering about the silence of the church. This silence almost seems to be coupled with the near complete capitulation to governmental overreach and take-over. The few churches that refused to completely comply with government dictates, and spoke truth to power, were persecuted by governmental authority and actions. Even through all this government over-reach, the broad church community was largely silent or even worse, critical of those who resisted.
During this period of time, people were left wondering if all that they were experiencing somehow fits with Bible prophecy, and if so, how? If not, does the Bible have anything at all to say about times such as these? Many congregants within the churches were seeking direction about what they should be doing, what they might expect or what would be a good and reasonable way to respond. Unfortunately, the best they got in a great many instances was isolation as they “did church” from their living room coach watching YouTube.
Alright, that was just one extraordinary event… well, maybe. That event however has lasted the better part of 1.5 years and some of the effects linger on with no end in sight. With the governing authorities now well rehearsed use of “emergency powers” to gain nearly unrestrained power, what about the next “crisis” that is sure to come? Is the church going to be willing or able to address that when it happens? What about other current events we’re experiencing right now? As morals continue to rapidly decay and children are the primary targets, does the church wish to address any of those issues in a plain, truthful and forceful manner?
All these are questions are relevant to us today as we wonder if, how, or where this all fits into Bible prophecy. Canadians are seeking truthful answers to the problems we are faced with. I believe Jesus gave us signs and prophecies to help us understand the times we live in and also to help us realize that He has always known what is coming. He is totally in charge and always has been. So then, how do the signs and prophecies written in the Bible relate to the events today? John 16 would seem to be as good a starting point as any to begin to show relevance. Verses 1-4 say :
“I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.”
The chapter concludes at verse 33 with, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
My final thought and conclusion concerns the relevance of large segments of “the church” as we’ve seen it largely capitulate to societal demands and deception. If it is silent on the issues, such as outlined in this essay – and if it is unable to see, appreciate, or in any way address any of these concerns – if individuals feel like they are on their own with no idea of where to turn – then I am afraid the relevance of the church may not be apparent.
No comments:
Post a Comment