The Quebec government has not been shy about its intention to introduce a bill banning public prayer in the wake of a spate of mass Islamic prayer gatherings in 2024 during pro-Palestinian protests. The videos of Muslims praying outside the Roman Catholic basilica dominated the headlines then. On Aug. 28 of this year, Quebec secularism minister [yes, they have one of those] Jean-François Roberge announced the government this legislation will indeed be introduced in the fall. Even more concerning is the clause in the Charter which allows laws to be passed and enforced but shielded from any constitutional review. It is not a done deal, however. There are provincial elections due in 2026 and identity and secularism issues are in the forefront of Quebec’s political debate. Legault’s government has been suffering a decline in opinion polls and just recently lost its third consecutive byelection to the separatist Parti Québécois. So much for the quirks and oddities of Canadian politics and Quebec's, which is, perhaps, even weirder.
Even if you cannot control what people think, you can control what they do -- at least in public. That is the lesson learned across the world in the pandemic. Fear can produce obedience to unpopular laws. So in our own country there has been the same attempt to shield abortion mills from the once legal protests of Christians and anti-abortion advocates and the attempt to prevent such public prayer from accompanying these demonstrations.
Christianity which was a formative factor (at least) in every Western Civilization from Europe through North America and even into Latin and South America, is now being silenced -- at least in the public square -- by those who have decided that the same faith that founded our society is a threat to it. When the agitators cannot make laws that pass constitutional muster to fence in Christianity, they will try to silence its voice and hide its presence -- effectively making the Church invisible in such places. While that is a threat to the present, it is also a threat to the future. By the way, it is no secret that what is being attempted in Canada is already being carried out in Britain. It is curious, since Quebec seems to have little love for the English.
When Christianity is hidden and mute, there is no one to challenge the false facts and half-truths of the enemies of the faith and our children are raised up in a sanitized atmosphere devoid not simply of the Gospel but of the foundational natural laws and morality that have shaped our civilization until the present day. In other words, you do not have to kill your enemies. All you have to do is prevent them from speaking publicly and hide them from view. That is the game plan in Quebec and perhaps across Western Civilizations. If you do not believe me, go to any high school or college European or American history class and listen to how the religious story has been removed from that history or colored in such a way as to defame it falsely.
1 comment:
Amazing how Canada has changed over the years. Is there something in the water? The same woke ideas permeate Australia, the UK, Europe, and the United States, however, Americans tend to push back. When I was living on Long Island, where I grew up, the local government installed a Stop sign on the block near my home. It was a quiet cross street intersection, and we all drove through it on our way to work or school. The Stop sign was installed, and most folks just rolled through it, calling it a “California Stop Sign.” I seldom saw anyone make a full stop. One day a policeman sat in his patrol car behind some bushes to watch for violators. The first victim was my daughter, going to work in the morning. He gave her a warning. “No half stops, Miss, a full stop is required, and definitely no rolling stops!” When it comes to man made laws, people rebel. At a graduation ceremony in the 1990’s, the local school said there could be no religious invocation, nor any religious references by the graduating high school seniors. At a certain point, a crowd of Pentecostals from a church in the community burst forth in saying the Lord’s Prayer loudly, with a few others chiming in. During some graduation speeches over the years, students defied the districts and gave praise to Jesus. Quebec may want to suppress prayers and other forms of free speech, but despite any penalties, resistance will come about. No government or principality can make Christianity go away. The Lord will not allow it. Soli Deo Gloria
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