An Open Letter To Our Fellow Canadians
We write with heavy hearts, for these are dark days in our nation. Canada has become unmoored from its foundational principles. At this moment, our nation seems to have the structural rigidity of a lukewarm bowl of Jello. Worse yet, the attacks upon our God-given rights and freedoms have been mounting for several years and now, in God’s providence, they have reached a boiling point. In fact, we are writing because the Liberals and Bloc Québécois have passed a motion to close debate over Bill C-9 in the Justice Committee and send it to the House for a vote. The constitutionally protected, God-given right for Christians to freely gather in worship in good conscience and preach the Word of God unencumbered is about to become null and void in our nation.
Bill C-9 threatens the uncensored public reading and preaching of Holy Scripture as it removes the exception clause for sincerely held religious beliefs under the guise of protecting religion. The implications of this are far-reaching and almost certainly catastrophic for freedom of speech, religion, and conscience. This is not an exaggeration. In fact, we don’t need to dream up a far-fetched example, for Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and former chair of the Justice Committee, MP Marc Miller has provided us with one. During debates concerning Bill C-9 in the Justice Committee, he declared that some portions of the Bible, particularly from Leviticus and Romans, are de facto “hate speech” and therefore, cannot be used in good faith. Ironically then, this effort to protect Canadians from so-called “hate” and “propaganda” actually serves itself to be entirely hateful, propagandistic, and un-Canadian.
Let us explain. Canada was founded as a Christian nation. This is an undeniable historical fact. In fact, Canada’s Christian heritage long pre-dates its founding, which began in Christendom. As far back as the third century Anno Domini (lit. “year of our Lord,” AD), Christianity began to spread in the British Isles and Ireland, thanks to the missionary efforts of men such as St. Patrick (c. 5th C.), St. Columba (c. 521-597), and Augustine of Canterbury (c. 500s-604). Later, with the monumental efforts of the pious king, Alfred the Great (c. 849-899), Christianity would forever influence English law and education. Alfred’s convictions were foundational to his legal and educational reforms. He organized his law code, Dōmbōc (The Book of Dooms, c. 893), on the principles of the 10 Commandments and Mosaic Law, using biblical law and morality as the foundation for civil law and order. This code became a cornerstone of British common law, influencing the development of justice systems throughout the Anglo-sphere down to this very day.
Fast forwarding several centuries, after years of struggle for settlement and sovereignty, the British won primary control over Canada with decisive victories over the French during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). Later, the British Parliament would draft the original constitutional act of Canada, the British North American Act (BNA Act), to establish “the provinces of Canada [later Ontario and Québec], Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick…as one Dominion under the name of Canada” under the royal warrant of the devout Queen Victoria (1819-1901). Thus, Canada was established as a Christian constitutional monarchy, a nation under the sovereign rule of the British Empire (now the British Commonwealth of Nations) which, in turn, is under the rule of the supremacy of the one, true, living, and Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and upon the rule of His eternal, unchanging law. This reality is reflected in Canada’s Bill of Rights (1960), and to an extent in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982), which acknowledge that Canada’s legal system is “founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God, and the rule of law” (Charter Preamble). This language roots ultimate sovereignty in the God of Scripture, the Bible, and recognizes the rule of higher law, a law that rules over rulers and subjects alike – the law of God. This legal tradition dates back all the way to the signing of Magna Carta in June of 1215 AD, when the leadership of the Church of England had King John sign this royal charter as a way of putting to end to the divine right of kings. Instead of the arbitrary rule of tyrants kings, the recognition of lex rex meant that the law would rule as king. Sadly, as Canada apostatizes and Christianity is jettisoned from the public square, tyranny has become the “law” of our land once again.
This brings us to our present generation. The change in our legal structures and institutions is reflective of our apostate culture as we have progressively abandoned the law-Word of Almighty God over the past 120 years, in high-handed rebellion against His all-encompassing authority, control, and presence. Indeed, we will either build culture and civilization in loyalty to Jesus Christ, or in rebellion against His crown rights. There is no neutrality anywhere in all creation. Furthermore, since people cannot strike out directly at the invisible God and His Messianic King, they will instead strike out at His image bearers, particularly those that make up His universal covenant community, the Church. This is what we saw during the Covid lockdowns of 2020-2022, where the Church was forbidden to gather in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, on the pretence of a health crisis. This is what we’ve seen through the legislating of what was Bill C-4 in December 2021, the so-called “anti-conversion therapy” bill, which bans Christian pastors and counsellors from counselling men and women towards biblical and creational norms as it concerns sexuality. Now, we see this most explicitly, with Bill C-9 seeking to remove the exception clause for sincerely held religious beliefs, during the prosecution of so-called “hate speech,” which is really the cultural Marxists’ name for their blasphemy law. This bill is not just an attack on our constitutionally protected right to freely criticize the decisions of Parliament, since we are all equally subject to higher law (freedom of speech), but also an attack on the Christian’s God-given right to freely worship, according to our denominational distinctives and convictions (freedom of religion and conscience). Bill C-9 is thoroughly anti-biblical, a-historical, unconstitutional, and un-Canadian.
We call upon all Canadians who love Canada and wish to see society flourish, instead of being destroyed, to stand with our national coat of arms, which says, “A mari usque ad mare” (“from sea to sea”). This is a quotation from Psalm 72:8, in reference to God’s Messianic King, “May He have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!” Stand with our nation anthem, which calls upon Almighty God to “keep our land glorious and free.” Show your allegiance to Canada by contacting your MP, urging them to courageously oppose this bill in its entirety. Urge them to boldly defend the God-given and constitutionally protected rights and freedoms of the constituents they represent.
Finally, if you are a Bible-believing Christian minister, we urge you as fellow elder-pastors to lead your congregation with boldness and faithfulness. Sheep follow shepherds, so lead your sheep to walk by faith, and not by sight, in following Jesus. Unashamedly preach the whole Counsel of God, as it’s given by the Holy Spirit in His Word, and do so in making concrete application to each and every sphere of life. The Church is meant to lead the culture in godliness and righteousness under the kingdom-rule of Jesus Christ and, if she will not, the culture will instead be led in unbelief by pagans, as it currently is. By His Spirit and through His redeemed covenant people, King Jesus is in the business of taking back the whole world from the curse of sin and death, and we need to be fully on board with His mission in the world. Therefore, brothers, do not shrink back and do not self-censor for fear of prosecution. Don’t fear man, who’s able only to kill the body, but rather fear the Lord, Who’s able to put the whole man, body and spirit, in hell forever. Be bold, be faithful, and let all you do be done with love, for He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. May the Lord bless our land with nationwide repentance, revival, and reformation back to the Lord Jesus Christ and the precise rule of His holy law-Word.
For Christ’s Crown and Covenant,
Elder-pastors David Forsythe and Matthew Hallick
