Canada goes further down the toilet with Bill C-4

[The Melody Maker]

There's a petition going for the banning of the bill: banbillc4.com

And I am of the strong mind that any "law" that sets itself up against God's holy law in His Word is nothing of the sort in His eyes. "Woe to those who call what is good evil, and what is evil good."

But even if people get arrested and sent to prison over this, there's nothing to stop them from continuing to do it in prison. I can see lots of prisons in the country suddenly becoming "conversion therapy" centres.

[Edit to add: There's going to be a major stand against this new "law". https://www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/2307 ]

[Thoughtful Monk]

I believe Canada is much farther down the road to Hell than the US. But I think the US is swiftly catching up.

Well can either country be turned back or do we have to suffer through the crash and burn and then try to build out of the ashes?

[mossrose]

Well can either country be turned back or do we have to suffer through the crash and burn and then try to build out of the ashes?

At the risk of sounding like a certain poster who has caused a lot of work lately for the staff, I believe that the West, the whole world, is under God's judgment as per Romans 1.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

²³ and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature,

²⁷ and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

²⁹ people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips,

³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful;

³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

We are now in the "depraved mind" stage. And it is all inexorably toward the return of the Lord. When, no one knows. I think it will be getting much, much worse.

[Cow Poke]

Well can either country be turned back or do we have to suffer through the crash and burn and then try to build out of the ashes?

Only an honest-to-God Holy Ghost Revival can turn things around. And I mean that in the most reverent and sincere sense.

[Thoughtful Monk]

At the risk of sounding like a certain poster who has caused a lot of work lately for the staff, I believe that the West, the whole world, is under God's judgment as per Romans 1.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

²³ and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature,

²⁷ and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

²⁹ people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips,

³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful;

³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

We are now in the "depraved mind" stage. And it is all inexorably toward the return of the Lord. When, no one knows. I think it will be getting much, much worse.

You express it much more clearly than the certain other poster. I think a lot more right than wrong on this.

[mossrose]

You express it much more clearly than the certain other poster. I think a lot more right than wrong on this.

Thank you.

[mossrose]

Only an honest-to-God Holy Ghost Revival can turn things around. And I mean that in the most reverent and sincere sense.

May very well stem the tide, and work to separate the sheep from the goats. But I hold no confidence that anything is ultimately going to get any better until the Day of the Lord.

[Thoughtful Monk]

Only an honest-to-God Holy Ghost Revival can turn things around. And I mean that in the most reverent and sincere sense.

You are certainly right. I just think there is going to be a persecution first and then revival.

[mossrose]

If folks are so inclined, please share this with your pastors.

https://www.gracechurch.org/news/pos...j-zlNqtx_DXXjg

Dear Minister of the Gospel,

I write to you this Christmas season to call your attention to an urgent matter in which the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is under attack.

On December 22, I received an email from Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. You will remember that he was recently imprisoned for keeping his church open during COVID-19 lockdowns. James is a graduate of The Master’s Seminary and co-author (with Dr. Nathan Busenitz) of an excellent new book—God and Government (to be released March 2022). James’s recent email gave me insight into the Canadian government's decision to pass Bill C-4, which “directly comes against parents and counsellors who would seek to offer biblical counsel with respect to sexual immorality and gender.” James indicates that it could be used to “criminalize evangelism.” To clarify the bill, James forwarded this email from Pastor Andrew DeBartolo:

Pastor John,

Thank you so much for your willingness not only to shine a light on the situation here in Canada but also your partnership in calling other men to preach on biblical sexuality on January 16 in unity and solidarity with ministers here in Canada. I (and we) are truly grateful for your ministry and service.

Bill C-4 passed through the House and the Senate without opposition. Not a single dissenting vote was cast by any member of the conservative party. It received Royal Assent on December 8, which means it will come into Law after January 8, 2022. The Bill will amend the Criminal Code in Canada to ban conversion therapy. It will criminalize, among other things, “causing another person to undergo conversion therapy; promoting or advertising conversion therapy.”

In the Preamble of the Bill, it says that the belief that “heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions” is a “myth.” According to Canadian law, as of January 8, 2022, the belief in God’s design for marriage and sexuality will now be seen as a myth.

The Bill defines conversion therapy as, “a practice, treatment or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior; repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.”

The definition is intentionally broad, and it can clearly be used against any preacher or elder who either speaks against homosexuality/transgenderism or who counsels a person to obey Christ and abandon their homosexual/transgender actions and lifestyle. This means as of January 8, 2022, it will be against the law to preach, teach, or counsel regarding God’s design for marriage and sexuality.

“Everyone who knowingly causes another person to undergo conversion therapy – including by providing conversion therapy to that other person – is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years.” Similarly, “Everyone who knowingly promotes or advertises conversion therapy is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years.”

On January 16, 2022, faithful men across this country (and many in the United States as well) will be preaching on God’s design for marriage and a biblical ethic of sexuality. We will be doing so illegally, declaring to the State that there is one God and one Lord over His church, and that Christ alone gets to both define marriage and dictate what is required in the pulpit. We are honored that our American brothers will be joining us in this.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or require any more information.

Yours in Christ,

Andrew DeBartolo
Teaching Elder, Encounter Church

I am eager to support our Canadian brothers and to preach on biblical sexual morality on January 16, and I invite you as a faithful pastor to do the same. Our united stand will put the Canadian and the U.S. governments on notice that they have attacked the Word of God. We are all well-aware of the evil power and destructive influence of the homosexual and transgender ideology. Our government is bent on not only normalizing this perversion, but also legalizing it, and furthermore criminalizing opposition to it.

In 2012, California passed Senate Bill 1172 banning “gay conversion” (alongside New York, New Jersey, and Nevada). In doing this, the California government sought to prohibit any correction of an unbiblical view of sexual identity, because “California has a compelling interest in protecting the…wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.” And on August 18, 2020, the Democratic Party declared at the National Convention that it would “ban harmful conversion therapy practices.” The Obama administration appointed more than 250 LGBTQ+ people to serve in the government. The Biden administration has promised to increase that number, and they have done so thus far.

As aggressive as this political priority is to make perversion safe from criticism in the United States, Canada is even further ahead. On November 29, 2021, The House of Commons passed Bill C-4 with a completely unanimous vote, amending the code to include “conversion therapy.” Since this law takes effect on January 8, 2022, faithful Canadian pastors are going to preach on the issue, calling for a biblical understanding of sexual sin, the eternal judgment that falls on the unrepentant and gospel-rejecting sinners, and the grace of God in the gospel which offers forgiveness to those who repent and believe in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, Paul clearly articulates why we must speak the truth:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

All sinners need conversion, but the list focuses specifically on “the sexually immoral…adulterers…effeminate…[and] homosexuals,” who will not “inherit the kingdom of God.” Our calling as gospel ministers is to preach the truth, confront sin, and call all men to repentance and obedience to the gospel—the good news that achieves soul conversion and saves sinners from eternal wrath.

Will you stand with me and our Canadian brothers and confront, in a spirit of love and mercy, the damning sins legalized in our culture? Pastors, will you join the nationwide effort to preach on a biblical view of sexual morality on January 16, 2022 and proclaim the gospel of salvation that is now criminalized? Faithful church members and lay leaders, will you join in prayer—that God would work powerfully through the preaching of His Word and in the lives of the lost? If we all stand strong in this conviction together, the governmental forces of evil will be put on notice that divine love and sovereign grace compel us to be faithful to proclaim radical transformation at any cost. This world system and its human governments will gladly send people to hell, but our calling is to rescue people with the truth (2 Timothy 2:24–26).

If you will join us, please sign your name below and take a stand for the truth of the saving gospel.

[The Melody Maker]

There may be a lot of places in the country that may simply choose to not enforce this, especially those who hate the current Liberal government officials in place and want to spite them. But that's just a theory I have; we'll see how it plays out.

[mossrose]

There may be a lot of places in the country that may simply choose to not enforce this, especially those who hate the current Liberal government officials in place and want to spite them. But that's just a theory I have; we'll see how it plays out.

I hope you're right. But even so-called conservative provinces have abdicated their conservative ideals during covid and arrested pastors for keeping their churches open.

[Cow Poke]

You are certainly right. I just think there is going to be a persecution first and then revival.

And I wouldn't argue with that a bit.

[mossrose]

We've seen this past year how persecution of the churches, those who chose to stay open regardless of enforced closures until the buildings were "impounded", even imprisonment of the pastors, brought some purification and increased numbers of the faithful in those churches. How some of these churches met each week in a different, undisclosed location, brought more people to them, who were hungry for God's Word.

More persecution will do the same.

[Thoughtful Monk]

And I wouldn't argue with that a bit.

Wait a minute, am I really on TheologyWeb? Two posters actually agreeing without name calling? Can't be! I must have strayed on to the wrong website.

Thanks, CP.

[Cow Poke]

Wait a minute, am I really on TheologyWeb? Two posters actually agreeing without name calling? Can't be! I must have strayed on to the wrong website.

Thanks, CP.

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.