ChristianGovernance eletter – August 30, 2012
A multi-faith conf. on government, but where are the Christians?
We came across a brochure for a conference called “Idea of an Ideal Government.” It’s being billed as the “largest multi-faith event in Canada.” It looks like the name of the organizing outfit if
World Religions Conference. It is also being billed as a “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Event.
The last time we checked, the Queen still holds the title Defender of the Faith, as in the Protestant Christian faith, so it’s not clear how these people can think that a multi-faith event truly commemorates the Queen of Canada. What that tells us is that this event is actually nothing more than a post-modernist event.
The brochure includes words of commendation, in this order, from Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
The speakers at the event are identified as representing Aboriginals, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Humanism.
There are at least two humanists on the ticket because the representative for “Christianity” is Felicia Urbanski, a United (Church) minister. Her bio says she has also served congregations in the Unitarian Universalist Association. So, in fact, there are no representatives for Christianity speaking at this conference, whether one is considering Protestant Reformed or Evangelical Christianity or Roman Catholicism.
This is yet another example of the antithesis that exists between truth and falsehood, an antithesis that extends to human social order, including civil governance. There is explicitly Biblical teaching on the nature of human social order, including civil governance. Sometimes self-consciously non-Christian individuals recognize this more clearly than Christians do – and they revolt against it. (This is the 32nd World Religions Conference, so if they were interested in accommodating true Christianity after learning at earlier conferences that they had failed to do so, they’ve had many opportunities to remedy the current situation.)
But the Christian vision for justice and mercy is infinitely superior to the imitations offered by others, so we should boldly advance these truths in Canada rather than watering down the message of the Christian Good News (Gospel) in terms of its implications for personal responsibility, parental government, Church leadership in society and the civil government.
Watering down God’s grace and justice in attempts to find common ground with hostile forces ends up making Christianity look inadequate and unjust, and coalition partners exploit that to further marginalize Christianity. Oil and water do not mix. We didn’t create the antithesis between Christianity and false religion, God did. We have been called to proclaim the message, and to live it in every aspect of our lives.
It will be interesting to see what comes out of this conference. It’s safe to say that their comments will further clarify the distinctions between Biblical Christianity and heathen pretenders. We will probably see it in expressions of support for a large messianic state that doesn’t have to limit itself to reality and justice when it comes to money. They can practice debt financing in order to finance social welfare for those who find themselves in difficult circumstances. For all of them, the state will probably be the replacement for Christ as healer of the nations. This will be a much higher priority than freedom and the rule of law. They will tolerate one degree or another of personal IRresponsibility, advocating some measure of subsidization by the state for envy and blame-shifting.
If their conference on government is not preoccupied with self-government and parental government, then it will be clear that this is just another collection of state-ists, providing a blessing for this idolatrous vision for society from each of their particular religious camps. Alternatives to Christianity – including Humanism – are very similar at their root, so it’s not surprising that they can find core principles around which to gather. It’s impossible, however, for Christianity to be part of that mix – and they recognize this fact even if all Christians do not.
(It’s also interesting and demeaning of aboriginal people to have one person allegedly representing aboriginal perspective as though all aboriginal people hold the same beliefs. It used to be considered ignorant and bigoted to assert that all people of the same race, ethnicity or colour think the same way. Aboriginal is not a religion. But post-modernists can overlook such things.)
Tags: Christendom, ChristianGovernance, Christianity, humanism
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