Wyatt Graham

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Persecution and Condemnation in Canada

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In Toronto, a Jewish school resists lockdowns on the basis of breaching charter freedoms. In Alberta, authorities shut down Whistle Stop Cafe. In that same Province, authorities also arrested a mayoral candidate in connection to (but not exclusively for) breaching health guidelines.  In Manitoba, Maxime Bernier, the leader of the PPC party was arrested for breaching health guidelines. I am sure I could cite many such examples across Canada. 

Churches too have not escaped heavy application of law. Three pastors in Alberta have been arrested. Evidently, Alberta Health thinks it’s wise and good to shut down businesses, arrest mayoral candidates, and pastors even at the cusp of reopening the entire Province—which will happen on July 1st. Other churches have received fines. Chuches, politicians, schools, and businesses all have likewise received heavy applications of law in Canada.  

I dislike such heavy-handed application of law against Christians in Canada. As I have said more than once, I support religious freedom in Canada, and so if someone feels conscience-bound to act in a certain way, then I support their freedom to do so. I also dislike immensely the heavy handed application of law against any citizen or business in Canada.

But here we are.  [Read more…] about Persecution and Condemnation in Canada

Our View of the Virus Affects Our View of Persecution

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Our view of the coronavirus can affect how we understand persecution in Canada. If I view the pandemic as severely harming society and if I see restrictions as preventing that harm, then fining someone for breaking health regulations generally makes sense. I would not see it as persecution for righteousness’s sake. 

On the other hand, if I do not see the pandemic as a genuinely harmful virus and if I see restrictions as useless (and so harmful due to economic and mental strain), then government interventions could look like unjust persecution. 

Obviously, views on the virus slide along a wide spectrum. So this basic binary does not cover every situation. But I think it highlights something important when it comes to current discussions on what constitutes persecution for righteousness’s sake (Matt 5:10). [Read more…] about Our View of the Virus Affects Our View of Persecution

Is Science Our God?

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I have seen “science” twice now as “Science,” a stable and unerring form of truth. It is seen also to offer salvation through technology, namely, vaccines. Just note the social media celebration around the jab.

I appreciate science. I like vaccines. I am thankful for medicine and technology as part of God’s common and good grace to humanity. But we humans create idols of what is good. John Calvin rightly describes us as idol factories.  [Read more…] about Is Science Our God?

Catechize Your Kids

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If you don’t catechize your children, may I suggest that you start?

Many young adults who leave the faith do so because they feel it’s merely about assertion or about emotional appeals. But Christianity is based on truth, whether historical or rational. Jesus rose from the dead, and Christianity makes sense. 

Catechizing can help our children understand that the Faith makes “sense.” Only God saves. But we can remove impediments to faith. [Read more…] about Catechize Your Kids

From Death to Death, Living in Canada

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We have legalized ending the lives of those who feel themselves to be at the end of their life; we have also authorized the ending of lives before they have left the womb.

From beginning (womb) to end (assisted dying), we make choices that devalue the beginning and end of life. What does that mean for Canada? What does it mean for people caught in the middle of death? [Read more…] about From Death to Death, Living in Canada

Christian Freedom and the Sin of Silence

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Tolerance is not enough anymore. Now, we must affirm someone else’s position and identity or be guilty of transgressing a social law code. “You cannot be silent and be affirming,” writes AnyYelsi Veleasco-Sanchez—she even associates silence with “cowardice.” In the past, such statements generally came from the politically left. 

Surprisingly, however, Christians have begun to make similar arguments. They criticize others for their lack of perceived support of their opinion. One pastor even wrote on the sin of silence. Even in Christian circles now, silence is no longer tolerable—only public and vocal acts of support are. 

In both cases, the form of argument is similar. Silence is betrayal.[1] Only a vocal and public affirmation of someone’s opinion and cause can prove that we are allies. The result is schism. The “pure” group cuts itself off from the rest. 

I find this form of argument profoundly unhelpful for three reasons. [Read more…] about Christian Freedom and the Sin of Silence