(LifeSiteNews) — If “woke” is defined as “solving problems that don’t exist through Communism,” then by this measure the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Chaplain General has been working overtime. The current battle raging over public prayer in the CAF is case and point.
Although the CAF already had an inclusive, multi-faith public prayer policy, the Chaplain General has just released a new policy banning chaplains from public prayer. It orders military chaplains to provide a non-religious “reflection” instead of a prayer, and this now applies to all theistic chaplains: Muslim, Jewish, and Christian. For the first time in our history, military chaplains will be banned from praying for the dead at Remembrance Day services… and chaplains failing to comply will be stripped of their duties.
In the name of “diversity” every Canadian padre is now in effect a Humanist chaplain during public prayer, as the name of God can no longer be evoked. Ironically, this promotion of “inclusivity” comes at the cost of excluding all believers, once again attacking religious freedom.
Christians have been experiencing this erosion for decades. From the removal of school prayer to the forever war on Christmas, to the ban on religious symbols for public servants, to the removal of the crucifix in Parliament, we have seen the steady erosion of religion in the public sphere in our own lifetimes.
However, something feels different this time. Yes, it is outrageous that we are dishonoring the vets who died for our freedom—including religious freedom. But what exactly is different?
Could it be that over the last three years the battle has reached a new crescendo? This new change is in lockstep with the same government that during COVID-19(84) locked us in our homes, forced our churches and small businesses to close while big box stores remained open, and mandated us to inject ourselves with dangerous abortion-tainted concoctions while denying virtually all religious exemptions (the CAF chaplaincy was notorious for this). Here in Canada, courageous pastors were imprisoned for placing God above Caesar. Could it be that these battles are no longer symbolic? The culture war is not “cultural” anymore: it’s going kinetic. And where is it going?
READ: Canadian military members speak out after being told chaplains shouldn’t use ‘God’ in public prayers
Christians in the West are having a rude awakening. We are starting to realize that our faith is no longer the icing on the cake of life. When Jesus asked us to carry our cross, He meant it. We’re being painted into a corner that gets smaller each passing year. And don’t think it will stop here. Prepare for the days when the Bible will be considered hate speech. Traditional Christians will lose their tax-exempt status unless they support every form of sexual degeneracy under the sun. And who knows how far it will go?
We have entered the days of white martyrdom, and the days of red martyrdom are surely on the horizon. We have come to our time of testing. Let us now hold fast to His promises: “…that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn16:33).
If this policy is not reversed, it will be the last stand for public prayer in Canada. If next they decide to remove God from our national anthem, they might as well also remove “glorious and free” because that will be long gone as well.
READ: More and more Canadian cities are passing laws to censor protests against LGBT indoctrination
Vigilamus is the pen name of an active member of the Canadian Armed Forces whose identity is known to LifeSiteNews.