My opposition to raising the rainbow pride flag over Abbotsford and any kind of public gay pride celebration stems not from personal preference but from my understanding of what is meant by the preamble of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this philosophical statement reference is made to "principles that recognize the Supremacy of God and the rule of law."
This means that Canada's civil law is supposed to conform to God's moral law, or at least not run in opposition to it. In other words, what's legal in Canada must also be moral. To do otherwise would be to legalize what is wrong or sinful and to punish what is good or righteous. The Bible contains God's moral law, and it is there that lawmakers, judges and Abbotsford city council should be looking before making decisions on any issue involving principles of right and wrong.
History is replete with examples where governments have legalized what is wrong. In each case, there was a big step away from liberty for somebody. For example, the persecution of Jews, slavery and abortion are all moral issues that were legal somewhere in the world at some time, but in each case there was suffering and a loss of freedom for somebody. Freedom is intimately associated with law that is morally correct, not politically correct.
Furthermore, legalizing that which is immoral does not lead to an increase in freedom but an increase in license. License is legalizing something which conflicts with God's moral law.
Unfortunately, Canada is fast becoming licentious and less free as lawmakers and judges decide to uphold humanistic rights rather than biblical responsibilities in law. Therefore the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has actually become a misnomer. Today it should really be called the Charter of Rights and License.
Canada has an enviable heritage of freedom because Canadian law in the past has been morally correct. God has kept our land glorious and free simply because law that conforms to what is pleasing in His sight naturally brings forth blessings that we tend to take for granted. Atheistic states such as communist countries don't have much of this fragile and complex blessing called freedom. In order to preserve it, law must be based on biblical principles of right and wrong.
That is why we have religious trappings such as scripture verses engraved on Ottawa's Peace Tower; a Thanksgiving Day national holiday; a national anthem that is a prayer to God; a religious coronation ceremony of our head of state, Queen Elizabeth; and emblems and regalia such as the cross of Christ on the Queen's crown, orb and sceptre. All these things are intended to send a signal to lawmakers, judges and citizens that civil law in Canada must reflect God's moral law.
I am apprehensive about Canada's future because there is nothing to be proud of in the legalization or celebration of national sins.
Sin is the transgression of moral law in the same way that crime is the transgression of civil law. Our laws have already permitted some three million babies to be aborted, and now we want to make matters worse by taking pride in a behaviour for which God earnestly calls us to repentance. Sin isn't something to be proud of. Indeed, it is the mandate of government to employ responsible legislation to minimize sin in the land rather than to exacerbate it.
Shame on Abbotsford council. You should have known better.
Miff Crommelin
Mission