I never believed I would live long enough to see religious freedom under blatant attack in Canada.

I was wrong.

On Sunday, December 6th, a pair of undercover RCMP officers attempted to attend worship services at three Lower Mainland churches.

Their crime? Holding regular Sunday worship services in defiance of Dr. Bonnie Henry’s order banning all worship services.

Dr. Henry’s order appears to be a clear violation of our fundamental freedoms as defined in Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

• • (a) freedom of conscience and religion;

  • (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

  • (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

  • (d) freedom of association.

Two Chilliwack undercover RCMP officers, a man and a woman, posed as a couple wanting to attend worship services at three area churches.

Since they were unknown, officials at each church asked why they wanted to attend. Bizarrely, they admitted they were undercover RCMP officers who “just wanted to look around.”

They were then politely but firmly turned away from all three facilities.

It is not known if the same couple attempted to attend services at the non-compliant Langley church or whether it was two other RCMP officers.

 

RCMP Confirm Investigations

Later that day, Chilliwack RCMP confirmed they were investigating the non-compliant churches in their jurisdiction.

“RCMP are actively pursuing investigations of the in-person congregation services conducted in Chilliwack on Sunday December 6, 2020,” said RCMP Cpl. Mike Rail, media liaison officer for the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.

“At the conclusion of a thorough investigation, Chilliwack RCMP in consultation with the BC Prosecution Service will determine the next course of action.”

That consultation took place and on Saturday, December 12th, Chilliwack RCMP issued a statement that they recommended charges be pursued against three churches in Chilliwack.

“The evidence gathered has resulted in the Chilliwack RCMP forwarding a report to the BC Prosecution Service for charge assessment of these violations,” said RCMP Sgt. Krista Vrolyk.

Because shutting down religious worship services is all about stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Walmart’s Chilliwack location is permitted to hold 911 people at once and has no contact tracing plan in place.

Is this the wisest use of scarce RCMP resources?

 

Chilliwack Ranks 18th of Top Canadian Crime Cities

In 2018, Chilliwack ranked number 18 on McLean’s “Most Dangerous Places in 2018” in all of Canada and Chilliwack ranked number 8 on British Columbia’s list of most crime-ridden cities.

Chilliwack continues to boast one of the highest crime rates in the nation yet instead of focusing on the person or persons responsible for a drive-by shooting on November 14th, Chilliwack RCMP waste their limited resources investigating Christian pastors.

These pastors are merely following the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8  “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”) with the obedience required of all Christians.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Unless someone tore up the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when I wasn’t looking, those actions are still protected by Section 2 of that Charter, as listed above.

 

Media Uproar over Churches but Not Walmart or Best Buy

Despite the uproar by a biased Chilliwack newspaper editor dutifully echoed by all major BC media outlets, these churches are following every COVID protocol to ensure their congregants worship safely.

None of these media outlets will tell you that the same COVID protocols that order churches to close allow big box retailers to hold almost a thousand people simultaneously.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which venue poses the greater threat for spreading COVID.

Or maybe it does, since Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s High Priestess of COVID, believes Chilliwack Walmart’s 911 person limit is NOT a threat to public health, but 50 people attending worship services at a Chilliwack church will destroy our entire province.

• Dollarama: 50 people (click to view store poster)
• PetSmart: 123 people (click to view store poster)
• BestBuy: 131 people (click to view store poster)
• Walmart: 911 people (click to view store poster)

If it’s safe for Dollarama to host 50 people for as long as they care to remain in the store, surely it’s safe for a church, a synagogue or a temple to host 50 people for a worship service, too.

So long as these limits are arbitrary, contradictory and, to be blunt, downright stupid, my fervent prayer is that every place of worship in the province of British Columbia opens their doors this coming weekend, in defiance of the High Priestess of COVID, Bonnie Henry.