promote a way of life that is affordable, sustainable, healthy and conducive to greater and greater freedom.
We openly share about our faith. I push back, in a peaceful way, against much of the government over-reach that has occurred in recent years and that is ongoing. This magazine is starting in the fall of 2022, a time in Canadian history where citizens have to wrestle with their government to keep foundational freedoms, basic human rights and to defend and preserve their entire way of life. Never before in Canada have we seen such a super-concentration of evil as a result of the policies of Liberal and NDP politicians trying to force their will and their values on great numbers of us who want nothing to do with such values. Against this we push back in a peaceful way. We have watched our government arrest pastor after pastor, Christian spiritual leader after Christian spiritual leader. May our oppressors come to understand that we are not soft targets for them to exploit. We know our Canadian Bill Of Rights. We know our Canadian Charter Of Rights. We know our Bibles and we will continue to exercise our rights, practice our faith and fulfill our callings. We don't hate anyone. We forgive everyone who has wronged us. We love everyone, whether or not they agree with us. We simply want to stand for truth in these days of incredible deception. The views in my articles are my own personally. There will be some articles and submissions by Ramona from time to time and perhaps some by others. By all means visit our websites:
https://hobbyhomesteadingprepper.ca
http://www.zionchristianministry.com
http://freedomandsocialorder.com
And with that, welcome to The Stormrider Magazine!
Shawn Stevens
I want to express in the clearest language possible that all statements made in this magazine are meant to be taken not in malice towards any identifiable people group but rather as discussion on issues of public interest, for public benefit, in good faith. I believe that my views on the issues contained here are also consistent with our faith beliefs which are contained in our statement of faith which can be viewed on our websites. Whether you agree or disagree with what I have stated here, we bless you.My articles are meant to be read with an open mind. By reading these articles you may find material that you find objectionable. By viewing the material, or any part of the material, printed in this magazine, and any part of the magazine and its pages, you agree to wave any legal or equitable rights or remedies you have or may have against Shawn Stevens or Ramona Stevens in respect to material that you find offensive or objectionable contained in this magazine. I and we at freedomandsocialorder.com accept no responsibility or liability for any harms or losses that may occur as result of following any information found on this site. Do not consider information found here to be legal advice from ourselves to yourself. Do not use information found here if you don't agree to these terms. I am not a legal authority and do not propose to be viewed as such. By reading the material of this magazine or any part of this magazine, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Shawn Stevens and Ramona Stevens and you specifically acknowledge and agree that Shawn Stevens and Ramona Stevens will not be liable for comments deemed defamatory, offensive or damaging and agree to dismiss any legal claims that you may have against Shawn Stevens or Ramona Stevens relating to the contents of this magazine.
Shawn Stevens
Living In The Country Vs Living In The City
When you look out from the window of your condo what do you see? A city skyline? A city-scape of buildings and intersections? People and cars filling the streets? What do you hear? Horns sounding, police sirens or the sound of a wailing baby from inside a baby carriage being pushed down the street? This is the city. Now let that scene fade away and instead imagine a forest, a meadow, a hillside. Imagine a lake or a rushing river, just outside your window. Imagine the sounds of a babbling brook, wind rushing through a forest or of crickets chirping on a still night.
The second scene is better, isn't it? Now imagine the second scene also with animals, chickens clucking, cows mooing and pigs grunting. Imagine that open patch of land having greenhouses and raised beds. Now we are getting close to the ideal!
In the city most aspects of life are controlled and regulated. You are under the control of others, your landlord, your foreman, your strata council, your city council, etc. You are dependent on the infrastructure all around you. You depend on the waterworks, the hydro, the garbage removal, the bus system, the snow removal system, the bank, the grocery store, the Walmart, etc. If there is a disruption in your infrastructure your schedule may be turned upside down.
The first scene is loud, noisy, polluted, agitating, continually interrupted with your cell phone going off again. Oh, it’s your boss. You can't block it out. You can't have all of the pressures of life in the city bearing down on you and some think that sitting on a yoga mat in some pose will alleviate it. The yoga doesn't work. I'm sorry, it doesn't work.
The second scene, the country scene, screams freedom. The second scene is the place where you can rest. It is the place where you can think. Why? Because it is quiet and serene.
Why not try to make the second scene your home? Millions of people have chosen to live a life close to nature. They have taken the plunge, the peaceful plunge. Did it involve sacrifice? Yes, probably for most. They gave up many conveniences, many services. But many would say the tradeoff was worth it. They have chosen a simpler life.
So I encourage you; try to find a way. The how may be different for each of us. Start working on your plan today. It may take time to see this dream realized. That's okay. Some would say that they have a purpose, even a calling where they are now, in the city. If that's you, then forget this message and fulfill your calling. However, if you are one of the many who do not have a sense of belonging to the city, then, if you can, escape it, and find a quiet peaceful, solitary place where you have the space to discover your true purpose.
This is just my advice, but if you see value in it, then try to get away, even if just for a season. It is my prayer that in that quiet place you will hear God's voice. Your search is a spiritual one. Ultimately fulfillment will only be found in faith in Jesus Christ. Such faith can be discovered in either an urban or rural setting. For you to hear God's voice you need to tune out the other noise and give Him your attention. Escaping to the country is perhaps one way of shutting out the noise. God bless you.
Shawn Stevens
MY WORLDVIEW AND VALUES
This writing is an overview of what I believe, what I have come to understand about right and wrong and what is sacred to me. This writing is also about what I reject as untrue and why. This writing is a reflection of my faith but it is also more than a reflection. It is a manifesto of what I choose to live out every day. By saying what I believe I am declaring my values. By saying what I don't believe I am contrasting my values with values that I reject. The contrast is necessary because this further clarifies my stand in the complicated world of modern ideas. This writing will draw from Holy Scripture, from history and from much reflection. I am a born-again, Pentecostal, Bible-believing Christian and I reject liberalism, socialism, progressivism, globalism and mandatory vaccinations.
First and foremost, I am a Christian. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I have been re-born into His kingdom and family through spiritual conversion. This happened in a private moment at eighteen years of age, when He showed me my depravity and my need for Him. I responded to His working, and cried out to Him in prayer. He enabled me to exercise faith in Him and in His gospel message, and I did so. I repented from my old life and put my faith in Him. This happened in a moment. I was transformed, made new, my eyes were opened; I was adopted into the Kingdom of God and I knew it.
From that day to the present it has been my desire to follow Him and to live the life of Christian faith. How do you live the life of Christian faith? For answers, we must turn to the Bible. The Bible is God's book and it lays out what God wants us to understand about Himself, ourselves, the world around us, the past, the present and the future. The more that we absorb and embrace its sacred messages, the more we begin to think the way that God thinks.
What do the Scriptures say? What do they say in a nutshell? What would a condensed overview tell us of its message?
1)That there is one God (See Isaiah 45:21,43:10). God exists as The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
2)That God is Holy (see Psalm 99:9, Isaiah 6:1-5, 30:15, 43:14, 57:15, Leviticus 11:44,1 Peter 1:16, Revelation 15:4).
3) That God is loving and merciful (see 1 John 4:8, Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 63:9, Romans 5:8, Deuteronomy 4:31, Psalm 136, Psalm 103:8, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 3:5).
4)That God is truthful. Truth matters greatly to Him – (see John 14:6, Exodus 34:6, Titus1:2, Isaiah 65:16).
5)That man and woman were created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26-27).
6)They were made for God (see Ezekiel 18:4) and to have communion with Him (see 2 Corinthians 13:14).
7) Their constitution is both material and immaterial.They each have a spirit, a soul and a body (see 1 Thessalonians 5;23).Their bodies are the material part of their being. Their souls and spirits are the immaterial parts of their being.
8)That the first man, Adam, rebelled against God and that through him sin was brought into the world (see Genesis 3, and Romans 5:12). The sinful nature of Adam is also experienced by mankind and that when a man or woman yields to that sinful nature, they have therefore sinned (see James 1:14-15). The result of sin is death (see Romans 6:23). Mankind experiences three modes of death: physical death (see Acts 5:1-5) spiritual death(see Ephesians 2:1-5) and, if unsaved by God, eternal death (see Jude 1:7).
9)That Christ came into the world to save sinners (see 1Timothy 1:15, and Luke 19:10). His work of doing this was to die a sacrificial death on behalf of sinful mankind and to rise again from death (see Luke 18:31-33).
10) Jesus’ death was sacrificial, for He is the Lamb of God ( see John 1:29), and His death was on our behalf, for our redemption is through His blood (see Ephesians 1:7).
11. That Jesus rose from the dead three days later (see Luke 24:3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and Mark 16:6). Jesus’ resurrection affirms His Lordship (see Romans 14:9).
12)That salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit, regenerating and renewing a man or woman (see Titus 3:5-6). Salvation is a born-again experience where a person is converted and delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of God’s Son, (see John 3:5-8, and Colossians 1:13). When a person is born-again they have become a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) and a child of God, (see John 1:11-13 and Romans 8:15-16).
13)God begins the work of salvation with conviction. Conviction is when a man or woman is brought into awareness of their personal sin, (see John 16:8-11 and Acts 2:37).
14)From conviction, we then must come to contrition. Contrition is remorse and sorrow for our sin. It is a deep regret for what we have done against God (see Psalm 32:3-5, Luke 22:62 and 2 Corinthians 7:8-11).
15)After we have come to contrition, we must then repent (see Mark 6:12, Acts 17:30). Repentance is a decision to turn, with the help of God, from a life of sin to a life of obedience toward God.
16)Along with repentance we must come to God by faith (see 1Peter 1:8-9 and Ephesians 3:17). Faith is believing in the truth of the Gospel that Jesus died in our place and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and it is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ Himself (see Acts 20:20-21). It is actively believing and trusting in the person of Jesus Christ Himself for Salvation. Faith is establishing a personal relationship with Christ. A personal relationship with Christ can be established by coming to Him in prayer and acknowledging to Him that you are a sinner, expressing to Him your remorse for sin and asking Him to forgive you, declaring to Him that you believe that He died for you, that He rose from the dead for you, and that you will turn from your own way to follow His will, and recognizing Him to be the Lord of your life ( see Romans 10:13).
17)That there is salvation in no other name but Jesus by which we must be saved (see Acts 4:12).
18)After being born-again we are to be baptized in water (see Acts 10:44-48).
19)The Bible also teaches the baptism with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:5) in which a believer is empowered for ministry.
20)Christ founded a Church (see Matthew 16:18) and He is the Head of that Church (see Ephesians 5:23). The universal Church is comprised of all believers worldwide. The local Church is a community of believers who gather in Jesus’ name. This community is a place where God’s love is felt and shared. It is a place of worship, prayer and ministry.
21) Marriage is the holy joining of a man and woman in wedlock (see Matthew 19:4-6). True marriage is always heterosexual. Homosexual unions are an abomination to God (see Leviticus 18:22).
The above points are what I have come to understand as foundational teachings. They are a condensed version of my Zion Christian Ministry statement of faith. To read the whole version goto: http://www.zionchristianministry.com/about/statement-of-faith/
The Bible also teaches us many other things. Also from my statement of faith; We believe in the future resurrection of all men and women. Those made righteous through Christ will experience the resurrection of the just and those who are deemed unrighteous will receive the resurrection of the unjust (see Acts 24:15 and John 5:28-29). The righteous will be with Christ and will enjoy eternal salvation (see Philippians 1:23, John 3:16, Revelation 21:3-4). The unjust will suffer eternal judgment and, ultimately, be thrown into the lake of fire (see 1 Thessalonians 1:7-9 and Revelation 20:11-15).
Sometime, in the end-time events, there will be a time of great tribulation. It must be stated that biblical, prophetical writing on the end times is written obscurely. It requires interpretation. It will be easier to fully understand it after it has transpired, that is, looking at it in retrospect. So, without being dogmatic, the end times period will possibly unfold something like this;
The Great Tribulation is a period of what is believed to be seven years in which the world is undergoing tremendous upheaval and catastrophe unlike anything ever experienced to date. In the Great Tribulation the world will be ruled by a man called the anti-Christ. He will be totally evil and he and his government will persecute and kill anyone they catch who do not commit to their worldwide kingdom by taking an identifying mark. During this time, there will also be tremendous cataclysmic ecological disasters on a global scale that are sent by God as judgements. In the end, Jesus Christ will come and destroy the anti-Christ and his forces and set up a new peaceful kingdom on earth.
Somewhere in this timeline, Christian believers will be raptured out of this world. Theologians disagree and debate over whether this will occur before, during or after the Tribulation.
Where does the idea of an evil one-world government come from? Read Revelations 13:1-7 and also verse 11. Here, it speaks of three figures who are working together in an end-time evil purpose. They are the dragon, the beast and another beast. Many consider these figures to be the devil, the anti-Christ government and the anti-Christ himself or possibly, another evil individual, the “false prophet”. The idea of world government comes in when we read of the beast; “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:7). From this we see that the anti-Christ's rule is expansive and evil.
Now that I have laid a foundation and an overview of what I believe, I want to distinguish it from what I don't believe. To do this properly, we need to take a walk through history and look at several prevailing world-views in our culture.
Liberalism is a political ideology that sparked the French Revolution. The ten-year period of 1789 to 1799 saw the French Revolution, a liberal philosophical-political movement, come to power and influence.
Where did Liberalism come from? It stretched back to the eighteenth century to the period that secular historians refer to as the Enlightenment.
The philosophers of the Enlightenment period embraced humanism and prided themselves in the belief that they were advancing reason over speculation. Philosophers wrote plays, novels, histories, philosophical writings, dictionaries and encyclopedias. Their writings were filled with satire and criticism and became very popular. The philosophers were also very political. Enlightenment thought stressed reason, nature, happiness, progress, and liberty. It was thoroughly humanistic and secular in its thinking. It was hostile towards Christianity. There was a concentration of philosophers in the nation of France and France was considered the hotbed and heartland of Enlightenment philosophy.
The Enlightenment in France coincided with revolutionary changes within the country. Hard economic times had hit the nation.The monarchy did little or nothing to alleviate the suffering of the common people and even began making political moves to increase the monarchy's power. A political body called the National Assembly was formed and claimed sovereignty and authority equal to, or above, the king. The king rejected their decision. Riots ensued. When the king saw that he was losing this struggle for power he attempted to flee the country but was caught and ultimately guillotined. The French Revolution was not only an expression of the poor trying to obtain a better life but was deeply connected with the Enlightenment philosophies which were profoundly humanistic, man-centred and opposed to Christianity. It also was an expression of Liberalism. The liberal writings of philosophers, such as Thomas Paine (1737-1809), contributed greatly to the Revolution's rejection of monarchical rule and also to the rejection of Christianity.
The French Revolution implemented a rule of terror throughout France. Courts were set up which would prosecute anyone, and everyone, who was thought to be against the Revolution. Laws were implemented to reduce the rights of the accused. Between 11,000 and 18,000 Frenchmen were condemned and guillotined. The leadership of the Revolution was extremely insecure and they masked their insecurity with ruthless zeal by spreading the terror. People from every walk of life could be called for interrogation, even on the basis of the weakest suspicions of disloyalty. If such persons could not prove their innocence and their support of the Revolution to their inquirers, they were swiftly condemned and dragged out before the bloodthirsty mobs who cheered as they were guillotined. Nobles and clergy were disproportionately targeted and represented 15% of those killed.
The liberal revolutionaries enacted a campaign of secularism in France. Secularism is the removing of religious expression and influence from society. This secularization in France involved closing down churches and removing crosses from public places. These efforts were not, ultimately, successful in stamping Christianity out of France. At an earlier stage of the Revolution, large amounts of Church lands were confiscated and sold at auctions.
Liberalism rose directly out of the Enlightenment period and was not based on a Christian worldview of God and man, which saw man as a fallen creature needing redemption but, rather, was based on the humanist view which considered man to be basically good-natured. Liberals traced the world's problems, not to man's fallen nature but, rather, to the oppression of controlling monarchs. The two main ideas within Liberalism, at this time were, firstly, the replacement of monarchies with a more representative form of government and, secondly, the secularization of society. Peaceful attempts to influence monarchs to relinquish their hold on power had not achieved the kind of results that Liberals were seeking. Consequently, Liberals chose a path of violent revolution to force through their system.
The French Revolution came to an end but Liberalism did not. Liberalism had risen to prominence through the French Revolution and continued to gain influence through-out Europe and eventually the world. Early Liberalism was highly revolutionary and much blood was spilt establishing it. It has evolved through time but still is very forceful and expresses a strong distain for Biblical Christian belief.
Theological Liberalism is the sister to political Liberalism. I reject it as well. In the nineteenth century, modernism and theological Liberalism gained wide acceptance in England and this spread to the world. Many ministers began to view fundamentalism as being narrow, irrelevant and unaccommodating. It was an era of intellectualism and rationalism. The spirit of criticism expressed itself in education and in common life. Theological dogmas were scrutinized and discarded in the name of logic and reason. Enquiry into science was applauded. Re-evaluation of social and religious values was thought to be an essential task in achieving the goal of greater individualism and humanism.
The influence of modernism on 19th-century thought carried over into theological circles and gave rise to liberal theology.
One doctrinal tenet that liberal theology challenged and redefined was that of the inspiration of the Bible. The former position, that the Bible was the inspired and inerrant Word of God, was first challenged by a compromised position which claimed that various biblical books had varying degrees of divine inspiration. This implied that Scripture was not necessarily true in all of its claims.
Not only did liberal theology challenge and redefine the claim of the divine inspiration of the Bible, it also promoted a new form of interpreting the Bible. It argued that spiritual truths were conveyed allegorically and poetically and that this should be the governing rule used when interpreting the Bible. Such a governing rule dismissed a literal interpretation of such things as the creation narrative and miracles. Some liberal theologians even denied the doctrine of the atoning death of Christ.
While theological liberalism was spreading, not all ministers accepted these changes. Ministers like Reverend Charles H. Spurgeon lamented that preachers were spreading unbelief. He warned that such ministers were ten times more dangerous than atheists. He argued that along with the abandonment of sound doctrine also went the living of a holy life. With strong and compelling language, Spurgeon communicated the gravity of the issue. Liberal theology was not just another side of Christianity; it was apostasy. 1
The battle between Biblical Christianity and theological liberalism created a sharp distinction between Evangelical Christians, those who held to Biblical tenets and religious Liberals. The twentieth century would see another group of Bible-believing Christians emerge, the Pentecostals. Both Evangelicals and Pentecostals reject theological liberal doctrine as heresy, recognizing it to be a forsaking of the Christian faith.
While both political liberalism and theological liberalism are in contradiction to my faith beliefs, another prevailing worldview that is at odds with my faith is Socialism/Communism.
During WW I a young Marxist revolutionary, named Vladimir Lenin, began speaking in Russia, boldly advocating violent revolution. He was a socialist. He denounced all attempts towards a peaceful evolution of socialism. For Lenin, the only way socialism could be established was by force. Lenin led the Bolshevik wing of the Russian Socialist Party. On November 6, 1917, the Bolsheviks violently seized the government buildings, crushed the remaining members of the provisional government and declared Lenin the head of the new government. They set up a system of communism/socialism, both ideologies being closely akin to each other.
It is common knowledge that Lenin and Marx were atheists. They built the political philosophy of communism upon the ideas of class struggle, revolution and the communal reorganization of society to the supposed benefit of its working population. However, the underlying platform for this was atheism and Darwinian evolution which, at a fundamental level, removed the sanctity of human life. Lenin had dedicated his life to a communist philosophy which he knew could only be established by violent revolution. Christian faith was a roadblock to Lenin’s plan. Jesus Christ taught peace and self-sacrifice and this clashed with Lenin’s revolutionary plans. Communism could only rise up from a foundation of atheism and Darwinism provided the platform to legitimize this foundation in the eyes of the people. Through the difficult transition into communism, Lenin had assured the people that a freer state was around the corner for them. However, communism evolved into a police state which increasingly monitored and controlled its people.
By jettisoning Christianity and exalting atheism, the values of communism allowed for the mass genocides that history records under the rule of individuals such as Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong. Stalin was a ruthless leader, known for his purges, and he launched a policy of collectivization which was the consolidation of peasant farms into state-run enterprises. Russian peasants were stripped of their land and livestock and many were deported to forced-labor camps. The death toll of Russian peasants during these years, as a result of Stalin’s brutal coercion, is staggering. Exact numbers are impossible to determine. Some of the victims died in labor camps, others in and through forced collectivization, others as a result of famine and others by executions. Low estimates say that 10 million died as a result of these things, but other reports place that number at 20 million and even 40 million. In 1945, Stalin conceded to Winston Churchill that ten million people died in the process of collectivization.
Communism was a revolution and foundational to the ideology was the position that the communist revolution had to be the last revolution. However, for it to be the last revolution, democracy could not be allowed.This is because they believed that if the communist government could be voted out of power then the equation would revert back to subjugation of the workers. This was their reasoning.
Did communism/socialism raise the standard of living of the people in these states to the standard of living experienced by those in the free world? No, it did not. The free world had freedom, a high standard of living, opportunity and wealth. The communist/socialist world had a low standard of living and poverty. It didn't take long for many people in the second world to start leaving for the first world. What would be the response from communist/socialist governments to the exodus?
The responses of communist/socialist governments were essentially, stop it. Stop it by force. Citizens had to be made to stay a part of the communist/socialist system. It was the law. When the law was not enough to hold people, communist/socialist governments started building barriers and iron curtains. When people still escaped, governments doubled down and fortified their iron curtains as much as they possibly could.
The starkest difference between the communist/socialist system and the free world is the lack of personal rights and freedoms in the communist/socialist system. Central to the ideology of communist/socialism is the idea of the “collective,” that is to say, that the rights of the individual, must be sacrificed for the greater good of the many. While this may be held up as an ideal by proponents of communism/socialism, in practice “the many” have suffered under the system just as much as the individuals have. That is because everyone in the system looses their rights and freedoms. The government decides what is the greater good, not the people, and it is only human nature that such governments would exploit this for their own purposes.
Communist/socialist societies all become police states, where human behaviour and activity is monitored and highly regulated by the government. Freedoms are taken away. People loose their freedom of religion. Communist/socialist governments promote atheism and either disallow religious practice or allow a highly regulated government version of it to be practiced. Communist/socialist governments deny freedom of speech. Dissent is punished. There is no freedom of the press. Communist/socialist governments forbid private ownership of land and business. Communist/socialist governments regulate people's movements, dictating where you may or may not go.
How did the free world respond to communism/socialism? There has been a mixed response. Many of us are horrified by the ideology and the system and a cold war of isolation between the free world and the communist/socialist world resulted. Others responded differently. Many western socialists love communism/socialism and have passionately promoted communism/socialism. They have succeeded in popularizing it. How so?
To popularize communism/socialism, the ideology had to be re-framed. Leftists dropped the first word “Communism,” because of its stigma, and kept the second word “Socialism.” Next they began referring to themselves as “Democratic Socialists.” In so-doing they softened the word “Socialism.” Democratic Socialism is a friendly faced socialism, but the face is a mask. I feel that to a large degree, this is playing with language and twisting language in such a way as to change the public's perception. Sadly, many have drunk it down hook, line and sinker and embraced democratic socialism.
Did all of the revolution, bloodshed and bitter anger that was unleashed through Communism/Socialism and Liberalism go away? Did these worldviews dissipate? No, instead they continued to be forced through and evolved through time. I have discussed the evolution of socialism. How has Liberalism evolved? How has it changed?
Liberalism loves globalism. Globalism is the idea of the unification of the world's systems, economic, religious and to some degree, political, into one system. Globalism fits the Liberal worldview because Liberals believe that the world is undergoing a worldwide, environmental breakdown and climate emergency. To Liberals, the way to reverse this crisis is some form or level of global government which can introduce or even impose regulations on a world-wide scale. They don't seem to be concerned about the Christian Church's claim that the future one-world government will be headed by the anti-Christ and will be totally evil.
Has Liberalism lost anything good as it has evolved? Yes, the early form of liberalism that came out of the French Revolution, even though it was ruthless in it's execution of thousands, ironically and hypocritically, placed significant emphasis on libertarianism. Notice that there is a difference between liberalism and libertarianism. Libertarianism is the belief in personal freedom, of every kind. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of conscience, freedom from tyranny, etc. To keep its radical edge Liberalism has had to delete much libertarianism and introduce more regulation and control. In Canada, we fight for freedom of speech. Freedom of speech has been diminished by Liberal hate-speech laws. What is “hate-speech”? Good question (I am glad I asked it). “Hate speech” is a highly subjective concept that means different things to different people. Anyone's strongly held beliefs may be regarded and interpreted to be hate. Therefore, liberal judges judge the intentions of others and their speech and in many cases, punish them. Liberalism is not libertarianism any more.
With every passing year Liberalism becomes more and more radical. Many people in the culture don't stop and reflect on just how radical the views of their government have become. Political liberalism is continually evolving and, in the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries, has been moving further and further left in the positions it stands for. Liberal, secularist elites have done much to propagate humanism and the humanistic philosophies of men such as Nietzsche and Freud. Cultural movements in the 1960s brought large numbers of youth and young adults in line with these philosophies, also. A counterculture of young people began public demonstrations and vocal opposition towards, what they perceived to be, the established culture. They promoted radical politics, sexual experimentation, drug use and new artistic styles. Rock music was a major facilitator and outlet of expression for this subculture. According to one historian, they were '' ... interacting with a revival of leftist thought to create a 'counterculture' that rebelled against parents, authority figures, and the status quo.'' 2 Many of these radical liberals held demonstrations at university campuses.
The radical, leftist counterculture movement of the 1960s would profoundly shape the political liberalism of future decades. A sizeable portion of the drug culture became politically active in left-wing parties and launched a movement to legalize supposedly less harmful drugs such as marijuana. Those advocating unrestrained sexual activity also became politically active within liberal structures, using them to promote this lifestyle and even to promote homosexual, lesbian and transgender lifestyles. As well, the modern feminist movement has been strongly active within liberal politics and many have used liberal structures to promote abortion.
A philosophy called Postmodernism emerged and became the dominant belief system for our secular educational system. Postmodernism teaches that truth and falsehood are just constructions of language and that truth is not really absolute. Instead truth is relative, whatever you want it to be. In many ways, Postmodernism fits well with modern Liberalism. The goal of Postmodernism is to de-construct absolutes as much as possible.
Postmodernism, as well as political forces, have facilitated the merger of Liberalism with Socialism. This is especially true in the Canadian system. Both Socialists (who in Canada go by the name NDP) and Liberals, have a common political enemy, the Conservatives. Liberal-led minority governments are common in twenty-first century Canada. The minority government reality leads liberals and socialists to combine forces in order to pass bills. Combining forces means both of them making compromises and the outcome is a great mixing of liberalism and socialism. What is the name for this mix? Call it “Progressivism.”
What do you get with Progressivism? You get a radicalized liberalism which promotes globalism, humanism, LGBT lifestyle, abortion, postmodernism, relativism, deconstruction and deficit spending. This is blended with the Socialist values of government control, government regulation, censorship and restrictions on personal freedom, such as restrictions on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. Progressivism in a nutshell.
Progressivism embraces other things as well. It promotes religious pluralism, religious liberalism and mass vaccination of the population.
In 2020/2021/2022 we have seen, not only a promotion of, but a strong pressuring from government of mass-vaccination. This pressuring has progressed to an active persecution of unvaccinated citizens, a discrimination and segregation that has resulted in thousands being pushed out of sectors of society and thousands even being pushed out of their jobs.
Vaccines are complex biochemical substances that carry with them a risk of injury or death. The reaction to having these biochemical substances injected into a person may be positive or may be negative, or may have both positive and negative effects. Those effects may be different for different people because our systems are not identical. One person may show no negative effects while another person may exhibit a strong allergic reaction and even go into anaphylactic shock (Which could kill them).
Sadly, people becoming very, very sick after receiving a vaccination has been the experience of many. Consider that in the United States a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was set up in the 1980s to compensate people for vaccine injuries. Since the time of its creation there have been 20,000 petitions for vaccine injuries and the U.S. government has paid out over 4 billion dollars in compensation, and this is all before Covid.
Liberal governments are very pro-vaccine. Liberals would like vaccine safety to be regarded as a settled issue.
Vaccination is an invasive medical procedure that breaks the skin, which from a legal standpoint, classifies it as surgery. Consequently, it carries with it the risks of injury and even death and is subject to the legal principles contained in Canadian Medical Law.
Every Canadian has the right to be free from unwanted physical interference such as an unwanted vaccination. A patient is supposed to be informed of all the medical risks that a medical intervention carries, regardless of how statistically small or great those statistics may be.
Medical Law is in place to protect a citizen’s right to physical autonomy and full participation in decision making regarding medical treatment. In the Canadian Charter Of Rights, citizens are promised rights to “security of the person.” “Security of the person” is actually a basic entitlement guaranteed by the United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, enacted in 1948. This usually refers to a person's right not to be imprisoned unlawfully. However, in Canadian Law “security of the person” extends to defend the “rights to privacy of the body and its health.”
Mandating vaccinations violates this security of the person and individual physical autonomy.
It is because of our laws of informed medical consent, that vaccine manufacturers include warning statements that their vaccine may cause life-threatening allergic reactions and even death. However, it is rare that patients receiving a vaccine are given these warnings to read for themselves.
Because of the radicalization of liberalism, progressivist values and vaccines are pushed on the population with ever increasing intensity. What does this mean for people of Christian faith?
It means that we are on a collision course. Liberals will give some recognition to Christian faith. However, generally, their support is more for theological liberalism (discussed earlier). Liberal Christianity denies most of the central tenants of the Christian Faith, including the inerrancy of the Holy Bible. However, many Liberals marginalize and dismiss Evangelical and Pentecostal believers, who teach what the Bible says.
We are on a collision course. There is no place for real Christian values within the ideology of progressivism.
I believe in freedom to think independently from what the government says that we should think. I believe in freedom to believe independently of what the government says that we should believe. I believe in freedom to speak independently of what the government says that we should speak. Liberal policies of censorship, discrimination, segregation, mandatory vaccination, etc are efforts to force their will on those of us who believe different from them.
What should our response be to the Liberal onslaught? I believe that we should push back, in a non-violent way, but in a bold and emphatic way, and let our governments know that we live by a value system different from theirs.
Does not the Bible teach that we should be in subjection to our government? There are a number of verses that teach subjection to government. Probably the most well-known is Romans13:1-2. It reads this way in the Amplified translation:
“ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God. Therefore whoever [a]resists [governmental] authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who have resisted it will bring judgment (civil penalty) on themselves.”
How are we to understand verses such as this one and others in Scripture? Ask God how He would have you understand and live out this truth. What I think is being said here is that we are not to be anarchists. We believe in good governance and the rule of law. We believe in being good citizens who are contributing to society, not deconstructing it. There is a place for patiently enduring opposition. However, I believe that there is also a place for standing up to government over-reach and systemic evil.
Please remember that the system of government that was in operation, during the time of the writing of the New Testament, was Roman dictatorship. Yes, the Romans had a system of codified law but they still were a dictatorship. Their Caesars and governors held extreme power over their subjects. There was no mechanism for reforming that system. The only way of reforming it was to violently overthrow it, through revolution and yet this was not God’s way. God was not in favour of His people violently revolting against Roman rule. It is not surprising then, that we find passages about being subject to government.
We, however, live in a different political system. Canada is a democracy. This means that common men and women do have the potential to reform the political system, in a non-violent, non-revolutionary way. We have a say in how society and government should be conducted. Because we are a democracy, it also means that government should be responsible towards, and accountable to, its citizens. It means that we have rights and freedoms codified in charters and bills. Those charters and bills are meant to be followed by government officials too, not just by citizens. Those charters and bills are meant to protect citizens from government encroachment and governmental bullying. In a democratic system there is potential for reform. This potential is only realized by pushing back.
How do we push back? There are many ways. Firstly, by prayer. Ask God to intervene. Then if our leaders promote wickedness, vote them out. Speak out. Use social media. Sign petitions. Write letters. Make videos. Participate in peaceful public demonstrations. Contact government leaders. If necessary, use the legal system. Even if you can't afford a lawyer, there are a number of Christian legal organizations that do litigate against governmental injustices and are broadly funded by many people contributing what they can afford. Get your word out. Push back.
Some Christians would say, “I want to stay out of politics and just focus on my faith.” I understand the desire, but you may not have the luxury of doing that for very much longer. Liberalism and Progressivism is continuing to further radicalize. Progressivism is focused on our faith too, to attack and deconstruct it. Many progressives are offended at our sacred beliefs because our beliefs and values are so different from progressivism. All too often, it is they who are taking the battle of world-views to us, bringing the battle to our doorstep.
We are withstanding the Canadian progressive onslaught by organizing ourselves, clarifying our values, maintaining our resolve and pushing back. I am not trying to discriminate against anyone but I feel that we Christians and us unvaccinated, are being discriminated against.
We must make our message and values clear and articulate them to a lost world. Become a fisher of men. All hands on deck. We need every Christian to use his or her giftings, callings and faith for this great battle that we are in and to battle back in respectful and non-violent way.
Liberal politicians, with all due respect, your humanistic, pluralistic, sexually alternative, globalist, postmodern, relativistic worldview and value system does not work for me. When it is forced down my throat, I vomit it back up just as fast because it is unacceptable to me. It is against the very ethos of who I am. I don't want the vaccines either. I don't consider them safe.
Think for a moment about the timeless Jesus Christ. The Holy Son of God. He is the antithesis of so much Liberalism, ball-juggling-politics, the Sexual Revolution, and the Postmodern Revolution. He would not fit in the secular Enlightenment or the secular humanism. He is above all of these things.
I believe that the Bible is the Word of God. I believe that it means what it says and says what it means. I believe that there is one God and one true faith, as outlined in the Bible. I believe that God is Holy. Sin is not a construct; it is something that God calls us to repent from and then saves us from it. We need more of God and less of sin. I believe that truth is absolute. I believe that human life is sacred and that every pre-born baby is created in the image of God. I believe in traditional marriage. We try to reach out to homosexuals, in a loving way, while maintaining that the homosexual lifestyle is not Biblically correct. Holy scripture calls it an abomination (see Leviticus 18:22). I believe that one-world government is the future government of the anti-Christ and I oppose it. I believe that all men and women, regardless of ethnicity or skin colour, are created equal. I believe in freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. These are my sacred beliefs. These are my non-negotiables.
Shawn Stevens
Endnote
1. Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Sword and the Trowel,” Aug. 1887, The “Down Grade” Controversy, 17.
2. John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, et al., A History of Western Society, 7th ed., 1011.
References
Unless otherwise noted, scripture taken from the King James Version
Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati
https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/quotations-growing-radicalism/
Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons, and the French Revolution Paperback – January 1, 2007by Una Birch (Author), James Wasserman (Editor)Publisher: Nicolas Hays (January 2007)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Canada#Into_the_21st_century
MacArthur, John. Does The Truth Matter Anymore? Boca Raton: Cross T.V. Videocassette.
Spurgeon, Charles. The “Down Grade” Controversy. Pasadena: Pilgrim Publications, n.d.
Originally from “The Sword and The Trowel,” 1887.
Twila Paris “God Is In Control” God Shed His Grace- Songs Of Truth And Freedom. Entertainment One.
John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, et al., A History of Western Society, 7th ed., 904-909.
H. G. Wells, The Outline of History : The Whole Story of Man (Garden City: Doubleday and Co. Inc., 1971).
John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, et al., A History of Western Society, 7th ed., 960-961.
John P. McKay, Bennett D. Hill, et al., A History of Western Society, 7th ed., 1011.
1. James Q. Wilson, quoted in George F. Will, “More Prisons, Less Crime,” in Washington Post, June 22, 2008.
Ken Ham, Darwin’s Plantation (Green Forest: Master Books, 2007), 90-91.
https://immunize.ca/immunization-mandatory-canada
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_of_person#cite_note-3
Barney Sneiderman, Prof. John O. Irvine, Philip H. Osborne – Canadian Medical Law – Introduction for Physicians, Nurses and Other Health Care Professionals – Second Edition, 1995 Carswell Thompson Professional Publishing.
https://vaccinechoicecanada.com/