The Canadian Armed Forces has implemented a controversial new policy, effectively banning all mention of God, Bible readings and prayers from official military events and ceremonies.



When young men and women decide to give their lives to the service of this country, they are typically sworn in with an oath affirming their commitment to support and defend the United States (and its Constitution) against enemies, foreign and domestic. Members not only promise to obey orders from the President, but also those appointed under military law. The final words, though traditional, are optional: “so help me God.”

While most of the 55 delegates who drafted the U.S. Constitution were identified as Christians, faith in this specific context has always been personal and left to the officer's discretion. In Canada, however, the freedom to express one’s belief in God has now been banned.

According to the Christian Institute, the “mention of God, Bible readings, and prayers have been banned by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) from all official events,” as directed by Military Personnel Command.

Not only does the policy ban the mention of God and religion, but it applies to all official Government business and military ceremonies. That includes things like graduation parties, ship commissioning, dinners, and Remembrance Day. But why was the decision suddenly made?

In a statement issued by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop McCaig objects to this policy for forcing military members and chaplains to operate without the use of “words, actions, or symbols specific to a particular faith or spiritual tradition.”

Though the ban is Canada’s attempt to neutralize religious influence, McCaig states that “meaning, purpose, and spiritual wellbeing” can’t be removed from God. McCaig argues that “the new policy requires precisely such a separation and therefore conflicts with the Charter’s protection of the fundamental freedoms of conscience and religion.”

At this early stage in the decision-making process, McCaig and other Christians encourage God’s people to remain faithful in prayer, learn about the military ban, and ask the Lord how He might lead them to respond to the situation.

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