Atheism and Apostasy Not the Right Road

In October past I announced that The Telegram, our province’s largest daily newspaper, had accepted me onto their Community Editorial Board, and at the same time I also posted my first editorial.

Here’s my second editorial, published in Wednesday’s paper.

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Atheism and apostasy not the right road

Many people seem to think that the atheism of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens is building great momentum. But can their philosophy be properly described as simply atheism? Or is it something much more sinister than merely denying God? To me it gives evidence of being oftentimes aggressively anti-Christian and anti-God. Shouldn’t it be better labeled as the spirit of anti-Christ? Is that too shocking and dramatic to say? I don’t think so but whatever it might

be called there is no doubt that a historically unique movement of people has been forming. Certainly these individuals disavow any connection to an oftentimes hypocritical and repugnant form of Christianity broken loose from its moorings in a post modern world. But again I ask whether what we are seeing is an expression of a fierce spirit of apostasy which has been breeding within the ranks of organized Christian bodies over long periods and which is now disguised as atheism.

Because atheism and apostasy pose grave threats to our well being as a society, I propose a review of some of the uncomplicated cultural distinctives throughout two millennia that have set the true Christian apart from the surrounding, and often godless, culture.

Maybe this review will prove helpful to the reader in assessing any question of apostasy and thereby any culpability in sustaining a post-modern “Christian” society overwhelmed by a culture of death. If so, it might count as a service to the soul since, I assume, we all wish to avoid the “terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries” [Hebrews 10:27], a reference to the future, and personal, encounter with God by all those who forsake Him.

In particular, those who shepherd the flock of God and who are sharply warned by Scripture against leading God’s little ones astray are urged to seriously consider this review. I suggest that the following historic Christian distinctives ought to urgently and intently preoccupy us.

1. Evangelizing society with unassailable drive. Preach Jesus Christ as the only way to be reconciled to God.
2. Viewing earthly life as a temporary residence. All thought and action must be accounted for and is a preparation for heaven to come. Choosing against Christ is choosing separation from God forever in hell.
3. Christians the most generous of people, giving up possessions, talents and even their lives for God and neighbour. Unparalleled hospitality and radical relief of the poor and the sick.
4. Christians bestowing great dignity, love and justice upon even the lowliest sinner, criminal or slave. Unequivocal opposition to abortion and infanticide.
5. Christians, the servants of all, ministering to others as unto Christ Himself. This revolutionized Christian leadership as well as the world of business and politics.
6. Christian marriage and the family replacing the State as the cornerstone of a new civilization. No sex outside marriage. All sexual activity, both heterosexual and otherwise, aimed at circumventing procreation constitutes a perversion of God’s order and an abomination. Strictly practiced by all Christians until first defied in the 1930’s by the Anglicans who sought exemption for birth control. Marriage and the family have not since recovered. Neither have the Anglicans, nor every Christian body which followed them, nor society in general.

Clearly we have strayed from the path. With courage we must return.

Eric Alcock Asked to Join Editorial Board of Newfoundland & Labrador's Largest Newspaper, The Telegram

Well, not quite, but it does make a good headline, doesn’t it?

I actually had to apply for the position.

Today, Wednesday October 10, my first Community Board editorial appears in the local newspaper, The Telegram. The Telegram is Newfoundland and Labrador's largest newspaper, and publishes 7 days a week. It also has an on-line version, The Telegram. Its by-line is "The People's Paper", accompanied by the Provincial flag. The Telegram selected a total of 16 individuals for the Board from the applications they received.

I was very surprised that The Telegram accepted me onto the Community Editorial Board due to my well known pro-life activism and, shall we say, classical Christian stance. Hopefully it will be a mutually rewarding experience for me, The Telegram and The Telegram’s readers from now until next July.

Here’s the editorial which appears in today’s paper.

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The Future—It’s In Our Hands

“I question The Telegram’s claim of being unbiased. Their editors, columnists and even their volunteer editorial board rarely, if ever, offer contrary views to the steady diet of pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, amoral bias of their commentary…Their acceptance of a few letters to the editor hardly qualifies as balancing the scales…surely there should be room for one [outspoken] pro-life minded columnist.”

With that rant, I ended my letter to the editor a little more than a year ago. Today, The Telegram is making me eat my words.

People are reluctant in our day to raise the subject of morals—unless of course it’s their kind of morals. Take for instance the recent comments about Danny Williams’ plan to give $1000 for every new child born in the province. Many scorned the plan, saying it would be abused and lead to more “unwanted children” and besides, the government has no business in our bedrooms. Yet some of these same self-proclaimed family planning “specialists” insist that not only must government legally protect the right to “terminate” these “products of conception” but that government must use taxpayer money to finance the destruction of the “unwanted” pre-born children resulting from their own bedroom activities.

Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I agree with Danny’s bizarre approach to the problem of a “dying race.” Imagine—paying some mothers to create children while at the same time paying other mothers to violently destroy nearly a thousand new budding unborn lives just months away from residency. It’s a strange way to prove he is concerned about population growth but when Bishops and pastors would rather busy themselves with politically correct issues such as AIDS, poverty and the environment, what’s a premier to do? Indeed, forty years of outrageous sexual license in our society testifies to the far greater cowardice of today’s religious leaders. Honestly Danny I feel for you but, again, it’s just skewed morals at work.

Nevertheless, give this premier his credit—he rightly sees the future of Newfoundland and Labrador endangered by depopulation “choices.” Likewise I’m concerned about the future and I see dangers too. I’ve been accused of being a one issue guy. I admit it’s true. But the issue is not abortion.

The issue is our future—that of my children and grandchildren. That future will be best guarded by those who believe an accounting for their actions in this life will be demanded in the next. I hope we’ve just elected some politicians with such beliefs.

We’re back to morals again aren’t we? If lying, stealing, cheating and adultery are still not legitimate choices, why should pornography, gambling, sex outside marriage and all manner of sexual perversion be acceptable for our future?

The fact is that all of these choices are downright dangerous to our future because they destroy the fabric of our society. They represent selfish behaviour which paves the way for our province’s greatest challenges: abortion, sexual perversion and promiscuity, sexual assault and violence, school bullying, the home care crisis which is simply another ugly expression of elder abuse, corrupt politicians, STD and VLT epidemics. These all expose a crisis regarding respect for the life and presence of our fellow man.

I thank The Telegram for the opportunity in the coming months to share my views on the above subjects which touch the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians daily. It will be my goal to place the subject of right morals front and centre where it belongs.

Canada's First Life Chain (On Sept. 30, 2007) Held In St. John's, NL

Between 2:30 and 3:30 pm today, Canada's first Life Chain took place in the city of St. John's in Canada's most easterly province, Newfoundland and Labrador. The weather was cool and variable but spirits were strong.