Posted on 04/11/2021 2:34:18 PM PDT by USA Conservative
Officials in Alberta, Canada, shut down a church that broke coronavirus restrictions by erecting chain-link metal fencing around the building.
“This is what happens when you have freedom of religion in a free and democratic society: they jail your pastor for freely opening the doors of the church and serving Christ’s sheep and hurting people. Now they’ve chained the doors of GraceLife Church enclosing in chain link fence,” an Instagram post from Erin Coates, the wife of pastor James Coates, reads.
Police and health officials blocked off the roads surrounding GraceLife Church and erected the fencing. It is the first time that Canadian officials forcibly had to close a church during the pandemic.
Video below:
What began as a peaceful protest outside GraceLife church — just west of Edmonton — escalated when protesters tore down some of the fencing surrounding the property on Sunday afternoon.
A couple of hours into the demonstration, dozens of protesters began tearing down the tall metal fences that were installed by Alberta Health Services (AHS) earlier this week.
Video below:
In a statement, Alberta RCMP addressed the situation at GraceLife.
“The Alberta RCMP will continue to act to preserve the peace and maintain public safety. The RCMP will use only the level of intervention necessary to ensure the safety of all citizens and to maintain peace, order, and security.
“The RCMP uses necessary measures to protect the fundamental freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, to promote the safety of all citizens, to enforce laws and to maintain peace and order. In turn, it must be recognized that while everyone has a right to peaceful freedom of expression; the general public, local residents and businesses also have the right to a safe environment.”
It is the right and the duty of the governor of every state to call up their militias for duty in times of crisis. I fully expect Florida's militia will be prepared for something like that. No federal troops on our soil!
What would your pastor say, if the government told all women to get abortions?
Dunno. He does speak out against abortions though.
More criminal cops doing whatever they are told to do so they can keep getting their pay check.
You see it south of the Canadian border. Many pastors/churches defied the lockdown and continued to worship. Most famously I think John MacArthur who was threatened with jail and said fine, I’ll start a jail ministry. He did NOT back down. They blinked. Although they stopped leasing him a parking lot.
Our brown shirts didn’t put up any fences so there were none to tear down. Many churches however faced threats and accrued fines. Many went to court. Some won. Some lost. Some pending.
I wish a million more had. But those who did should be credited.
Yes. There is biblical warrant for disobeying authorities who refuse to allow us to gather for worship.
Normatively Christians submit to government. As we should. But not always. There comes a time. The cancellation of the assembly is the time IMO.
Tell your pastor to read Acts 4 paying special attention to verse 19 and 29.
I’ll go for that esp. verse 29
But what if the pastor comes back saying all government is appointed by God therefor we must obey the government? He even mentioned Nero and Caesar.
I am sure if the government ordered doctors and nurses to perform abortions, any true Christian would defy such an order. At least I would hope so!
Remind your pastor of the hebrew midwives who “feared God” and refused Pharoah’s order to kill the newborn males of Israel. Moses was saved by disobedience to the Government. So was Jesus when the wisemen refused to go back Herod to report where Jesus was. The wisemen disobeyed the king.
I’ll just mention Acts 4:18-29 as well. Thanks for that info.
As Caesar did he mean Julius. That Julius who sought to weaken the corrupt Senate’s power packing it with people drawn from more common freemen?
Pharoah of Egypt was “allowed” by God to be ruler...yet the midwives defied him.
It’s really a simple explanation. Governments have a sphere that we are to respect but when they act against God ordered morality, even forbidding the worship of God then the governments have stepped out of God’s order and must be resisted. Christ said we render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, we render to God what is God’s. Do you think it was just about taxes and money?
Peter told them We ought to obey God rather than men.
When God and government are in conflict God wins.
Exodus 1 The midwives.
Daniel 6, Daniel.
The Entire BOOK of Acts.
Did they quit preaching because of Nero? Or any of the other governments that told them to shut down?
No.
Sure they paid for it. Some even died rather then obey the government.
Good grief even Jesus disobeyed the government.
Repeatedly.
Luke 13
Matthew 12
John 9.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. ~ Daniel 6:10
Sorry”air”
Wouldn’t that apply to Federal facilities on a federal national lockdown? I have a feeling Gov Desantis will keep the state open regardless. Especially since his strategy is working. This Floridian would help dismantle the fences.
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