Canadian Military Chaplains Ordered to Not Mention God

Canada’s military chaplains are being told they can’t mention God in public prayers, raising serious concerns about religious freedom. Meanwhile, President Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” is escalating tensions with Canada.

New instructions for Canadian military chaplains were released just last month, and the situation couldn’t be more different. According to the new guidelines about what chaplains can say at any type of public or semi-public event.

CAF members providing public remarks or an address of any type at a public or semi-public event in their capacity as a CAF member shall uphold the principle of state religious and spiritual neutrality by not using words, actions, or symbols that are specific to a particular SFT on the part of the Government of Canada. This does not include personal religious items of dress, which may be worn as authorized by the CAF Dress Instructions…For all events connected to official government business, such as a military ceremony or commemorative event, where CAF members are expected or mandated to attend, and prayers or religious observances have been requested, chaplains (or those noted in the Application section above) must instead offer a spiritual reflection.

So, in Canada, military chaplains are no longer allowed to pray. Even if asked. They can only offer a spiritual reflection. What is that, you ask?

According to the new guidelines, spiritual reflections “are inclusive public addresses to a group of individuals that nurture resilience by fostering meaning, purpose, and spiritual well-being, especially within a culture of care and service.”

Further instructions clarify:  

Spiritual reflections do not use religious specific language, including references to God, etc. They reflect upon lessons learned, beliefs, values, and experiences to inspire gratitude, remembrance, hope, and integrity. These principles are grounded in a respect for freedom of conscience and religious expression, while upholding the dignity and value of diverse spiritual traditions.

So, no prayer, and no God.

Military chaplains in Canada are essentially having their mouths taped right now, being told not only can't you mention your own specific religious beliefs, but you can't even mention God. Makes one ask, why even have a chaplain?

But it seems to be a busy time for writing up new rulebooks in Canada, and it just gets worse. Canada’s state media, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), is telling its journalists NOT to call the 9/11 attacks terrorism.

According to Forbes:

Canada’s public broadcaster, the CBC, defended its guidance to journalists not to use the word “terror” when writing about the upcoming 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people – including 26 Canadians.

"It is the practice of the CBC to exercise extreme caution before using the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorism,’" CBC Public Affairs Director Kerry Kelly said Thursday, explaining that the network’s preference is for those terms to be used with attribution, or only when a source or interview subject says them.

Canada is concerned about the term “terrorist attack” so they're just going to call it a hijacking. It's too politically charged to call it terrorism. Really, Canada? “Hijacking”  barely begins to cover the scope and scale of what happened to the U.S. on September 11th, 2001.  

So in Canada, they’re silencing faith and they’re covering for terrorism. But unfortunately, the world seems more preoccupied with President Trump declaring Lake Ontario will now be known as Lake America.

  Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of these new rules banning the free speech of Canadian military chaplains. We also spoke with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Ric Grenell who gave his reaction to the President’s renaming of a Great Lake.

Watch the full broadcast below: