CHRISTIAN TRANSFORMATION

In my speeches and writing, I have often referred to

Alexander Solzhenitsyn
in prison

the spiritual transformation of Russian writer and dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn. His faith in Christ developed while sentenced to eight years in a Russian labour camp because he dared criticize the government. He chronicled his experiences in prison in a series of writings including a trilogy entitled Gulag Archipelago. 

Solzhenitsyn described a spiritual illumination that came to him while languishing in a dank, dark stinking prison cell.  What is particularly noteworthy is that despite his miserable circumstances, Solzhenitsyn began to comprehend the transforming liberty of the children of God. In the midst of his appalling situation, he experienced salvation and joy!

"But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are

being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 
(2 Corinthians 3.16-18)


I, too, have experienced God's illumination and joy even in the midst of degenerative and disabling multiple sclerosis spanning more than thirty years, then cancer.  

Suffering has the concealed power to draw the sufferer toward Christ (if the sufferer allows it). Christ grants a special grace that transcends suffering (if the sufferer allows it). Tears of sorrow and tears of joy can flow together.  With Christ, the sufferer can transcend their anguish to discover a glorious transforming liberty of the children of God, regardless of their circumstances or wretched prospects for their future on earth.

I came across an address of early Church Father Cyril of Alexandria (378-444). In it, he commented on Scripture passage above:

"Does this not show that the Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell and alters the whole pattern of their lives? With the Spirit within them it is quite natural for people who have been absorbed by the things of this world to become entirely other-worldly in outlook ... ."

Saint Cyril went on to speak about how the Spirit gives cowards courage. He stated that this was obviously what happened to the disciples. The Spirit transformed cowardly men — who earlier scattered and hid when Jesus was arrested — into men of courage and resolve for Christ. They faced trials, persecutions and torture. All but John were martyred. 

From then until now, millions of Christians fortified

Christians martyred by ISIS

by the Holy Spirit have courageously faced persecution, trials, torture, sickness and death. 


All who turn to the Lord in faith will be transformed. 
We will gaze with unveiled faces at the glory of God and will be transformed to the same glory.  My puny mind fails to understand the reality that awaits us—the features and magnitude of that transformation. His truth is still partly veiled, I still see as though in a mirror dimly.  Now I see only in part, but I will see Him face to face. I will know just as I am known. (See 1Corinthians 13.12 & 1 John 3.2.)

It will be the same for all who turn to the Lord.

A TRULY CIVILIZED SOCIETY

Massachusetts State House

Exactly 20 years ago, I was asked to appear before a Judicial Committee of the Massachusetts state legislature. They were studying a pending assisted suicide bill. I flew across the continent to the building with the gold dome in Boston and gave my testimony. 

I told the senators that the first and highest obligation of any legislature is to protect and care for its citizens. Laws and policies that support life with dignity and lift up their sick and disabled must be supported. Laws and policies that do not must never be supported. I reminded the senators that centuries of Anglo-American common law prohibited or punished assisted suicide. The bill they were considering contradicted that long legal and moral history. 

And when my testimony was done I flew back to

my little house on the hinterland of western Canada's prairies, in Beaumont, Alberta, to tend the yard God provided for LaRee and me. I hoped the Massachusetts senators would tend the yard God put before them. I simply told the senators what they already knew deep within their own hearts to be true.

Truly civilized societies protect and care for those who cannot protect themselves, beginning the

weakest and most defenceless. Abortion has no place in a truly civilized society. It protects unborn children and provides life-affirming options for their mothers. A truly civilized society reaches out to its mentally and physically ill suicidal people to lift up their natural human dignity. It clears away barriers from its disabled citizens so they can reach their full potential. A truly civilized society is a community of communities that includes all its members. Killing has no place in a truly civilized society. 

Mark Davis Pickup
Email: HumanLifeMatters@shaw.ca

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY

H.W. Pickup
my father

My father has been dead for nearly 50 years. He was of an older generation that believed Christians' should hold themselves accountable to civic responsibility and their faith should be reflected in their public and private lives. Below is a quote of his about the Christian Church in the community.

__________________

“The Christian Church is the most stabilizing influence for any community and that influence is reflected in the interpersonal relationships of its people. This stabilizing and strengthening influence – supplied by Christians who are aware of their responsibilities to live under the direction of their God – has its effect also on their young folk: It is reflected in the schools; it has its effect in young people’s appreciation generally of things that are provided for them at all levels of government, as well as by their families. Not only are they easier to serve within the municipality, but they almost govern themselves. These are ideal people within any community.”

Howard W. Pickup

1960

THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH

The Honorable Judge Brett Kavanagh is being attacked from every angle by liberals and liberal Democrats. Why? They are afraid that his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court will tip the scales in a conservative direction and put their beloved Roe v. Wade in jeopardy.  What they euphemistically call reproductive choice is the choice to kill unwanted unborn children.

As decision day on Brett Kavanaugh draws near, the Democrats are getting desperate to stop his appointment to the Supreme Court. They are even prepared to highlight the dubious accusation of a woman who stepped forward to accuse him of sexual assault over 30 years ago when they were teenagers. The claim is unsubstantiated and Judge Kavanaugh has categorically denied it.

Christine Blasey Ford accuses Brett Kavanaugh of groping her while he was in a drunken state at a teen party when he was seventeen years old. It would be a case of he-said-she-said, if it was not for the only alleged eyewitness Mark Judge.  Ford claims he was present. Mr. Judge says her sex assault claim is completely false, and Ford is lying. Over the next few days, watch to see if the Democrats will try to suppress or ignore Mr. Judge's word and accentuate Ms. Ford's allegation.

We must ask a few questions: Why did Christine Ford come forward with this accusation now, after three decades? Might the answer have something to do with her anti-Trump political activism? (She reported wore a pink brain "pussy hat" at an anti-Trump rally.)

Why are the Democrats so wholeheartedly embracing an unsubstantiated allegation without establishing its veracity? The answer might lie in the fact that the Democratic Party cares less about truth than winning. They are not above trumping up false allegations to discredit opponents or people with whom they disagree (pun intended). We need only remember Roy Moore, Justice Neil Gorsuch and even further back to Justice Clarence Thomas and Robert Bork.

Should Christine Blasey Ford be heard? Absolutely! But If her allegation against Brett Kavanaugh does not hold up to scrutiny, and her testimony proves to be false, then Christine Blasey Ford's behaviour must be utterly condemned by people of all political stripes! It would tarnish the real testimony of women who have been sexually assaulted. It would possibly even hurt the #MeToo movement.  That would be wrong and an injustice to Justice Brett Kavanaugh!

MDP

SCANDALS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

I received an email this morning from my friends at Rockford Pro-Life in Illinois. It had a link to an article entitled "It's been tough to be Catholic these past few weeks." It was written by a young man named Broderick Hooker . (http://prolifecorner.com/its-been-tough-to-be-catholic-these-last-few-weeks/)

Broderick wrote:

'The Delivery of The Keys',
(1481-1482)
Pietro Perugino

"But I refuse to walk away. Here's why. I'm Catholic because I believe what Jesus said when He said, "You are Peter, and upon this Rock I shall build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it." I believe the words of Jesus when he said, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life in you." I believe the words of Jesus when he said, "Whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do to me."

Broderick shows a tenacious loyal adherence to his faith during these discouraging times when the laity are shocked by the behaviour of the clergy, and not the other way round. Catholics everywhere could learn something from Broderick's loyalty to his Catholic faith, and the Mother Church, even in circumstances that have discouraged others to walk away from the Church—and even their faith in Jesus Christ. 

I do not want Catholics to be discouraged by moral corruption being revealed by clergy up to, and including Cardinals. This is what I think: Satan is so threatened by the Catholic Church that he put corruptible and corrupted men into seminaries decades ago knowing they would deviate, corrupt, and create scandal from within—as they rose to positions of authority in the Church. If the Evil one is that threatened -- and He is, then we should take the Church very seriously. 

Let the scandals validate the words of Christ quoted above by Broderick. If the Catholic Church was not a threat to Satan, he would not try so hard to bring it down from within. The gates of Hell could not prevail by attacks from the outside the Mother Church, so the Devil attacks from within.

These scandals will be set right: If not by the princes of the church then by God Himself. Stay and fight for the Catholic Church and Christ. 

A THOUGHT ABOUT THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

“Precisely by contemplating the precious blood of Christ, the sign of his self-giving love, the believer learns to recognize and appreciate the almost divine dignity of every human being and can exclaim with ever renewed and grateful wonder: "How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator…” 

Pope St. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, #25

STACKING THE DECK FOR EUTHANASIA IN CANADA?

Well, Canada is into its second year of medical killing.  More than 99% of our killings under the Justin Trudeau government's so-called Medically Assistance in Dying law are really legalized lethal injections. That's medical killing, not medical assistance in dying. Medical assistance in dying is called palliative care. What we have is euthanasia on demand (or even coerced). A recent story came out about coercion to accept "medical assistance in dying" (euphemism for euthanasia). 

Roger Foley (42) who suffers from cerebral ataxia has released an

audio tape he says proves an Ontario hospital offered him assisted suicide when he actually wants to live with dignity at home. Mr. Foley stated, 

“I have not received the care that I need to relieve my suffering and have only been offered assisted dying.  I have many severe disabilities and I am fully dependent. With the remaining time I have left, I want to live with dignity and live as independently as possible.” 

Mr. Foley continued:

“It is the real truth of what is going on in Canada regarding so many assisted deaths without appropriate safeguards, in combination with the lack of necessary care that is not being provided to persons who are suffering,” 

Foley's lawyer commented: "“Here he is, needing society’s help and care and we turn our back on him and we’re in essence … asking him if he is interested in assisted dying rather than working with him to provide the services he needs,” 

A spokesperson for Canada's Health and death Ministry parrotted the official government line that the federal government's 

policy ensures safe and consistent access to medically assisted death for all Canadians, in accordance with all Charter rights.  Yada-yada. (Pssst! The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not mention a right to death, only a right to life.) The new right to death is a recent twisted aberration of the Canadian Supreme Court.

Welcome to 21st Century Canada where killing the vulnerable is good and helping them to live with dignity is bad. Oh, Canada! 

You can see the news article here.