A new documentary claims that the crackdown on churches by the Canadian government resembles communist China.
“The Government War on Worship,” which was released by the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, begins by highlighting how Christians are brutally persecuted in China despite the guarantee of religious freedom in the Chinese Constitution, according to “The Daily Wire.” The film then pivots to draw parallels between China’s tactics and how churches in Canada have been treated since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged from the communist state.
“It’s exactly like communist China,” said Justice Centre president John Carpay in the video. Speaking of the case against Edmonton pastor James Coates, who was arrested in February and whose GraceLife Church was forced underground after police barricaded its building, Carpay said, “Pastor Coates and GraceLife Church have been quite public about the fact that they are continuing to meet and worship every Sunday, and they’re doing so in secret. And in rural Alberta, there are thousands and thousands of big barns and all kinds of private properties where church services can be held and are being held.”
The documentary goes on to recount the case of Pastor Artur Pawlowski, who was arrested in the middle of a busy highway on his way home from his Calgary church and dragged into a police van after he refused to allow health bureaucrats to interrupt his service. Pawlowski alleged that some of the prison guards mistreated him and mocked him for his Christian faith.
The film then touches on the arrest of Pastor Tim Stephens, also of Calgary, whose Fairview Baptist Church was locked by authorities when they continued to congregate. Stephens later was released after the Justice Centre argued that the court order under which he was arrested did not apply to him, but he later was arrested again when a police helicopter found where his church was secretly gathering outdoors.
Several members of GraceLife Church also speak in the film about what it has been like to have their church singled out. Among them is Dr. Donna Klay, a health care professional who mentioned how many of her patients are falling ill because of the stress induced by the seemingly perpetual lockdowns.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
