Advent season and the culture of death

The True North, strong and bloodthirsty

The brothers over at the Dominion Podcast recently dropped an excellent episode examining our Canadian culture of death, including its effects and how to resist it through faithful obedience. I highly recommend having a listen (here). They go into some detail about just how much of a bloodlust Canada possesses, but I wanted to get deep into the statistical realities of the ghoulish death cult that controls every institution and pulls every lever of power in our country.

Each year in Canada, about 100,000 pre-born babies are murdered by their mothers and doctors, and sometimes fathers. Less than 0.01% of these are due to rape or incest. This means that the vast majority of innocent pre-born life is violently snuffed out because of selfishness and convenience. Based on numbers from a trusted source intimately familiar with the facts, given the number of in vitro fertilization procedures in Canada each year, and the upwards of 93% of those conceived children that end up in either the garbage or in eternal cryo-sleep, the number of pre-born babies that are killed through IVF could be anywhere from three to five times as much as prenatal infanticide. We also have no idea how many deaths occur as a result of the “morning after pill.”

Since 2019, we have seen an exponential growth in doctor-assisted murders, commonly called “Medical Assistance in Dying.” There were 5,631 murders in 2019, 7,595 murders in 2020, 10,064 murders in 2021, and 13,241 murders in 2022. On average, that is an increase of 35% year over year. If trends continue, the number of murders for 2023 should be just under 18,000, and 2024 should be just over 24,000. Including pre-born baby murder as number one, that makes doctor-assisted murder the fourth highest cause of death in Canada.

We don’t even have access to the number of people in Canada, including children, who have undergone gender destroying care in our country. These people are not only sterilized through these barbaric practices, but many of them will end up committing suicide as a result of their deep depression. Our country also supports safe-injection sites for illegal drugs, including vending machines for drug paraphernalia that are accessible to minors.

A liar and a murderer from the beginning

What could possibly be behind this love affair our country has with death? Why is Canada so hell-bent – literally – on destroying human life and killing as many people as we can? The reason for this, by the way, is not political, sociological, or even philosophical. No, the reason is deeply spiritual. We are in the throes of a death campaign being directed by forces of darkness in the spiritual realm.

In the Scriptures, wisdom personified (basically the Lord) says this about itself:

“Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” – Proverbs 8:34-36

But still, why would a hatred of wisdom necessarily equal a love of death? Jesus offers us the true reason when confronted by the religious leaders over His claims to be greater than Abraham. He said this:

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – John 8:44

Satan is a murderer. He would kill God if he could. I’m sure he would have killed Adam and Eve, if he could have, in the Garden of Eden. I’m sure he wants to kill every person who bears God’s image. And, if every person who is not in Christ is a slave to Satan, doing the murderous bidding of their demonic master, then it should come as no surprise that Canada is full of God-hating, Satan-following, liars and murderers in our State, health, media, and educational institutions.

A life-and-death proxy war

But the question remains, why is Satan committed to all of this death? Why is he directing people to snuff out as much innocent life in Canada as possible? Why drive people to murder pre-born babies, the elderly, and destroy lives in between those two life stages? Is it just because he’s really grumpy, or cranky, as if he has some bone to pick with humans? The truth is, Satan’s war with humanity is actually a proxy war with God Himself.

Isaiah 14:3-21 is a rather scathing indictment against the King of Babylon. Because of his pride and arrogance he will be destroyed, just as all of God’s enemies eventually are. Now, while this is clearly about the King of Babylon, many theologians, including several early Church Fathers, saw an additional perspective – almost like the foreground and background in a painting – concerning the sin of Satan in Heaven, his rebellion, and his expulsion from Heaven.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.” – Isaiah 14:12-15

Satan desired to be above God. He wanted to be ruler supreme over the Universe. In his pride and self-idolatry, he was cast out of Heaven by God and consigned to an eventual eternal destruction (Revelation 20:7-10). Satan wanted to be God, and when he could not, he burned with murderous hatred. When Satan then appeared to the first humans, he tempted them with the same sin that he coveted deep in his own heart, that they would be just like God (Genesis 3:4-5). I believe Satan knew full well what would happen to Adam and Eve, that they would be cursed with death and separation from God, just as he was separated from God and condemned to eternal destruction.

But why? I mean, of course Satan hates God. But why come after human beings and bring the string of death into their lives? Well, if Satan can’t destroy God, which he wants to, the next best thing would be to destroy those who bear God’s image – human beings. Satan’s campaign to mar, maim, and murder as many human beings as possible is his passive-aggressive way of getting back at God. It’s ultimately petty, childish, and pathetic behavior from a megalomaniac. Satan’s war with humanity is actually as close as he can come to making war with God Himself.

True reflections of the Sculptor’s self-portrait

No other creature in all of creation, visible or invisible, bears God’s divine image. Not even angels are made in the image of their Creator. That honour belongs exclusively to you and me, the creatures from the dust. This means that we share in God’s communicable attributes; we possess in finite measure attributes which God possesses infinitely. We can be loving, creative, thoughtful, patient, kind, gracious, and we can make real decisions that have real consequences. The glory of humans is that we bear the image of our Heavenly Father – there is a family resemblance.

All of Satan’s modern methods in human destruction are a direct attack on that image. If our maleness and femaleness (through which the Creator allows us to procreate) is a unique aspect of our image-bearing, it’s no wonder that Satan would attack human beings on such a fundamental level as sex and gender. If pre-born babies, those whom God is actively knitting together in their mother’s wombs (Psalm 139:13), happen to be the most innocent and vulnerable of all God’s image-bearers, it’s no wonder that Satan would want to snuff out their lives before we even lay eyes on them. If elderly people, bearing glorious crowns of gray hair (Proverbs 16:31 and 20:29), are unique image-bearers filled with wisdom and experience, it’s no wonder that Satan would want to execute them before they have a chance to pass on their legacy of godly obedience to younger generations.

Satan is essentially acting like a bitter and emotional teenage girl who is upset because her boyfriend broke up with her. Rather than attack him, she proceeds to destroy his belongings, especially any gifts he had given her and pictures she has of either just him or of the two of them together. That’s what Satan is doing with human beings; acting like a vain, selfish, entitled teenage girl who is bitter because her boyfriend broke up with her, essentially taking out his teenage angst against God on those who bear God’s image.

Pro-life from the cradle to the grave

How are we supposed to respond to this reality? How do we deal with having such a great enemy, a dragon who, through his minions, always lives to make war with the saints (Revelation 13:7)? First of all, understanding our spiritual situation is a great start, and one that most professing Christians fail to comprehend. The cultural war is a proxy for a spiritual war. The attack on life is an attack on God via those who bear His image. We have not been raised to see reality through these lenses, but for the sake of your soul and that of your progeny, you better put on these glasses and see this spiritual reality with clarity. The time for ignorance is over.

Second, you can make it a point to choose life and actually be pro-life. As you are able, get married and have lots of children. Encourage couples to, as they are able, have lots of children. If you are a person that gives big families a weird look and thinks children are great so long as they don’t inconvenience your life too much, you need to repent, because Satan approves of your thoughts and actions much more than you think.

Third, it’s time to get off the sidelines and into the game, which is indeed a contest where the stakes are life and death. You might not be a person who ministers at prenatal infanticide mills while pleading for the lives of the pre-born (if you are, praise God), but you can tell people about this great genocide and condemn it at every opportunity. For those of us who cannot have our own children, we should consider doing what we can to adopt those children who have been left parentless, for whatever reason. If your parents are older and in need, rather than outsource their care, take responsibility for their well-being and show them and your children that you honour the gray head (Leviticus 19:32) and that you believe the elderly still bear God’s image. Afterall, without their selfless and thankless job in being your parents, you would be dead.

Finally, have these conversations with people in your household and in your church. This is not a “keep culture out of the church” kind of issue. This really is a matter of life and death, both physical and spiritual. If your elders are not willing to have these discussions, even going as far as condemning these great evils from the pulpit, in private, or in public, you may want to consider finding an actual shepherd who will guard the sheep from wolves and do whatever is necessary to protect and dignify life (Acts 20:26-30).

Celebrating the baby that was given for our salvation

This is the first week of Advent, a time of year when we consider the Incarnation more intentionally. We prepare for a celebration of Christmas, when God took on human flesh and became a little baby who would grow into the Man that would accomplish God’s saving purposes in redemptive history. What does the Incarnation have to do with the present reality of our Canadian culture of death? Well, everything.

The Eternal Son of God became a baby in order to sacrificially live and die for us as a man that we might find life in Him. In contrast, our culture of death sacrifices innocent babies upon the altar of consequence-free sex in order that we might selfishly live our best and fullest lives. Every time a pre-born baby is slaughtered inside of his or her mother’s womb, Satan proclaims that it would have been fine to murder the pre-born Christ. This plunges us to an incomprehensible depth of vileness. You see, the destruction and snuffing out of innocent life, especially pre-born human life, is utterly evil, demonic, and antichrist.

Christmas reminds us that human life matters to God. The Incarnation reminds us that the human life of our Saviour is incomparably precious to us. Jesus’ life willingly given for us is the source of our eternal joy and hope. So if I could add a final way to respond to the dark realities of our times, it would be to celebrate Christmas with joy and passion, reflecting that our newborn King was brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold because He was to be crowned as King of the Universe. Frankincense because He serves as the Great High Priest who makes intercession for His people. Myrrh because in His death He is for us a spotless Lamb and atoning sacrifice for our sins.