The Online Streaming Act (aka Bill C-11 or “An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts”) has garnered attention in the news and in the Christian world. It’s been dubbed by critics as a censorship bill with some warning that it will fundamentally change the availability of information in Canada through the internet and the many platforms that depend upon it.
You can read the bill for yourself here, but how it will be interpreted, applied, and enforced will be another matter altogether. Time will tell whether fears are justified and the predictions correct.
What I wish to do is give a brief analysis of the worldview or religious convictions behind this bill which will shortly become law in Canada. This piece of legislation is downstream of the religious exchange in our country from Christianity to an atheistic progressive socialism which gets its moral compass from Marx rather than Moses and its promised salvation in human government rather than Christ and his kingdom.
1. “Canadian Values” now include Queer Theory, Gender Theory, Marxism, and other “Woke” Ideologies
We hear a lot these days about Canadian values or a Canada for everyone or an inclusive, welcoming, and safe society. These terms are like a thick blanket acting as a veil to hide what is underneath. If laws are representative of values and ethics—and certainly they are—then the latest laws passed in Canada represent a new ethic and a rejection of God and his ethic. We’re assured that newer is better but there were a few new ideas that flowered in the 20th century that proved to have disastrous and deadly consequences for millions of people.
Recent bills passed in Canada are enshrining queer theory, gender theory, and neo-Marxism as Canadian values. These ideas are dangerous and destructive. The first line of our constitution states, “Canada was founded upon the supremacy of God and the rule of law.” No longer. In this bill, ironically from the office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the supremacy of God is out and queer theory, gender theory, and cultural Marxism is now in.
The proposed law states that it will update Canada’s broadcasting policy (whether traditional or online) to “serve the needs and interests of all Canadians, including Canadians from racialized communities and Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, abilities and disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and ages.”
This law seeks to make sure the information going to all Canadians is informed by the new state religion. But this promotion of SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identities) will continue to destroy marriage, the family, children, safety in public spaces, and ultimately, all of society. Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas are a disaster.
2. Enshrining Identity Politics into Law
Rather than allowing an individual stand on his own merit, be commended for his own character, or promoted for his own effort and intellect, everyone is placed into a defining group. There is black culture, white culture, or indigenous culture. There is the LGBTQ+ community, the faith community, the black community, and so forth. People are identified by their skin color, sexual preferences, or other characteristics. Then they’re lumped together and painted with a broad brush. Lines are drawn between oppressor and oppressed, the haves and have nots, the abusers and the victims. This neo-Marxist or critical theory interpretation is designed to take down the oppressor, the haves, and the abusers so that we might have a just and equitable society. This has never worked and only leads to the destruction of society rather than justice and equity. It never builds, but only seeks power to destroy.
In Christianity, skin color nor ethnicity nor gender define a person. Rather, virtues include honor, courage, valor, humility, self-sacrifice, commitment, love, and hard work define a person. In Christ, there is not one group that is privileged or treated with prejudice. But in this new bill, identity politics will continue to be promoted such that people are defined by their group rather than their character.
3. Enshrining Affirmative Action and Systemic Prejudice into Law
“Affirmative action, also known as positive discrimination, involves sets of policies and practices within a government or organization seeking to include particular groups based on their gender, race, sexuality, creed or nationality in areas in which such groups are underrepresented — such as education and employment.”
Under this new bill, the government of Canada will seek to apply this ideology to what Canadians see on TV or through the internet. The underlying assumption is that there is systemic racism and prejudice against particular groups and so affirmative action is needed to promote these oppressed groups. In other words, you fight prejudice with prejudice.
But is this the case? Are artists, journalists, singers, and musicians being suppressed because of systemic prejudice? Is there any evidence of this? In addition, has the government, through the arm of the CRTC ever helped lift someone out of their “oppression” so the world can see their true talent? In fact, what we’re likely going to see is more artists, singers, and musicians heading south to the US rather than remain in a repressive, government regulated industry in Canada. And to top it all off, what artist wants to have lingering questions in their mind whether they “made it” because of their talent or because of affirmative action?
4. Creeping Totalitarianism
There is a misnomer that totalitarianism is a form of dictatorship antithetical to a democracy like our own. The idea of totalitarianism is that the government centralizes power and regulates the totality of life. That is, public and private life, religious gatherings, media and entertainment, etcetera, all come under the regulatory rule of the government. It’s clear that each year we creep further and further into a totalitarian state.
Our government has not only presumed to define marriage, gender, and shutdown society in an effort to control a virus. But our government is giving bureaucratic ideologues the task of regulating “Canadian” values and Canadian content. Under this new law, Canadian content is not defined by where content is produced or who produced it but rather if it is in keeping with the state’s definition of “Canadian values.” How is this different than state run media in Russia, Nazi Germany, China, or North Korea? The free press and freedom of speech emerged from a Christian worldview. The doctrine of man and sin is plenty reason enough to argue for limited government and limited regulation by a few in power. We already have too much regulation and this law adds to the burden that will eventually break the camel’s back.
Questions remain on what this law means for user generated content. But it will certainly affect what Canadians will see on social media platforms and not just traditional broadcasters. Whether now or later, it is inevitable that user generated content will fall under this same rubric—for safety, inclusion, and the protection of the public of course. The totalitarian creep will continue as the state acts like a beast swallowing up everything around it.
The Christian Response?
How should we respond to such a law and the ideologies that undergird it? There are a number of ways in which we can be steadfast in the shifting culture around us. Each of these could be explored in detail, but I’ll list them briefly here.
1. Speak truth. Don’t self-censor or be forced to follow the narrative. Our role as Christians includes speaking the truth of God’s word. We have a message to declare, so let us declare it with boldness and accuracy in season and out of season. The world needs the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Find alternate sources of information rather than the “state-approved” spin. There are a growing number of alternative sources of information available. Be discerning whether it’s government-approved or from an alternative source. Some are preying on a growing skepticism toward the government that is unhealthy and we can get caught up in unprofitable discussions.
3. Be creators rather than consumers. It is easy for us to consume news, entertainment, music, videos, and on and on. Our society is consumeristic. That’s the air we breathe. As Christians, we should limit our consumption and be busy creating. Let us be culture builders who build a home, build a church, build a business, build a community and from that overflow create music, video, and art that will be a blessing to those around us. There is a Christian aesthetic or beauty that we should be building and advancing rather than consuming the products of godless modernity.
Above all, Christ is still the King of kings and Lord of lords. The nations may rage against him but they rage in vain. Let’s not despair what the world may do but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness!