I Tremble for my Country When I Reflect that God is Just

Every now and then I am reminded of just how bad the situation is for human rights in Canada, and am grateful yet again that I now live in the free world.

Some time today—I can't be bothered to work out the time difference—TVO's “The Agenda” is broadcasting a piece on the new atheist campaign to festoon Canadian buses with ads saying “THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.”

Their guest roster features a representative of the Humanist Association, an atheist group; a clinical psychologist; the president of the Freethought Association of Canada, another atheist group; the chair of the “Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity”; and Kathy Shaidle, a prominent Catholic blogger.

This counts as journalistic balance? It might look that way: two avowed atheists, two "Christians" (why not a Muslim or Jew?), and a psychologist who might be either. But there's a Fifth Column here: the “Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity” might call itself “Christian,” as anyone can, but it is not a monotheist organization. The chair's most recent book, for example, is titled With or Without God, and it argues specifically that belief in God is not important. The famous Bishop Spong wrote the introduction.

It seems to me two atheists ought to be balanced by two theists; this guest list seems faked to make the claims of monotheists seem more dubious than they really are.

But that's not all. There is now an apparently full-fledged email campaign to convince TVO to cancel its invitation to one of its guests. Which one? You already guessed it, didn't you? The Catholic, Kathy Shaidle. Christianity is almost beyond the pale of polite discussion now in Central Canada.

The United Church, as well, has done no good by launching a campaign counter to the atheist one with posters that proclaim “THERE'S PROBABLY A GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.”

That, too, is a Fifth Column. As William Blake said, “the person who pretends to be a modest enquirer into the truth of a self-evident thing is a knave.” The existence of God is, in philosophical terms, very close to self-evident. And the proper response is hardly to go about your business as before.

“THERE IS A GOD. NOW WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION IN FEAR AND TREMBLING.”

The lukewarm are not with God—he spits them out.