I recently read of two events that took place in Canada that in some ways define the cultural climate of hostility against Christianity and its roots.
The first involved an Orthodox Priest who was allegedly fired for praying for Israel and the second involved a leader of a political party who quickly apologized after stating in a media interview that her favorite person was Jesus Christ.
Father Vladimir Tobin, 77, served as a priest for St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. According to Breaking Israel News (BIN), he got into trouble with his overlords in the Orthodox church when he publicly prayed for Israel.
BIN reports that on August 12, Tobin received a letter from America Archbishop Irénée who serves as the archbishop of Canada telling Tobin it was time for him to retire because his ministry had a “Jewish twist.”
Apparently the assistant pastor at the church had contacted the archbishop complaining that during one service Tobin had asked his congregation to pray for Israel. Initially, the archbishop had asked for Tobin’s retirement in April this year, but relented when the parishioners complained.
However, in August the Archbishop went back on his pledge and ordered Tobin’s resignation in August.
Tobin, whose grandmother was Jewish, told his congregation that Jesus was a Jew and if I may add the Lord was and still is the Jewish Messiah. That hasn’t changed and according to the Apostle Paul, based on his interpretation of the Old Testament, a day is coming when the Jews would embrace Christ as their Messiah:
26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
Romans 11:26 NASV
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
Tobin also realized in his studies that the early Christians were Jewish and their scripture was the Old Testament.
He told BIN:
“I was happy in Orthodoxy but felt there was some anti-Jewishness there. I wrote a piece for publication, but was told by my superiors that it was ‘too Jewish.’ That increased my determination that Christianity grew from Judaism. My own theology recognized a faith that started with Abraham and grew through the centuries through Christ.”
Apparently the Archbishop has decided that his version of Christianity is incompatible with Judaism and the Bible.
Then in a recent interview with CBC, Canada’s state broadcaster, Vassy Kapelos asked Elizabeth May, the leader of Canada’s Green Party, who her favorite person was.
Without a moment’s hesitation, May replied Jesus Christ, then almost as quickly apologized stating she had not “self-edited” her comment. When the interviewer asked why she had to apologize for her faith, May explained that she did so because the Green Party is a tolerant and diverse party and accepts all opinions (apparently except those it doesn’t agree with).
As National Post columnist Matt Gurney stated:
“The Green Party is so tolerant, Elizabeth May can’t even talk about her Christian faith: While May’s Christian faith would never make me more or less likely to vote for her, the fact she felt moved to apologize for discussing it sends up red flags.”
Matt Gurney, National Post, September 11, 2019
Sources:
OpentheWord.org 
I would say that May’s response is indicative of the anti-Christian tenor of Leftism, which is sadly corrupting many churches in Canada (namely the United Church of Canada and Anglican Church of Canada, and also all the other mainstream denominations – usually over the question of gay marriage and abortion). Leftist Christianity believes that the Bible should be selectively read to confirm a “progressive ideology.” This ideology is in fact being given precedence over what’s actually in the Bible. Leftism may be considered a type of religion in itself, but an idolatrous one because it puts man before God. For example, viewing Jesus’ ethics as a confirmation of socialism is incorrect, since He never said the state should be charitable; he said individuals should. Socialism, in practice, is the antithesis of the kind of love and forgiveness that Jesus advocated. It tends to be heartless, unforgiving and vindictive. It relies on scapegoating and attack to keep a small cabal in power. Eliz. May recently indicated support for Trudeau’s dictatorial Emergency Act — which is indicative of who she really is: one of the elites, affirming power over the masses. That is acting more like Nero than Christ.
As for Fr. Tobin’s experience, I don’ t see that as indicative of the trend in Canada. It’s only indicative of the antisemitism of the Russian Orthodox Church. While the OCA (Orthodox Church in America) which Fr. Tobin was part of is not strictly speaking part of the Russian church, there are Russophiles in it (including Bishop Irenee) who seem inclined in that direction. The Russian Orthodox liturgy still has anti-Jewish elements it that have never been removed. You will find a similar attitude in many of the other Orthodox churches. Orthodoxy was the result of the split of the Roman church in 1052 A.D. and has not changed much since then, whereas in contrast the Roman Catholic church has changed a lot, due to the influence of the Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and especially the rise of socialism, Marxism and then progressive Leftism, which contributed to Vatican II. Now the result is Liberation theology such as that espoused by Pope Francis.
While there are some ‘progressive’ elements in Orthodoxy, they are in a small minority. The fracture point is talk of women as deacons, which happened to Anglicans in the 1970s, splitting the church. Gay marriage is a more recent fracture. Leftism seeks to re-shape the world in its image. The ultimate trajectory for it is atheism. A United Church pastor who was an open atheist (Gretta Vosper in Toronto) is indicative of this. Trudeau’s hostility to traditional Christianity (namely evangelical Christianity, which is outspoken against abortion and gay marriage) is also indicative of what’s happening in Canada, as is the arson of about 50 churches in 2020 and Trudeau’s lack of condemnation of it. The arrest and persecution of pastors such as Artur Pawlowski, for disregarding the lockdown and keeping his church open is also indicative of what’s happening. It sends a signal that the state is in opposition to true Christianity, just as in Communist China.
However, there is also talk of a revival among evangelicals, who see what’s happening as a sign of end times. And there is a movement towards Protestant evangelical conversion happening as society is destabilized by the state. This destabilization is on purpose ,in order to bring about the “Great Reset” but it’s also have the effect of driving some people to conversion to faith. As Leftists/globalists try to turn Canada from a Western liberal democracy into an authoritarian technocracy it will alienate many who have been content to live in complacent existence and drive them into a state of crisis. The Leftists hope this will convert people to their “religion” — and already we see evidence of the kind of hatred and division they seek (against the unvaccinated and truckers and through ‘cancel culture’) — but it will also drive sane and decent people to return to faith or to strengthen their faith. Crisis and hardship tends to do that to us. Some of the most faithful people in the world live in Communist nations and Islamic theocracies where Christians are persecuted. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” said early church father Tertullian. Little has changed over the centuries: there are still despots and there is still a path to God – by grace through faith – in the midst of adversity for those who choose it.
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