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God and Government Tag

20 Apr 2018 God and Government 2018 Day 2

Posted at 12:50h in Blog, Events 0 Comments
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  Click here to watch slideshow by Michael Zwiep On the second day of non-partisan advocacy and national conference on Parliament Hill, delegates - along with some of the national board and staff of ARPA Canada - returned to the Rideau Room of the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel, Thursday morning, April 19, beginning the day with a meditation by Rev. Raymond Sikkema, Pastor Emeritus of the Rehoboth United Reformed Church of Hamilton. Delegates were directed to Revelation 6:9-11 and called to bear witness of the Word of God in the halls of Parliament. The assembly responded by singing the great hymn...

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19 Apr 2018 God and Government 2018 Day 1

Posted at 09:51h in Blog, Events 0 Comments
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  Click here to watch slideshow by Michael Zwiep Drawing active members of confessional Reformed churches across Canada, over seventy delegates, along with a dozen board and staff of ARPA Canada, assembled on Parliament Hill, Wednesday, April 18, the first day of a non-partisan advocacy exercise on the hill and bi-annual national God & Government conference. Representing Reformed congregations in electoral districts across British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, delegates prepared to defend preborn human rights, palliative care as an alternative to doctor-assisted suicide, religious freedom and support for family values, as well as encouraging recognition of faith-based voters. Delegates assembled...

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Dr. Boot speaks in Ottawa on the death of man and the crisis of social order at the Tuesday God & Government banquet

19 May 2016 GG16 Spotlight: Dr. Boot on The death of man and the crisis of social order

Posted at 16:37h in Events, Public Theology 0 Comments
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Tuesday evening, after a long day of presentations and meetings with members of Parliament, ARPA Dr. Boot speaks in Ottawa on the death of man and the crisis of social order at the Tuesday God & Government banquet delegates were treated to a delectable dinner at the Sheraton hotel. The evening banquet was centred around an address from the Reverend Dr. Joe Boot, senior pastor of the Westminster Chapel in Toronto, founder of the Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity, and eminent Christian apologist. Dr. Boot addressed the breakdown of culture stemming from the rejection of God. He began by defining the identity of mankind; they were created and placed in the Garden as image bearers of God, and it is in this lens alone that they find the fullness of their identity. Man can only be understood relative to God, as His creation and His image bearers. Recognizing that he is not God, man ought accept his limitations in this world; however, this is not what we see today. The average man has lost sight of God, and denied any higher ideal than himself. This blindness has become meaninglessness; humanity has become dispensable, depersonalized, and adrift. Dr. Boot quoted lyrics from Sting, where the artist was left only with romance as a way of finding meaning: You could say I lost my faith in science and progress You could say I lost my belief in the holy church You could say I lost my sense of direction You could say all of this and worse but If I ever lose my faith in you There'd be nothing left for me to do  
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Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation speaks to God & Government delegates

18 May 2016 GG16 Spotlight: Taking on Goliath with Jordan Bateman

Posted at 15:55h in Economics, Events 0 Comments
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Does the prospect of swimming against the political tide in Canada intimidate you? Have you ever Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation speaks to God & Government delegates felt like the metaphorical David, armed with little power and few resources, facing the Goliath of secular culture and its many allies? Many attendees at God & Government 2016 have undoubtedly felt like this during at least some point in their political activism. On Wednesday morning, God & Government attendees were privileged and encouraged to hear Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) tell the story of their “David and Goliath” victory over a proposed transit tax in the Vancouver municipality. Translink, Vancouver’s regional transportation authority, receives 1.4B in municipal taxes, and in 2014 they wanted more. Jordan Bateman, in his work with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, had already exposed TransLink as a wasteful organization, documenting their excesses, inefficiencies, and inability manage money; his work had made the TransLink brand toxic. As a result, Premier Christy Clark had declared in her 2013 campaign that a re-elected Liberal government would not allow any new municipal taxes without a referendum.
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13 May 2016 GG16 Spotlight: Ada Slivinski on Digital Communications and Social Media

Posted at 17:05h in Events 0 Comments
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Political action in the 21st century involves engaging through social media and the online world. No longer just an optional, alternative way of reaching out to certain demographics, social media reaches across age groups and income levels and is used by individuals, businesses, news media, and community organizations. For the ARPA grassroots, improving social media outreach skills is one part of becoming more effective and engaged activists. On Wednesday morning, one of the three breakout sessions available to delegates was hosted by Ada Slivinski, a communications consultant and social media expert. According to Slivinski, social media is an extension of who we are in real life. When this is forgotten, the result looks a lot like the comments section of online newspapers - nasty, rude, and ignorant, hidden behind a veil of anonymity. We should talk on social media as we would in real life, with decorum and reasonable debate. What we present on Facebook or Twitter is intended to paint us in the best possible light, yet it is important to remain authentic and real to our audience.
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11 May 2016 GG16 Spotlight: MP Panel

Posted at 02:53h in Events 0 Comments
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Over a delicious lunch, ARPA delegates were privileged to hear from a panel of newly-elected Christian MPs. Arnold Viersen, Cathay Wagantall, and Garnett Genuis spoke about their journeys in both faith and politics, and addressed how these two aspects of their lives coincide and influence their personal and political paths. Mr. Arnold Viersen, hailing from the riding of Peace River-Westlock in Alberta, spoke about his unique path from working as a mechanic to becoming federal member of Parliament. Motivated by involvement in his local ARPA chapter, Mr. Viersen attended God and Government 2014 as a delegate from Alberta. Intrigued by the possibility of running in the new riding that was being created in his home area, he met with sitting MPs to explore his options and find out what it would take to win. He took the advice he received seriously and began selling memberships in the new riding; he went on to win the nomination by 21 votes.
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Daniel Gilman speaking at GG16

11 May 2016 GG16 Spotlight: Daniel Gilman on Pornography

Posted at 02:27h in Events, Gender and Sexuality 0 Comments
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How would you react if someone told you that 15% of boys and 9% of girls in Canada had seen child pornography? 32% of boys and 18% of girls had seen online bestiality? 39% of boys and 23% of girls had seen sexual bondage? This is no dystopian fiction. ARPA delegates heard these alarming statistics in a somber but passionate presentation on Prostitution and Pornography on Tuesday morning. Daniel Gilman, a social justice activist, pastor, and speaker with Strength to Fight, outlined how porn has infiltrated the hearts and minds of Canadians and and left extensive damage in its wake. Gilman began with a chilling true story of how a university student, needing money, agreed to be featured in an adult magazine. Instead of the simple photo-shoot she agreed to, she was drugged and raped on camera, and the pornographic footage was used as blackmail to keep her silent. Years later, finally free from her abusers, a young man told her how much he enjoyed watching her porn shoots, specifically remembering that first, on-camera rape.
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07 May 2016 God and Government 2016 Live Stream

Posted at 04:33h in Events 0 Comments
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  Select sessions from the God and Government 2016 event will be made available for free live online viewing. The anticipated streaming schedule is shown below. Click a session's title to be taken to its YouTube Live Event page, or view the current event (if any) in the player above.   Tuesday, May 10Ottawa Time (EDT)Vancouver Time (PDT) Prostitution and PornographyDaniel Gilman 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM Euthanasia and Assisted SuicideColin Postma 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM 8:00 AM...

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17 Jun 2014 Restorative Justice Transcripts Now Available

Posted at 17:04h in Criminal Justice, Events 0 Comments
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We are pleased to provide you with the written transcripts of the speech on Restorative Justice that Dr. Smith gave on May 6, 2013. The speech was presented to Parliamentarians, the attendees of the 2014 God & Government conference and guests of not-for-profit agencies in English, however we have provided links to the speech in both English and French. If you would prefer to listen to Dr. Smith's speech, you may listen to the Lighthouse News broadcast here. Please share this transcript with your MP or others that you...

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