Intrinsically, each one of us knows – in our heart of hearts – that we will face some sort of judgment, either in this life or the next, for our actions. Some call it karma, some call it reaping what we have sown, some call it social justice, and others call it divine accountability.
Well, whether you believe this or not, I believe nations too will be judged. Nations are simply a corporation of citizens. Their corporate acts as a citizenry will resonate throughout history, for good or ill. History has a short memory of the moral or immoral acts of a nation’s leadership or its citizens.
One man has said that “a nation can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.” We could make a valid and reasonable case and say that those most vulnerable in Canada would be the babies in our mothers’ wombs, the children, the handicapped, or the elderly.
How are we doing? Well, we still have problems protecting the most vulnerable – the babies in the womb. Abortion is rampant, and we are among the very few nations of the world who have no law in place to protect the unborn at any stage of the pregnancy.
As a matter of fact, in current federal law, an unborn child is not recognized as a victim with respect to violent crimes. This remains in vogue even though a vast majority (72% according to Environics Poll, Oct 2007) of Canadians support such laws to protect unborn children from acts of violence against their mothers that also injure or kill the child in her womb.
How about the protection of our children? EFC General Counsel Don Hutchinson, recently appeared before Canadian Senate’s Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, addressing the government’s Bill C-2 provisions which would raise the age of consent for sexual activity with an adult from 14 to 16 years.
He shared that “parents are shocked if they hear that their 14 or 15 year-old child is sexually active with an adult. They are even more shocked when informed, often by police, that under current Canadian law it is legal.”
This has made Canada a destination of choice for child predators and opened the door for a saturation of Canadian society in regards to child pornography. What a legacy for future generations, eh?
Well, Canadian children need adult protection, not adult predation. Their small size, their generally trusting and impressionable nature, makes them vulnerable to adult manipulation. Their sense of personhood is violated when adults use them as an object of perverted, sexual fulfillment.
I have seen the long term effects of childhood sexual abuse. Many carry the impact of this loss of trust from early sexualisation into their adult life and marriages. But for God’s grace, few are able to rid themselves of this deep wound to the spirit.
Canada took a big step forward. Nineteen courageous adult Senators passed Bill C-2, while 80 others either opposed, abstained or were vacant. What a mixed blessing – the Bill passed, but was the result of what? Was it complacency, apathy, indifference, laziness, lack of courage or moral conviction? Where were the Senators of moral responsibility?
Maybe petitions do affect change. Three years ago 750,000 Canadians signed a petition requesting that Canada regain some international dignity and protect our children, which by the way, Canada affirmed to the United Nations, was 18 years of age.
Maybe judgment can be stayed – for a while at least. However, we have a long way to go to protect our most vulnerable Canadians. It’s not a time to rest, sit back and act as if the job is done, but it is a time to be grateful.