Look ahead at Parliament this fall
The House of Commons will sit again on September 21 after a summer recess. Join the EFC in praying for our local MPs this week. Some of the items that may be on the House of Commons agenda this fall include:
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Bill C-218, a bill that would stop the expansion of MAiD on the basis of mental illness. The law allowing MAiD for mental illness will take effect in March 2027, unless a bill is passed to stop it. The bill is expected to be up for debate on September 23 and a vote on October 7. Please ask your MP to support Bill C-218. See sample wording at TheEFC.ca/C-218.
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The Justice Minister is considering the evidence on MAiD for mental illness and a parliamentary committee’s recommendation to indefinitely pause the expansion. A decision is expected to be announced about the government’s response and approach this fall.
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The government held a consultation last year on whether the law should be expanded to allow advance requests for MAiD. This would mean a person would not have to give final consent at the time their life is ended by MAiD. This possible expansion may come up this fall as well.
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Two government bills related to social media regulation (Bill C-34) and privacy protection (Bill C-36) will affect online safety and protection of children online. These bills may come up for debate this fall. A senator’s bill to protect children from online pornography, Bill S-209, is also on the agenda for debate this fall. The EFC has been calling for protection of children online and plans to engage on these bills.
Please continue to pray for peace, order and good governance in these challenging times.
May God be lifted up in our prayers and our interactions with one another this week.
Please let us know if you’re praying with us this week.
Understanding our shared history
Did you know that the Indian Act of 1876 forbade Indigenous people from speaking their language, or practicing their religion? Did you know that Indigenous people were forced to enfranchise (lose their Indian status) if they chose to vote or attend university?
As part of its commitment to reconciliation and right relationships, the EFC staff and invited guests gathered this past Friday to participate in a blanket exercise.
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an experiential teaching and learning tool that guides participants through key historical events in order to deepen understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Pre-contact, colonization, treaty-making, the Indian Act, creation of Indian reserves, residential schools and the Sixties Scoop were among the historical events and realities recounted and reenacted in the blanket exercise.
The exercise is Indigenous-led and facilitated by certified partners. Joel Gordon and Shari Russell facilitated the exercise in Toronto, while Adam Kline, Monique Ransom, and Mike Hogeterp facilitated in Ottawa.
Learning about injustices that continue to shape the experiences of Indigenous peoples today, including those committed by avowed Christ-followers, reminds us of our inclination to follow the culturally acceptable practices of the crowd rather than the quiet leading of the Spirit.
The EFC has committed to prompting conversation and action among its affiliates in relation to a set of seven commitments in pursuit of reconciliation and right relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Monique Ransom framed the EFC’s work in this regard around three words: truth, repair and belonging. She described this work as rooted in Christian discipleship, and how God’s grace searches, reforms and reorients the church.
You can learn more about the EFC’s seven commitments at TheEFC.ca/IndigenousRelations.