A Number of Issues

I decided this month to do a blog that addresses a number of issues or topics. This was inspired by two or three different things that came up for me, all of which I wanted to address sooner rather than later. 

So here goes ...

1). Oil and Gas, and our National Debt
I was watching a program on Miracle Channel this morning titled “Leaders on the Frontier”. It featured David Leis, a personal friend, who was conducting an interview on Canada’s failure to properly address, and take advantage of, our huge wealth of oil and natural gas. We, Canada, continue to leave our oil and gas in the ground despite huge potential in terms of sales, and excellent prices. While we pursue our goal of net zero, meaning reducing drilling, and selling oil and gas, other countries like Middle East ones, and Norway are making major sales with excellent returns. 

For example, Norway sells its LNG for several times the price Canada does, in very large amounts, leading, over the years, to a two trillion USD surplus in its sovereign wealth fund account, far outweighing its public debt. Conversely, Canada has foregone 600 billion in potential sales during the last decade, and has accumulated a public debt of 2.3 trillion dollars. Norway’s wealth translates into $340,000.00 USD per person. Canadians, on the other hand, are sporting a debt of $57,000.00 per person!
Note: I just read this morning that Australia has shipped LNG 25,000 km to eastern Canada for use there. Now doesn’t that make good sense!!

2). Climate Change
This topic ties directly into the previous topic. A week ago I watched an interview featuring Steve Koonin, former USA Undersecretary of Science for seven years, and William Happer, a climate change expert out of Princeton University. Near the end of the interview, these two people were asked the question – “What would the impact of Canada reaching Net Zero by 2035 have on climate worldwide?” Koonin held up his right hand, formed a 0 using his thumb and pointer finger and exclaimed “Zero Percent”. 

The conclusion resulting from putting this issue with the oil and LNG sales topic is that Canada choosing not to sell oil and LNG has had no effect on the CO2 situation  worldwide. Even if one were to believe that the climate is warming and this is caused by rising CO2 levels, Canada’s decision not to sell its oil and LNG has had no influence or impact on world wide climate. 

A second conclusion that Koonin and Happer have reached, based on reviewing many major studies, is that most studies are flawed, and the whole issue of CO2 causing global warming is unsettled at best. (see Koonin’s book titled Unsettled.)

3). Church Involvement In the Political World
Recently I watched a podcast where Carey Nieuwohf, former lawyer and founding Pastor of Connexus Church, interviewed J.D. Greear. Greear is the pastor of a large USA Church, The Summit Church. The interview is on Youtube for anyone interested. 
In the past, I have been troubled by the Church’s failure to get involved in politics and the culture wars. What a rich resource of talent and members the Church represents. I found myself agreeing with Greear, in part at least, on this issue. He spoke from a pastoral perspective, and, from this position, was reluctant to get into the culture war issues from the pulpit. Rather, the Bible should be the main focus and resource which is where he chose to stand. I generally agree. Where I disagree is where spiritual issues have been, or have become, politicized. He did feel, from my perspective at least, that congregants are in a different position. 
Some examples:
-the gospel does have political and cultural relevance,
-Christians are to be salt and light in a deep and serious way within the world.

There is one thing I would have added to this. Democracy, and mainly its underlying principles, are based firmly on Judeo-Christian theology and principles. A main principle is that “men are sinners” and therefore require checks and balances on their use of power. A second principle is “The Rule of Law”. All people are to be equal before the law. No one is to be more or less equal than anyone else. The reason for this is that everyone has been created by God, and therefore of infinite and equal value.
For various reasons (another topic), these foundational principles are being lost in the Western World. President Trump now describes European countries as lost, and disasters. The USA and Canada are very much in the same boat. Culture and Politics have both been severely impacted by the loss of Judeo-Christian principles and beliefs. 
My conclusion then is that while pastors have a different role than their congregants, issues that have Biblical foundation and direction, should be addressed by them in some manner. Also, pastors should not be deterred from working with, and encouraging congregants, to be salt and light in culture and politics.

4). David Brooks Interview
Along the same line as above, I recently listened to an interview given by David Brooks at the Cardus25 Gala. This interview is well worth watching. There were a few things in the interview which struck me and which I am passing along.
He described sixty year cycles within political systems in countries (western). These cycles include the beginning part which saw the system being purposeful and productive. Then there is a deterioration which moves into dysfunction in nature. Dysfunction then moves back to a new beginning. Again, watching this interview on Youtube is well worth it. He is a very intelligent person, extremely learned and wise, partly evidenced by the fact that he cheers for the Toronto Maple Leafs! (Just to add a bit of levity).
Another thing he said stands out. Quoting someone else, he said that the least of what you communicate to others is what you say in words you write. Most of what you communicate is how you live and how you treat others. He said that when you meet someone else, you need to see him or her being you and the person you meet being you.
There is one more thing he said that I want to point out. Paraphrasing Augustine, he said that the most important part of a person is not their brain, it is their emotions.
(Emotions are found in the spiritual heart). Postmodernism, which, as I have written about before, has been a catastrophe for the West. If each person decides what their personal morality is, a society ends up with a society and its political system operating in significant dysfunction and confusion. A conclusion he reaches earlier on in his interview is that Natural law avoids this result since it brings into play morality based on absolute authority outside humans themselves.

5). Immigration
Larry Maher, writing in The National Post on January 28, 2026, addressed the matter of immigration in Canada in an excellent manner. I want to say at the outset that I welcome much of immigration into Canada. Where immigrants have cultural world views and values similar to those Canada was founded and built on, I welcome them. They should be willing to assimilate into our society and contribute in positive ways.
However, as Maher points out, if immigration policy is lax and is lacking in insight into what has made Canada an attractive country to others, and what is needed to maintain this, then the policy needs to be changed. The risk of not doing this is the risk of “tearing the fabric of Canadian society…. The result is not diversity within a cohesive nation, but fragmentation within a weakening one.”
Again, I recommend that you find and read this article. As a further note, Canada’s immigration rate has been 2 to 3 times the rate targeted as being best for Canada.

6). Conclusion
The Truth
I am starting this section off knowing where I want to get to but not really knowing how I am going to get there.
We live in a day and age where “truth” about anything is getting harder and harder to determine. There are several reasons for this I suppose. The first reason is that many people have abandoned belief in an absolute source of truth or a reference point that is absolute, immovable. Many people have addressed this in the past and today as well. Interestingly, many wise and famous people seem to accept that truth from such a source does exist.

***C.S. Lewis in The Hideous Strength – 1st character- “I suppose there are two views about everything”. 2nd character- “Eh? Two Views? There are dozens of views about everything until you know the answer. Then there’s never more than one.”
***George Orwell – “However much you deny the truth, the truth goes on existing.”
***Winston Churchill – “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it,  Ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”
***And that famous philosopher, Elvis Presley – “Truth is like the sun. You can shut It out for a time, but it ain't goin’ away.”

A second reason is postmodern thought, which recites that absolute truth does not exist, and results in each of us determining our own truth. For many, this is their view. But let’s remember that this is a school of thought born out of a mindset desiring destruction of traditional norms and beliefs that ultimately ends in confusion and chaos.
Today we are seeing a plethora of ideologies in play in our western world. I have written about ideologies before. These consist of a system of ideas, beliefs and values that shape worldviews. You might recall my earlier blog describing ideologies as being incorrect or wrong in some way, a distortion of truth. Ideologies then, today, are by their essence truth deniers, even though they espouse being true. Confused? Yes, Me too. Let me get to the point I want to make. Initially, true truth does exist. There is an absolute reference point we can ultimately look to for it. In law school, I took a course that dealt with this. Our course looked at Natural Law, which posited that universal moral principles and inherent rights are derived, ultimately from God. Our Charter of Rights acknowledges this, as does the US Constitution.
This takes me to my second point. RCAAN, and those of us who are members, must be certain to demand the truth in areas of concern. To do this we must be certain of what principles and rights are true, inherent to all humans. And then, we must ascertain if our governments at all levels are abiding by and within these. This applies in every area including all of those I have addressed in the foregoing sections. To quote AI, “Truth is fundamental for trust, personal integrity, and social cohesion acting as a crucial foundation …. against deception”.

By Wayne L. Bernakevitch
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of RCAAN.