This week I read through the new directive (dated July 29, 2026) by the Canadian Commander of Military Personnel entitled “Spiritual reflections in military settings.” This order forbids military personnel from using terms like “God” or “Jesus” or “Christ” in military ceremonies (like Remembrance Day) requiring more inclusive “spiritual reflections” with repercussions if not obeyed.[1]
This is just another reminder that the Canadian government and its military continue to push a progressive or “woke” ideology. The Canadian military has already established employment equity goals, targeting 25% women, 12% visible minorities, and 3.5% indigenous by the end of this year.[2] In 2022, an advisory panel concluded that Canada’s military was systemically racist, writing, “Racism in Canada is not a glitch in the system; it is the system.”[3] They cited colonialism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and ableism as problematic and evidence of needed culture change. The military has emphasized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training covering personal bias, LGBTQ2+ history, hegemonic masculinity, and privilege.[4] The military has changed its dress code to accommodate diverse gender categories, encouraged pronouns in signatures, initiated a “Gender Equality Week” and “Positive Space” program for gender-diverse members.[5] They even sent “Gender Advisors” to Ukraine to include Gender-Based Analysis in that overseas conflict.[6] On top of this, the Canadian Military had a “Drag Queen Bingo” event,[7] removed the aptitude test, relaxed medical standards and background checks,[8] expanded food to accommodate Halal and vegan, and even expanded eligibility to foreigners, offering permanent residency in exchange for military service to fill critical shortages of personnel.[9]
Some might think the preceding paragraph is a joke. I wish it was.
Irony? Or is it hypocrisy?
My intention is not to dump on the Canadian military but to point out the sharp irony, or better, hypocrisy of progressive ideology or secular humanism.[10] For example, while apparently promoting diversity, they exclude religious views in conflict with their own. While speaking of tolerance, they are intolerant to any dissenting opinion. While they claim equality, they show unbending partiality to their own version of non-theistic “spirituality.”
This isn’t a stretch. The order says, “The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has a duty of religious neutrality. It cannot favour certain beliefs to the exclusion of others.” Really? The entire point of the directive is to forbid prayers and any mention of God and substitute in “spiritual reflections.” Can that be interpreted as anything other than favoring the beliefs of the religion of secular humanism over Christianity and other religions? A Christian chaplain cannot pray to God at a Remembrance Day service but is compelled to speak what a secular humanist would deem acceptable. How can that be anything but favoring progressive ideology over other belief systems?
The directive continues and says, “The purpose of this instruction is to provide direction to commanders and all members of the CAF regarding their moral, ethical and legal obligation to respect freedom of religion and religious neutrality in the execution of their public duties if called upon to deliver a spiritual reflection in the military setting, respecting the cultural and spiritual diversity of CAF members.”
The same hypocrisy is on full display again. To deliver a “spiritual reflection” in a secular humanistic way is “neutrality” and “respecting the cultural and spiritual diversity of CAF members”? It is incredible that the lowest common denominator that supposedly unites all people of all faiths is their own progressive “faith.” What makes this double-speak even more egregious is that they don’t even see it. They do not allow diversity or freedom but rather insist on uniformity and coercion. Case in point, a Christian minister would never compel an unbeliever to pray in Jesus’ name yet for the secular humanist, they have no moral qualms about compelling the speech of others while calling it respecting freedom of religion.
The Charter to the Rescue?
Some might see this directive of compelled speech a violation of the Canadian Charter which protects religious expression. However, Christians have noticed that the Charter was never designed to protect religious belief, it was designed to expunge religion from public life.[11] Accordingly, the directive states, “Under subsection 2(a) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, CAF members have freedom of religion. This includes the freedom to have no religious belief whatsoever…. The CAF must uphold and respect the Charter rights of our members and members of the public by maintaining religious and spiritual neutrality in the exercise of our public duties.” That is, enforcing secular humanism and forbidding Christian language is “maintaining religious and spiritual neutrality.” While some may appeal to the Charter to protect religious belief, the institutions of our country have sided with the argument of this directive: that freedom of religion is code for freedom from religion. Likewise, when they speak of “neutrality,” they mean their own religion of secular humanism.
As if that doesn’t go far enough, the military also wants to remove the mention of Christian history and Christian tradition. This directive bans historic prayers that have been “included in commemorative services for several generations.” Those Christian prayers can only be mentioned in an “educational context,” but “not during a military ceremony.” For those needing a translation: Diversity requires that Christian tradition be thrown out, while secular humanism is now in.
And just when one thinks the irony couldn’t be thicker, they explicitly make room for Indigenous spirituality by saying, “Indigenous practices may be included in military settings for cultural, historical, and educational purposes. This approach reflects Canada’s constitutional recognition of Indigenous rights, the historical suppression of Indigenous traditions by the state, and an ongoing commitment to reconciliation.” So Indigenous spirituality is permitted, Christian language is out. They do this while condemning the “historical suppression of Indigenous traditions by the state” by the present suppression of Christian traditions by the state. I guess two wrongs make a right in their worldview.
What should Christians do about this?
1. We must remember that there is no neutrality. When someone claims to be unbiased or neutral, all they are admitting is that they are blind to their own bias and so cannot account for it in their thinking or decisions. Neutrality is a myth. Either someone acknowledges God as Creator or they do not. Either someone bows to Christ as Lord or they do not. You are either for Christ or against Christ. There is no neutrality. It is nothing but human hubris to suppose neutrality while rejecting God as Creator, Law-Giver, Judge, and Savior.
God is and his image-bearers cannot escape living in his world. We should not give up this common ground and go along with their delusion. Romans 1:18–23 reminds us that they are suppressing the truth of God because they did not want to honor him as God or give thanks to him. In their folly, they want to rid the world of reminders of God. They are not neutral; they are suppressing the truth.
2. We must pray—and in Jesus’ name! We are reminded that the leaven of unbelief continues to make its way through our country. Our country is not just sick or diseased; it is spiritually dead. It is in a condition that only the power of God, through the preaching of the gospel, and the enabling work of the Holy Spirit can change. We need much more than social reform, we need revival. To that end, let us pray for our nation and for the millions of people who have been deceived by the evil one while rejecting the Lord of glory who not only accomplished a great salvation but blessed this country in the past.
3. We must boldly speak out. We should point out the hypocrisy, be bold in declaring Christ as King and Savior, never compromise on truth, and engage in this spiritual battle—this religious battle—that is taking place in every level of society—church, government, education, media, and community life. Christians in the Canadian military should boldly pray in Jesus’ name at the next military service they have the privilege of speaking in and call out the hypocrisy when they are reprimanded. Members of parliament should stand up, use their voice, point out the double-speak, preach Christ, and give glory to God. All of us have a duty, whether that is in the public or private sector to not be ashamed of Christ but declare him and be ready to endure whatever consequences to bring glory to our King.
May God give you courage to be light in the darkness.
—Tim Stephens
[1] The directive frames compliance as a moral, ethical, and legal obligation. The 2023 directive, which this one supersedes, warned that non-compliance could result in administrative or disciplinary consequences.
[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/proactive-disclosure/secu-06-october-2022/personnel.html
[3] https://nationalpost.com/opinion/new-anti-racist-canadian-military-scrapes-new-lows-for-morale-capability
[4] https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/schedule-o/exec-summary.html
[5] https://nationalpost.com/opinion/wokest-military-on-earth
[6] https://nationalpost.com/opinion/new-anti-racist-canadian-military-scrapes-new-lows-for-morale-capability
[7] https://tnc.news/2022/04/14/soldier-drag-queen-bingo-and-critical-race-theory-in-the-canadian-armed-forces/
[8] https://www.westernstandard.news/news/military-drops-iq-test-fast-tracks-background-checks/62356
[9] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2026/02/canada-prioritizes-top-talent-in-2026-immigration-express-entry-categories.html
[10] Secular humanism is an alternate religion, a world and life view that is militant in its mission in Canada.
[11] See Michael Wagner’s book, Leaving God Behind.