Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix responded Thursday to what appears to be a growing gulf between themselves and some members of the faith community concerning the messaging coming out of their COVID-19 briefings.

Reverend Aaron Dyck, of Gateway Baptist Church, has written an open letter to Dix in which he wrote he feels 乌鸦传媒渃ompelled as a faith leader to request that people of faith be given the respect that is so overtly presented to every other particular group in this great province.

乌鸦传媒淭he constant condescension by Dr. Henry, purporting to tell us 乌鸦传媒榳hat faith is乌鸦传媒� and the endless patronization 乌鸦传媒� as if the government 乌鸦传媒榰nderstands乌鸦传媒� anything at all about what constitutes faith itself, let alone its practice 乌鸦传媒� has long past worn thin,乌鸦传媒� the reverend wrote.

Henry乌鸦传媒檚 response to this Thursday was that she thinks people sometimes 乌鸦传媒渢ake what I say and twist it to make their own ideas about it.

乌鸦传媒淚 have repeatedly said that I have taken advice and have had the privilege of speaking to many faith leaders in the last few months and I appreciate their advice immensely,乌鸦传媒� she told the Now-Leader.

Henry said she乌鸦传媒檚 learned a 乌鸦传媒渢remendous amount乌鸦传媒� from faith leaders and has said on occasion what she乌鸦传媒檚 been told about beliefs and about faith. 乌鸦传媒淎nd I do absolutely believe that we need our faith leaders in crises like these, more than ever before, and I really want to give my thanks and praise to the many, many leaders out there who have sent me their advice, their thinking, their thoughts, and the fact that they do understand we need to take measures to protect those that we care most about in our community right now.乌鸦传媒�

Henry said she doesn乌鸦传媒檛 purport to know everybody乌鸦传媒檚 ideas about faith, but knows there are 乌鸦传媒済reat leaders乌鸦传媒� in that community who are 乌鸦传媒渟tepping up every day and supporting the people they care about in their congregations and doing it in a safe way, and I just want salute them 乌鸦传媒� they have my gratitude, and my admiration.乌鸦传媒�

In his letter to Dix, the reverend wrote, 乌鸦传媒淕ood sir, I beg you: at the risk of alienating permanently the approximately two million British Columbians who practise religion, at least stop pretending that there is somehow a virtual replacement for thousands of years of physical, incarnational ministry. Tell us this is wrong. Tell us this is not OK. Tell us this is, in fact, an evil, however necessary, and stop with the platitudes. We are in your corner, but cannot for much longer be told this 乌鸦传媒渋sn乌鸦传媒檛 a big deal乌鸦传媒� when it comes to practising a faith more than a dozen times older than the nation of Canada itself.乌鸦传媒�

What faith leaders would appreciate, Dyck told Dix, is 乌鸦传媒渟ome respect for what you have taken from us, the cost to our people, and an acknowledgment that nothing replaces what we have laid down in order to support you and your efforts.乌鸦传媒�

The health minister乌鸦传媒檚 response to the reverend is that the provincial government, since the outset of the pandemic, has listened to and reached out to hundreds of faith leaders across B.C. He admitted his idea of faith is not necessarily shared by everyone, but added that 乌鸦传媒淚 can tell Reverend Dyck that at our church, that we乌鸦传媒檝e lost a lot of loved ones this year, including our minister, and the loss of being able to come together on Sunday has been profound for members of that congregation just as they have been for congregations around B.C.乌鸦传媒�

Dix said he乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒渙verwhelmingly乌鸦传媒� inspired by the work done by faith communities of all faiths and all denominations to support people in their communities during this difficult time.

乌鸦传媒淎ll I can say is it乌鸦传媒檚 not condescension, it乌鸦传媒檚 gratitude that we feel for the support we get in our community, wherever we find it,乌鸦传媒� Dix told the Now-Leader. 乌鸦传媒淎nd for many people, that乌鸦传媒檚 in communities of faith. So, we乌鸦传媒檙e with you and we乌鸦传媒檙e asking you to join us in helping in this period to help heal, heal ourselves physically, and protect ourselves and our good health, and also stay healed and stay better as a community.

乌鸦传媒淚 think Dr. Henry has been unbelievably respectful,乌鸦传媒� Dix said in her defence. 乌鸦传媒淚 so admire her approach when she talks about kindness, which is at the core I think of many faiths乌鸦传媒� views as well. She lives that every day and I乌鸦传媒檓 so, so proud to stand with her and I just so disagree with the criticism that came in the letter.乌鸦传媒�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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