Mark Pickup Reports That He Has Closed Down Human Life Matters

In yesterday’s edition of Robert Jason’s newsletter it was reported that Mark Pickup has closed down the HumanLifeMatters website, although his blog is still operational at this point.

This is a sad development, particularly in light of the circumstances cited by Mark in his letter which appears below. What is most disturbing is Mark’s experience which in his own words indicates the extreme difficulty of “evangelical and Catholic Christians being able to work together, arm in arm, to resist the culture of death rising in Canada.”

Please pray that God will provide guidance for Mark in his decisions for the future.

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The End of Human Life Matters

It is with sadness that I write this note. HumanLifeMatters has failed.

I envisioned evangelical and Catholic Christians being able to work together, arm in arm, to resist the culture of death rising in Canada. I was naive. Although Edmonton's former Archbishop Tom Collins liked the idea and encouraged the Archdiocese to work at a board level, through its life office representative, the evangelical side of the vision was less forthcoming.

My personal conversion to Catholicism was like a nail in the coffin for my idea. The Baptist General Conference withdrew financial support, the Alberta BGC Executive Minister resigned with a flare of anti-Catholic rhetoric.

I felt sick for my Lord's prayer for unity in John 17. His comment in John 10.16. What of Saint Paul's call for unity in Romans 12..5, or Galatians 3.28 or Ephesians 2.16, or 4:4-6? Does 1 Corinthians 12.13 have no application? Was it me who misunderstood the Scriptural principle of unity amongst those who stand at the foot of the cross and claim allegiance to Christ as our first love? Could we not look past denominational differences, historical grievances, and work together in the cause of Life? Apparently not.

To be fair, not all evangelical representation left immediately, but eventually, other evangelicals on the board resigned. We sputtered along, and I was eventually left with one evangelical and one Catholic. That was it.

I approached the Edmonton Archdiocese to see if they would take HLM under their wing. However, Archbishop Collins was transferred to Toronto. His replacement understandably does not want to take on anything new until he is comfortable in his new post.

And so after five years, I end where I began. Either I misunderstood what I believed God was asking or I failed Him.

I will close HumanLifeMatters' federal registration number, the website is already closed. I have not decided whether to close the HLM blog.

Mark Pickup