Today's Vancouver Sun has a piece on how the Conservative candidate in Richmond has evangelical Christian pastors organizing area churches for him, apparently even passing out flyers to the congregation. This kind of politicking from the pulpit is reprehensible.
Running against Liberal Raymond Chan is Conservative Darell Reid, a former president of Focus on the Family Canada. They're affiliated with James Dobson's highly influential U.S.-based Focus on the Family.
You may remember Dobson as the man that warned us watching SpongeBob SquarePants will make us gay and as the creator of the popular Justice Sunday series, which brought Rightist political and religious leaders together for televised masses to ask God to create more vacancies on the Supreme Court (smite the liberals?) and provide lots of good material for Jon Stewart.
Chan accuses rival of using churches
Richmond Liberal says evangelical pastors are handing out campaign flyers for Conservative Darrel Reid
Doug Ward, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, January 17, 2006Richmond Liberal candidate Raymond Chan says his Conservative rival, Darrel Reid, is using evangelical Christian pastors to gain support in the riding's large Chinese-Canadian congregations.
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7 comments:
Christians organizing to support a candidate is "reprehensible"? Why? Is it any different than Paul Martin visiting Sihk temples and being assured that the "community" supports him. Is it only Christians who are not allowed to organize? What about the Jews of Montreal who, in places like (SHOCK) synagogues, oranize for the Liberals.
Anti-Christian bigotry is one of those Liberal "values" now? And I guess "values" is jusst code that lets Martin get away without saying the bogey-word "morals".
You're misconstruing my words anon. What I said was:
"politicking from the pulpit is reprehensible"
Anyone can organize. Take it outside is all I ask, don't do it in the temple, synagogue, mosque or church. That goes for supporters of any political party.
Hey BCer, politicking from the pulpit is a longstanding Canadian tradition:
Douglas and Woodward of the CCF were ministers. Blakie is still a miniter in the United Church.
The Quebec Liberal Party and the Quebec Catholic Church were virtually the same organization for decades.
Why the moral outrage now?
You against their right to do so?
People have the right to do lots of things, and I have the right to disagree with their decison to do it.
I think a pastor is in a position of authority, and I don't think it's appropriate for them to use that position of authority (esp. from the pulpit) to attempt to sway their congregation for a particular candidate or party.
They do have the right to do so however, and aling with yourself and Paul Martin I would not support taking that right away.
Why the moral outrage now?
I wasn't born until 1978.
Since you ask though, I think the collusion, for example, between the Union Nationale government of Maurice Duplesis and the Quebec Clergy was also reprehensible, and held Quebec society back for far too long.
My 84 year old Mother showed me a letter she was given when she left Mass a few weeks back. It was signed by the Archbishop of Vancouver Island, over 2 pages outlining the need for the parish to vote for a candidate that supports Traditional Family values. She was outraged that the Church would be telling her how to vote.Born in 1921, growing up in Toronto with parents of mixed marriage ( English/French Protestant/Catholic)that was partisan enough. There is a fine line between Church and State somehow the "priviledge" is missing when we talk about "rights". It is a priviledge to be Canadian and have the Right to vote.Her concern was that we are going backward not forward when the Church enters the ballot box with you.
If churches want to become political organizations let them register with Elections Canada. And why do we still allow churches to be tax exempt? What's that about anyway? Superstitious foolishness...
You lost me 'ol ex-ndip buddy. I'd suggest though you consult your party's position on marijuana decriminalization.
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