Outside the low-rise office building that houses Canada Christian College, security was tight. Yellow police tape blocked the driveway, and plainclothes rcmp officers eyed the crowd for threats to two visitors inside: Canada’s ambassador to Israel, Alan Baker, and Major General Aharon Zeevi Farkash, chief of Israel’s military intelligence. Still, neither was the night’s main draw. Taking their seats on the stage of the college’s ground-floor auditorium, they were mere warm-up acts for the undisputed star of the show: Reverend John Hagee, the Texas televangelist who packs eighteen thousand born-again Christians into his Cornerstone Church in San Antonio every Sunday and whose fire-and-brimstone broadcasts reach an estimated ninety-three million homes around the globe.
Seated onstage, Hagee hardly looked capable of mustering such charisma. A squat fire plug in a brown shirt, brown suit, and beige striped tie, he stared out from behind owlish wire rims, no hint of a smile creasing his jowls. But the moment he strode to the mike, he had the audience in thrall. “As we sit here in safety and security, a nuclear time bomb is ticking in the Middle East,” Hagee intoned, his drawl gathering decibels as he rhymed off the litany of threats against Israel from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, including his vow to see the nation wiped off the map. “In the twenty-first century, the president of Iran is the new Hitler of the Middle East,” Hagee thundered. “I believe Israel is in the greatest hour of danger it has known since statehood.”
But on this particular May night, Hagee chose not to elaborate on that discomfiting doomsday plot—discomfiting, that is, for all but Bible-believing Christians like himself, who bank on wafting heavenward in the rapture before all the bloodshed sweeps the globe. As he had warned in Jerusalem Countdown, “We are racing toward the end of the age. Messiah is coming much sooner than you think!”
The Second Coming has always raised an awkward theological hurdle in Hagee’s quarter-century of cheerleading for Israel. Even in his disputed reading of the Bible, there are only rapture provisions for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. For this audience, sprinkled with Jewish dignitaries, Hagee chose to focus on a more diplomatic, short-term action plan one he unveiled last February when he summoned four evangelical pastors, including Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, to San Antonio to recruit a grassroots lobby called Christians United for Israel.
This summer, as Israeli jets pounded Iranian- backed Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon, killing an estimated 900 civilians, 3,500 of Hagee’s evangelical conscripts descended on the US capital to demand that Congress stand in solidarity with Israel. Any calls for a ceasefire ignored “God’s foreign policy statement” for the Jewish people, Hagee told the Washington crowd. “Leave Israel alone. Let them do the job.” No matter that such solidarity might fuel new waves of Islamic terrorism or, as Hagee details in Jerusalem Countdown, lead to a preemptive Israeli strike against Tehran’s nuclear installations, which risks igniting the final-days fuse. “I challenge you to be bold, be fearless,” he exhorted his Toronto audience. “Christians, stand up and speak up for Israel.”
To some Canadians, Hagee’s end-of-time sabre-rattling might seem like a marginal sideshow an exotic import from the sometimes raucous big top of the US Christian right. But here, political pulse-takers seem to have overlooked the signs and portents of a shift in the landscape where fervent religious conviction and realpolitik meet. Not a word about Hagee’s Canadian visit had crept into the mainstream media, nor had its organizers run a single conventional ad. Despite that lack of publicity, two thousand evangelicals had made the pilgrimage to this suburban campus, alerted only by Christian broadcasters and church bulletins, to hear a superstar pastor with a direct pipeline to the born-again occupant of the White House. As Hagee confided to a reporter before his Toronto appearance, he first broke bread with George Bush back in the Texas statehouse, “so I know that he is with us.”
Now he has reached the same conclusion about the man ensconced at 24 Sussex Drive. On stage, Hagee lauded one of Stephen Harper’s first post-election acts: after Hamas militants won power in the Palestinian Authority, Harper became the first world leader to cut off its funding, trumping even Bush. “God has promised to bless the man, the church, the nation that blesses the Jewish people,” Hagee purred from the podium. “I am so delighted that Canada’s prime minister immediately denounced Hamas terrorism when he became the leader of this great nation.”
Hagee’s assessment of Harper isn’t based on news clips alone. His Toronto host, not to mention his longtime Canadian major-domo, was Canada Christian College president Charles McVety, one of the most outspoken players in this country’s religious right wing. During the last election, as head of a handful of pro-family lobbies including the Defend Marriage Coalition, McVety emerged as a power to be reckoned with. He bought up the rights to unclaimed Liberal websites such as josephvolpe.com and stacked a handful of Conservative nomination contests in favour of evangelical candidates adamantly opposed to same-sex matrimony, a campaign he has vowed to repeat. As Harper navigates the tricky waters of minority rule—keeping the lid on any eruptions of rhetorical fervour from the rambunctious theo-cons in his caucus—it is noteworthy that he has continued to cultivate a man regarded as the lightning rod of the Christian right. Last spring, those around the prime minister drafted McVety to help sell the government’s contentious child-care policy, and on budget day he was the personal guest of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in the Commons’ vip gallery.
Comments (42 comments)
jmcdougall: This article must have been so difficult to write. The facts are so very terrifying - it is a real wake-up call. A lot of "Steve's" statements now have context. I'm so glad Maclean's was stupid enough to let some of its best journalists slip away to a great place like The Walrus. Thank you all. October 13, 2006 17:46 EST
wagner1979: chilling and horrifying. How can we so blindly follow the USA's lead? October 16, 2006 08:22 EST
Myles Leach: I would like to thank Marci McDonald for pushing aside the curtain which the Harper Conservatives have drawn tightly against media scrutiny. Only days after I finished reading Marci's article Stephen Harper, under fire for weeks regarding his government's lack of an environment policy, dropped the "Israel bomb" into the Liberal camp by suggesting that not only Michael Ignatieff but all the Liberal leadership hopefuls were "anti-Israeli." Within hours the national political debate had turned from a rout of the Conservatives' lack of policy direction to a "loyalty to Israel" contest. Harper proved that the wise serpent doesn't always spare his venom. Thanks for a very enlightening article. October 16, 2006 11:10 EST
sohailakhan: There is an elephant in this church that everyone is ignoring completely in US and Canada. It's the Israeli government officials who are directly involved in shaping the domestic and foreign policy of US and Canada. Their mediums are the Jewish advocacy groups in Canada and US. These Jewish advocacy groups' mediums are the Evangelical Christians groups who think they're simply following the scripture. The upheavals that the Christian Right is creating in the Middle East is misunderstood by North America. Israel has direct interest in creating these 'zealots' in North America since they serve its purpose, whether it's labelling Arab Organizations as Terrorists or labelling entire Middle Eastern Countries as rogue states. These are dangerous gambles that will haunt Canada's pristine image around the world for a long time to come. October 18, 2006 09:54 EST
The Cylinder: Additional material:
The Armageddon Lobby
http://muse.jhu.edu/demo/holy_land_studies/v005/5.1haija.html
Zogby Polling Results on the "Armageddon Lobby:
http://www.cnionline.org/learn/polls/czandlobby/ October 18, 2006 12:52 EST
sdovan: I guess we have our very own domestic (Christian) version of the Taliban. October 19, 2006 07:31 EST
zoedog: Brilliant and terrifying article. Every Canadian should read this and I suggest all subscribers pass along that article to anyone they know that may have the urge to vote Conservative in the belief they are benign. This is a dangerous and divisive path for our great nation. October 30, 2006 20:00 EST
Elnanorel: I am not at all sure why this article would be considered "terrifying." It would be naive to think that a single person enters political life without personal biases. All of us have formed opinions on the world through our own personalities and life experiences. In fact, I would be dismayed if I heard that our politicians did not have the ability to form reasoned opinions about the world around them. Stephen Harper has a perfect right to be a Christian and a politician at the same time. I applaud him for at once trying to be inclusive of all faiths without attempting to disguise the fact that he, like all of us, has personal biases towards a certain belief system. October 31, 2006 11:31 EST
davidbutorac:
While Miss McDonald uncovers real meetings and connections between the CPC and Evos, she draws too much on the Evos' perception of themselves. Of course, they think they're influential. But the funny thing about Canada is that it has a Charter of Rights of Freedoms and every person, government both provincial and federal is bound by it. It mentions something in there or other about, um, religion near the beginning. Were a province to invoke the 'notwithstanding clause', it would only last five years, after which point the citizens could vote out or keep in that government.
If a Conservative goverment were to show bias of any religion (we'll hypothesize Christianity, particularly its Evo strain), they would be voted out so hard and (again) for the next 40 years. As we are well aware, you are not going to form a majority without Ontario and Quebec, so you can find every and any connection between the CPC and evangelicals, but there is no chance these provinces would give a majority to a party which was going to do anything 'vicious' or overtly (and importantly) iditotic and Christian. Ever. This is wishful thinking on the Evos part. Giving money directly to parents for day-care has reasonable merits on both sides of the issue, but it is not explicitly Christian (or any other religion for that matter). So, you can have every Christian lobby in town praying and meeting and blah blah (which is their democratic prerogative in multicultural society, right?), but where the Charter could possibly be circumvented (using articles within it) or nudged in a certain direction, Canadians would violently react against it. (Canadians unlike Americans love to punish their politicians; cf. Mulroney's PCC.) There is no political acuity in her analysis, only a doomsday worse case scenario which borders on fantastical. The CPC will be driving right down the middle of the road for the next "ever", with the occasional tap of the wheel to the right. The next Conservative majority budget, if it does anything funny, will be the last Conservative budget for a long long time. One never knows, but I suspect the Conservatives have cottoned on to this.
If people haven't noticed, Canada since Conferderation has had a happy relation between state funded parochial schools and the government. I will grant that Evos are largely different bird, but they must operate within a very large and powerful common opinion about everyone being sympatico. Not so with the US, which from its beginnings there was a strong evangelical flavour (to put it mildly) to it. Again, the Conservatives know this; they'll find ways to shoot themselves in the foot, but not this foot. Ironically, this gambit of dividing the religious right against the secular left is simply uncandadian; it's American. (Gasp!)
I didn't know Harper had reversed Canada's Israel foreign policy. (We'll forget the tiny little anti-semtitic "none is too many" period...) What about (St.) Mike Pearson, The Honourable Canadian Middle-Soft Power guy? Aside from sending troops to fight communists in Korea (gasp! Fight? With soldiers? against Communists? how...american...), as chairman of the General Assembly's Special Committee of the UN, he helped, um, create Israel, knowing full well what that creation would mean in terms of Israel's neighbours. That is, he supported Israel. Canada supported Israel at the UN in the 50's and 60's (along with most Western democracies), but with PET Canada started abstaining and occasionally supporting it. Joe and Mulroney....supported it. So, pretty much, so long as one's memory belongs to the Chretien era (which showed so much leadership outside of the deficit), you could say that Harper had reversed Canada's position in this regard. A shift relative to recent absentions, yes. Reversal, no.
(Incidentally, Hizbollah (supported by two countries who want Jews, um, annhilated (their words)), who started the whole thing, and before the kidnapping had been sending 40 archaic (read: little accuracy) missles randomly into civilain areas of Israel a day, broke the first article of the Geneva War Crimes Convention, waging war from within civilian areas. Oh, and at the recent Francophonie, Harper (supported by Chirac) pushed to prevent the condemnation of Israel only. This was remarkably even handed.)
You would truly have to know nothing (I am being polite here) about any government or history or any facts at all to compare the CPC to the Taliban. Good try though.
November 05, 2006 13:12 EST
davidbutorac: November 05, 2006 13:22 EST
davidbutorac: My comment about the CPC and Taliban was not directed toward Miss McDonald (who said no such thing, but to the contributer sdovan, commenting below. November 05, 2006 13:24 EST
Lance Nielsen: I was interested in your magazine as a result of seeing it advertised on NatGeo. I find after investigating that it is simply a front for secular progressive neo-liberalism. You consistently attack values shared by many Canadians. Would you find China or the Russia more palatable than the society we have which has been founded on Christian beliefs based on freedom of choice.
Further, I find your article on Harper and the Theo-Cons amusing at best. Had your article been written about an Arab conspiracy to infect the land with Shariah Law - as has been attempted - your "newsmagazine" would have been met with the full clout of the law as being classified "hate" literature. I find your view of Christianity nears the threshold of "hate" literature.
Your attack on the Christian values of Harper are amusing given his track record of keeping church and state separate. He did have a vote on Gay Marriage and respected the outcome. He has shown full respect for all faiths as recently demonstrated by his vist to a new Vedic Temple near Toronto.
Perhaps a visit to the prisons of Cuba or China may serve you well in rekindling the wonder and amazement at how well Christian values have served to provide the foundation for the great and free society we have in Canada.
Regards,
Lance Nielsen August 22, 2007 10:00 EST
Lance Nielsen: "Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Magazine Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage."
What - I paid for this magazine! All the more reason why government should not recieve my money! This magazine is so hard left I am shocked to read that your mission is to provide a "general-interest magazine with an international outlook". You have certainly not achieved your aim. The only international outlook this magazine has is one as seen through the rose coloured glasses of Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro.
Canada's Magaizine of the Year! Is there any hope for balanced reporting from Canada's magazines if this is their finest.
August 22, 2007 10:13 EST
John Daudrich: This 60's style history lesson has clarified so much to the 10 or 20 people who have read it.
Lesson #1 Back in the 60's we learned all about sex, drugs, and disrespect for authority from these same people.
Lesson #2 We can now learn from this article from these same people 40 years later where the roots of the Pedophilia epidemic , Sodomy epidemic, and reefer madness epidemic come from. They hate God. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are inconvenient".(Romans 1:28) The moral relativism of the left is bankrupt.
The ideological gatekeepers of the far left know nothing about religious freedom. Freedom for them is freedom to indulge, and trample over the rights of others. Freedom to them is to use your money to indoctrinate innocent children with their own pernicious ways.
Harpers position is nothing less than that of a modified Libertarian. That would be for each individual to promote their own philosphy using their own power and money.
There is no greater freedom than that which is found in a nation that upholds the Bible and what has been traditionally referred to as the Evangelical position. Right now, you and I are living on the residual freedom of our God fearing forefathers. Just try talking like this in Saudi Arabia, or Iran. Leftists are consistently on the same side as the jihadists of our day. They hate Christianity which upholds women and gives them respect and dignity. Yet hate the freedom that Muslim women have under the west created governments of Afganistan and Iraq. Countries that would otherwise treat women like farm animals.
At first the left accused conservatives of being anti Jewish. Now we are accused of being pro Israel. Well you can't have it both ways. The left accused conservatives of being against personal freedoms. Well they are right in some ways. We are against the right to murder. We are against the right to steal. But they steal from taxpayers everyday to fund themselves. We are against the right to have our personal reputations sullied by lies, innuendo, and half truths. But the lies continue to spew forth about Harper and anyone else that they disagree with. They have same attitude that Stalin, Hitler, and Mao had about their people.
We know better. We are the intelectual elite. We are liberal.
October 08, 2007 18:55 EST
Dan: "How can we so blindly follow the USA's lead? October 16, 2006 08:22 EST"
You haven't been paying attention. There are way, way more people in the US who are trying to keep this from happening, than the whimper of tsk-tsk in Canada. Canada is just waiting for it. October 14, 2007 18:38 EST
Viamund: All religions are the same... all superstitious nonsense. We - those who represent the light of reason - must do - by whatever means necessary - any and all acts required to prevent this American Taliban from gaining any sort of power or influence within our beloved Canada. To maintain that separation between Church and State is a Canadian value. Segregation is not a Canadian value. Those Neo/Theo-conservatives do not belong in Canada. They represent lies, shame, fear and superstition. October 17, 2007 16:43 EST
RALPH: .
LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT THE COMING RAPTURE!!!!
PLEASE DON'T SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIVES...AND ALL OF ETERNITY WITH PIAPS!!!!! November 09, 2007 08:36 EST
Jim Cyr: I didn't read the piece; I know, I know: "How can you make such accusations when you didn't even READ the article??" Well, look: I don't HAVE to (which in a way is great........a real timesaver during a busy, busy day!) This piece is UNDOUBTEDLY just more silly, leftist, shallow "disguised" attacks against traditional Christianity and conservatism. (I put disguised in quotes because, increasingly, authors like this don't even have the rudimentary cleverness to successfully disguise their attacks.)
This is all like Kabuki theater.....and BAD Kabuki theater at that. February 29, 2008 15:05 EST
Anonymous: Steven Harper is no different than any other Prime Minister except for the exception of Mr Trudeau who stood true to his promises. Our country once held strong to Canadians Christian values, now our Government has been dictated to and we no longer stand for what we once stood for. Its got to the point than immigrants who come over to our country now dictate how our country should be run. Its pretty bad when we can't even use the word Christmas, because other nationalities say it infringes on there belief's. Mr Harper is also guilty of the mass slaughter of all those helpless seals. What have we become. Its time the people of Canada took Canada back. We all need to take a stance and stand up for what is morally right. The states have no problem speaking out, what is wrong with us? Our national anthem does not stand for what Canada represents. Their is only one true living God and one religion and that is the word of God.In the end their will be everlasting life for those who worshiped the one true God and for the rest of us who chose to ignore the truth, they will suffer eternal damnation. Mankind cannot prevent the inevitable and they cannot change the scriptures. What is written will be done. March 09, 2008 15:43 EST
Enkidu: It is a miserable conceit to reference Christian values without the courtesy of either a definition or an example that illustrates the definition.
A casual assessment of Harper's approach to Christian values reveals contempt and petulance to be among his highest objectives.
So what is a distinctly Christian value? March 13, 2008 16:47 EST
scdg: i think what the author was trying to portray is nothing but fear, what if Harper is a Christian it isnt the end of the world...and what does it matter what church Harper goes to? I am wondering if the author would be happy if the Prime Minister professed no faith or beleif in anything. I also want to respnd to the person who asked about Christian values. Christian values have upheld this country, the legal system, and society since its inception; laws about murder, stealing and others are examined in the scriptures.
i dont necesarily agree with everything Harper stands for, but i respect his right to lead our country and also profess his faith in God...that freedom is part of being Canadian
to the person who said all religions are the same, and neo-cons dont belong in Canada has missed the point completely, Canada is a free country with religious freedoms protected in the Charter, anybody who applies for citizenship is rightfully able to live in Canada as much as you....
and Christianity is about Christ not a religious order or organization. Its about relationship with a living God.
April 16, 2008 18:37 EST
Barb: If you support anything that causes problems, you are aiding and abetting the problem. Taliban, evangelicals and fundamentalists don't even know that they are brainwashed, so it's not fair to rely upon them for clear opinions. Humans are naturally superstitious, since we need the feeling of control, even if it isn't real, to give us the impression we are safe. It is, however, just a delusion, and we can never lose sight of that. If someone needs religion as a hobby or personal support tool, go ahead. But since religion is a made-man fantasy, it is always manipulated by man, whether it be the pope, father, reverend, taliban or cult leader. Abuse and the hunger for power is rampant, and it's no wonder. Everything mankind can do, can be done right or wrong. Religion is a perfect example. The protection of religion was sought and received. Now it is terribly abused by religious people to try and smother the rest of humanity with their control and preferences. That is why, long ago, politics and religion remain separate. People like Harper are religious extremists and they have said that they want to trick regular religious people to vote for them. I know many religious people who are not falling for Harper's tactics, because they know that this type of extreme religion is very dangerous in it's lack of concern for anyone who won't join them. Harper and his church doesn't care to save the planet, because they want it to end as they are told it will, to bring their predicted end times to fruition. It'll be a sad day when the rest of the population realizes that we have let these people ignore real problems and let the planet suffer so badly. I think we've let religion dominate too far, and we will all end up with a pretty lousy planet because of it. Worse, I have no religious freedom, because apparently I'm not allowed to talk about what I believe to be true, that religion should be respected, but treated on the level of a hobby, which it is. April 27, 2008 18:31 EST
Anonymous: Posted by Barb:"I have no religious freedom, because apparently I'm not allowed to talk about what I believe to be true, that religion should be respected, but treated on the level of a hobby, which it is. April 27, 2008 18:31 EST"
Nicely stated. Religion is a hobby, and as such merits a dedicated section in a bookstore—right next to the fantasy section. April 28, 2008 16:45 EST
Ron McAllister: For as much as the likes of Andrew Coyne or Rex Murphy or Margaret Wente comment glowingly about Harper's "strategic political acumen", there is a much darker cloud that continues to hang over our born-again Christian Prime Minister, one that seems to go unnoticed by most in the press. In the 2006, October issue of Walrus Marci McDonald wrote a wonderfully insightful article about Harper and the friends who influence both his foreign and domestic policies. It seems Harper is still under the Jesus influence as the Men of God continue to draw closer, showing increased influence on him. Marci's article received scant mention in the main stream press and as I read the many daily papers produced by ink stained wretches across our country there still remains a deaf ear and blind eye to the overly cozy relationship Harper has with the God people. Bad enough our man in Ottawas still believes in fairies in the garden but the kind of religion Harper follows is far more insidious and dangerous to our "Secular" country. These guys are nuts and exhibit the same kind of fundamentalist beliefs you would find among Taliban or Al Queda, or Sunni or Shiites supporters. All of these religious folks would have the world's clock turned back, to a time they thought was more simple. A time where women take a back seat to the man of the house, a world where god and prayer are a part of our daily lives. These men see even sin in our genes! (refer to Lorna Dueck's article in The Globe and Mail, Monday, June 30, 2008) This would be a good time in fact to quote a little from Lorna. Lorna's been given a special bi-monthly platform in the Globes' "Comments Section", she interestingly comments on Parenting. Here are Lorna's own words.
"I could write a book about my childhood - a lot of us could - but here's the baffling truth: We're born with sin in our genes and it takes a lifetime to evolve to good"
Here is another gem from Lorna,
"Sin has no limit of age and if there is any reason to involve the state over family discipline issues, it happens because we are spiritually sick."
Finally Lorna offers this nugget,
"It's not the state that's needed, its not even religion, it's just me knowing what to do with the sin."
Are we living in 17Th century Salem? Lorna is friends with David Maines, friends with Charles McVety and apparently friends with the owners and editors of the Globe. I find it unfathomable that this kind of writing is allowed in a National Newspaper! What is incredible is Lorna's article is under "parenting".
Why you might ask do I quote from Lorna? The answer is obvious, Lorna reflects the domestic policies of Steven Harper, they are cut from the same fundamentalist religious cloth and those beliefs are dangerous and divisive. Are we to soon read the lunatic ravings of fundamentalist Sik's or Hindu's or Muslims? My question to the Globe is when will the atheists be given equal voice?
For all those in love with Harper and find his religion quaint and harmless let me refer you to the 5 quotes I took from Marci's article. I followed that up with the Alliance Church's Doctrinal Statement. This is the church Steven Harper belongs to. So in ending I ask you this question; Does Steven believe in this doctrine and if so how has it affected his policies and if not could he be found a hypocrite for stating one thing yet believing another? Note please pay particular attention to statement #11 and refer to speeches given by McVety, James Dobson and John Hagee because they all believe the rapture is close at hand!
You be the judge!
Sincerely,
Ron McAllister
Toronto, ON
"McVety and others on the religious right are equally convinced that Harper is one of their own. “We’ve got a born-again prime minister,” trumpets David Mainse, the founder of Canada’spremier Christian talk show, 100 Huntley Street. They see him as an image-savvy evangelical who has been careful to keep his signals to them under the media radar, but they have no doubt his convictions run deep—so deep that only after he wins a majority will he dare translate the true colours of his faith into policies that could remake the fabric of the nation. If they’re right, it remains unclear whether those convictions would turn government into a kinder, gentler guarantor of social justice for all or transform the country into a stern, narrow-minded theocracy. And what would his evangelical worldview mean for international relations?" 1 Walrus, October 2006, Marci McDonald
"During this summer’s Middle East war, Harper reversed decades of Canadian foreign policy with his adamant support for Israel, even after its jets smashed a clearly marked United Nations observation post, killing a veteran Canadian peacekeeper. His admirers argue that steadfastness could turn the burgeoning bond between evangelical Christians and Jews into a powerful and unprecedented alliance that could leave him unbeatable at the ballot box. But a growing chorus of critics warns that Harper has already paid a high price for that strategic calculation, irrevocably alienating Canada’s mushrooming Islamic population and leaving in shreds the country’s reputation as an even-handed peace broker. Harper’s stand has also raised more unsettling questions. What does it mean if and when a believer in the infallibility of Biblical prophecy comes to power and backs a damn-the-torpedoes course in the Middle East? Does it end up fuelling overenthusiastic end-timers who feel they have nothing to lose in some future conflagration, helping speed the world on Hagee’s fast track to Armageddon?" 2 see McDonald
"In his 2004 book, Marriage Under Fire, Dobson compared proponents of same-sex marriage to Adolf Hitler, and last year Focus on the Family Canada bought time on 130 radio stations for an appeal from Dobson urging Canadian voters to contact their MPs and kill Bill C-38. As Darrel Reid, the former president of Focus on the Family Canada, puts it, “He saw Canada as being on the leading edge of social decline.” 3 See McDonald
"But Quist is adamant that the institute was not the brainchild of Dobson,whose lobbying might endanger its charitable tax status, and his photo is nowhere to be seen on its walls. “I’ve never met Dr. Dobson,” he says. He takes pains to underline that Focus on the Family Canada, headquartered in Langley, British Columbia—the heart of the Canadian Bible Belt—is an autonomous entity. That claim was undercut when the Montreal Gazette examined the US ministry’s annual reports and discovered that it had contributed computer, broadcast, and telephone support services to its Canadian spinoff valued at $1.6 million over four years." 4 See McDonald
"McVety’s preoccupation with Israel has become the thread that knits together his whirlwind organizational activities, from the fundamentalist theology that the college dispenses to the curiously wide-ranging agenda of the Institute for Canadian Values, where Ben-Ami fires out press releases on subjects as apparently disparate as same-sex marriage and Hamas terrorist threats. Both issues are concerns shared by the intensely conservative wings of the Christian and Jewish communities that rally around McVety and his closest collaborator, Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, who has an honorary doctorate from Canada Christian College on his office wall.
Dimant and McVety’s mutual interest in Israel and family values is exactly what Stephen Harper had in mind three years ago in his Civitas speech when he laid out his plans for a new Conservative coalition that would unite social conservatives across faith lines. For those who can’t see the connection between so-con issues and Israeli security, McVety offers one practised sound byte. “Israel is the number one family-values issue,” he says. “Where does marriage come from God. Where does the Bible come from Israel. The first family of Christianity—Jesus, Mary, and Josep—were all Jewish. Israel is the source of everything we have.” 5 See McDonald
The Alliance Doctrinal Statement
1. There is one God,(1) who is infinitely perfect,(2) existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.(3) ([1] Deuteronomy 6:4, [2] Matthew 5:48, [3] Matthew 28:19)
2. Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man.(4) He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.(5) He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust,(6) as a substitutionary sacrifice,(7) and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.(8) He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures.(9) He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest.(10) He will come again to establish His kingdom, righteousness and peace.(11) ([4] Philippians 2:6–11, [5] Luke 1:34–38, [6] I Peter 3:18, [7] Hebrews 2:9, [8] Romans 5:9, [9] Acts 2:23–24, [10] Hebrews 8:1, [11] Matthew 26:64)
3. The Holy Spirit is a divine person,(12) sent to dwell, guide, teach, empower the believer,(13) and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.(14) ([12] John 14:15–18, [13] John 16:13, Acts 1:8, [14] John 16:7–11)
4. The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.(15) ([15] 2 Peter 1:20–21, 2 Timothy 3:15–16)
5. Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God:(16) he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature,(17) are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.(18) The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment;(19) and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.(20) ([16] Genesis 1:27, [17] Romans 3:23, [18] 1 Corinthians15:20–23, [19] Revelation 21:8, [20] Revelation 21:1–4)
6. Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.(21) ([21] Titus 3:4–7)
7. It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly,(22) being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service.(23) This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.24 ([22] 1 Thessalonians 5:23, [23] Acts 1:8, [24] Romans 6:1–14)
8. Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body.(25) Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.(26) ([25] Matthew 8:16–17, [26] James 5:13–16)
9. The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, (27) which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations.(28) The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.(29) ([27] Ephesians 1:22–23, [28] Matthew 28:19–20, [29] Acts 2:41–47)
10. There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life;(30) for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.(31) ([30] 1 Corinthians 15:20–23, [31] John 5:28–29)
11. The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent(32) and will be personal, visible, and premillennial.(33) This is the believer's blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.(34) ([32] Hebrews 10:37, [33] Luke 21:27, [34] Titus 2:11–14)
July 01, 2008 11:44 EST
Larry: When our forefathers came to Canada in the beginning all they had was GOD, Jesus and a desire to build a life out this country. There were no Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus or Buddhists in the lot. Just good Judeo/Christians yearning for a better life than they left behind. These days virtually no one wants to admit their faith in Christianty, fall into white guilt about everything and everyone, multiculturalize everything and ignore or marginalize the rights of the Judeo/Christian population.
What has Islam and Muslims ever done for Canada, but run off at their pity-pot mouth bringing spurious accusations of Hate, through the BCHRC & CHRC at our cost, against the Western Standard, Mark Steyn and Macleans Magazine. The magazines and Steyn who stand up for the rights of indigenous Canadians and our Judeo/Christian make-up. Has it become law now that we must become Dhimmi's in our own land to other minroties - especially Muslims? We are our own worst enemies when we refuse to stand up for what we beleve in and allow a handful of Muslims to dictate to us. Do you not think its time to stand up for our way of life? Or maybe our way of life is not good enough for you. July 17, 2008 19:26 EST
thenonconformer: anyone who believes Harper is a christian does not know what a real christian is..
http://witnessed.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/why-canadas-prime-minister-stephen-harper-keeps-his-religion-secret/ August 30, 2008 04:36 EST
Anonymous: ...and anyone who doesn't personally know Harper shouldn't make claims about his faith... September 08, 2008 12:10 EST
Anonymous: Dumb All Over
Whoever we are
Wherever were from
We shoulda noticed by now
Our behavior is dumb
And if our chances
Expect to improve
Its gonna take a lot more
Than tryin to remove
The other race
Or the other whatever
From the face
Of the planet altogether
They call it the earth
Which is a dumb kinda name
But they named it right
cause we behave the same...
We are dumb all over
Dumb all over,
Yes we are
Dumb all over,
Near n far
Dumb all over,
Black n white
People, we is not wrapped tight
Nurds on the left
Nurds on the right
Religous fanatics
On the air every night
Sayin the bible
Tells the story
Makes the details
Sound real gory
bout what to do
If the geeks over there
Dont believe in the book
We got over here
You cant run a race
Without no feet
n pretty soon
There wont be no street
For dummies to jog on
Or doggies to dog on
Religous fanatics
Can make it be all gone
(I mean it wont blow up
n disappear
Itll just look ugly
For a thousand years...)
You cant run a country
By a book of religion
Not by a heap
Or a lump or a smidgeon
Of foolish rules
Of ancient date
Designed to make
You all feel great
While you fold, spindle
And mutilate
Those unbelievers
From a neighboring state
To arms! to arms!
Hooray! thats great
Two legs aint bad
Unless theres a crate
They ship the parts
To mama in
For souvenirs: two ears (get down!)
Not his, not hers, (but what the hey? )
The good book says:
(it gotta be that way!)
But their book says:
Revenge the crusades...
With whips n chains
n hand grenades...
Two arms? two arms?
Have another and another
Our God says:
There aint no other!
Our God says
Its all okay!
Our God says
This is the way!
It says in the book:
Burn n destroy...
n repent, n redeem
n revenge, n deploy
n rumble thee forth
To the land of the unbelieving scum on the other side
cause they dont go for whats in the book
n that makes em bad
So verily we must choppeth them up
And stompeth them down
Or rent a nice french bomb
To poof them out of existance
While leaving their real estate just where we need it
To use again
For temples in which to praise our god
(cause he can really take care of business!)
And when his humble tv servant
With humble white hair
And humble glasses
And a nice brown suit
And maybe a blond wife who takes phone calls
Tells us our God says
Its okay to do this stuff
Then we gotta do it,
cause if we dont do it,
We aint gwine up to hebbin!
(depending on which book youre using at the
Time...cant use theirs... it dont work
...its all lies...gotta use mine...)
Aint that right?
Thats what they say
Every night...
Every day...
Hey, we cant really be dumb
If were just following gods orders
Hey, lets get serious...
God knows what hes doin
He wrote this book here
An the book says:
He made us all to be just like him,
So...
If were dumb...
Then God is dumb...
(an maybe even a little ugly on the side)
Copyright Frank Zappa September 14, 2008 10:58 EST
thenonconformer: I attended Stephen Harper's Christian Missionary alliance church for 8 years and they were some of the biggest liars, hypocrites, big people abuesrs that I have personally met undeniable in the last 6 decades in Canada too..
Further more we all can easily know that Harper often lies, does not keep his promises too.
he Harper certainly is not a true evangelical, Biblical Christian for sure even if he says he is for by his own fruit you can tell what he is like.. True Evangelicals are abstainers and do not consume alcohol at all too.
Does he Harper have his alcoholic drinking buddies now still too?
an immoral conservative is as bad as an immoral liberal too.. Harper included
September 16, 2008 11:57 EST
Anonymous: Conservative, reform, alliance, party = CRAP September 17, 2008 18:09 EST
Anonymous: This really has less to do with Christianity and more to do with a socially conservative agenda. After all, the Canadian national anthem explicitly mentions God while the Star Spangled Banner doesn't...why even Rev. Bill Blakie was considered Canada's top MP according to a Maclean's article last year.
The socially conservative agenda is one that appeals to an aging population looking for certainty in the midst of so much change. AND it is one that fits the values that many of the new immigrants who come to Canada bring with them...many of whom are NOT Christian.
September 27, 2008 15:47 EST
light: Please read the complete NAFTA agreements - we are being surreptitiously moved to a 3 nation economic and political confederacy - Canada, the US and Mexico. Also, a new currency, the Amero, will replace the Canadian and US dollars and the Mexican Peso. The current financial turbulence in the US and world markets is part of the plan. The goal - global government, probably centered in Europe and a lot trouble along the way to it. The revival of the Holy Roman Empire will probably have the Roman Catholic church as its religious symbol but it will not be a true, Godly church, only a tool of the political powers.
September 28, 2008 12:22 EST
light: It's amazing to me how anti-Christian the world is becoming when you consider the alternatives.
True Islam is radical - moderate Islam is a guise to lure the unsuspecting or a variation from the blueprint of the Koran.
An Islamic society under Sharia law has no freedom - variation from the rules is punished by anything from torture to maiming to the death penalty.
Humanism/atheism is a dead belief system where mankind is supposedly totally free invent its own rules and behaviors and where anything is tolerated up to the point where society self-destructs.
Communism/totalitarianism is a variant on humanism/atheism where rules of behavior are set by an elite ruling class and society is under tight and total control. Punishment for variance depends on who is in power at the time and on whatever they choose.
The only way that life, personal freedoms and national freedoms are sustained and nurtured is under a Judeo-Christian world view. Love, kindness and the consistent teaching and practice of laws and rules that perpetuate and sustain life and make life easier for the entire community are celebrated. This applies to the principles laid down in the Holy scripture and not including all the man-made additions added by the Talmud and by many Christian denominations, especially the Roman Catholic church.
September 28, 2008 12:51 EST
Anonymous: How is it that an article evaluating - quite even-handedly, I believe - the institutional structure and organizational links of a variety of socially-conservative and religiously-informed groupings is greeted by socially-conservative and religiously-informed readers as a manifestation of anti-Christian hatred and inexcusable (though apparently predictable) liberal media bias? Is the alternative not to report on these phenomena? Are there outright lies in the article? One would do better to point these out. This piece is not framed as a call to action, nor does it ridicule the stances of any involved; on the contrary, it openly acknowledges the power and political acumen of many of the key players discussed. Much of the criticism in the piece is achieved by comparison to figures in the United States - such as Jerry Falwell - that a majority of reasonable Canadians refuse to acknowledge as credible social commentators. Indeed, for a liberal such as myself, I would have secretly preferred a much more inflammatory piece, something that would have provided the kind of unreasoned counter-argument that works admirably well in bar-room bickering...or, given some of these posts, internet article commenting.
The defensiveness of right-leaning Christians, the speed with which their vocal minority is willing to dismiss reasoned discourse as bias, is very alarming - we ought to be fearful when we see fear substituted for reason. September 29, 2008 08:28 EST
Decembre: Another religion....another war. October 08, 2008 12:23 EST
ProudCanuck: I was an undecided voter up to reading this article. This article has made up my mind to vote Conservative. Finding out that Harper was the first to stop giving money to terrorists (even before the USA) - that's exactly the kind of leadership the world needs. Harper should be given some kind of medal. (And to think I was mad at him for wasting money by calling an early election. The good things he has done far trump the negative) I am saddened that more Canadians don't support the ONLY DEMOCRATIC NATION in the Middle East. When did it become politically incorrect to support freedom and democracy? Do you know you still have freedom of religion in Canada and Israel, yet in places like Egypt your religion is listed on all offical documents and governs how you can marry, and effects your kids and grandkids lives. People have gone to prison there for attempting to change their religion! (or for unknowingly listing one, unaware a parent converted to another years ago!).
After reading this article, I now know the Conservatives need our support more than ever. October 12, 2008 06:14 EST
thenonconformer: Reality! These days it is too hard to tell the difference between secular persons and the professing Christians . Genuine Born Again Evangelical Christians are total abstainers from smoking, drugs, alcohol, cheating, lying, stealing, tax evasions, pornography, or rather all personal vices, Impairments http://thefocusonthefamily.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/abstainers/
The major undeniable weakness, weakness, discrepancies, shortfall in the soft underbelly of the personal life of Barrack Obama and even Canada's prime Minister Stephen Harper is clear, and is that already proven too, that there is a wide discrepancy between what he verbally says he is and who he really is now and and what he in fact still next does. Even now starting clearly with his profession of being a real practicing Christian. Barack Obama for continuity he is not a real practicing Christian and he undeniably has violated God laws continually, and there is no excuse for it.. While it is often a thorny issue, discussion in the Christian faith, amongst the protestants and evangelicals whether Christians drinking wine is tolerate now, the Bible in both the old and new testament clearly and undeniably still says that anyone in a leadership position cannot consume wine, alcohol or get drunk. This is not even subject even to any debate now as well. Both Obama and Bilden do undeniably drink alcohol now.. and what about McCain and Palin now too?
Again “”Dr. Daniel Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary has written an article in favor of the famous Resolution #5 (Resolution calling for total opposition to alcohol). Alcohol is the number one drug problem among teenagers. (1 Cor. 8:13; 9:19-22; 10:32-33). Because I am an example to others, I will make certain no one ever walks the road of sorrow called alcoholism because they saw me take a drink and assumed, “if it is alright for him it is alright for me.” No, I will choose to set an uncompromising example of abstinence because I love them. I will seek my joy and filling in the Spirit not in alcohol. I love the Phillips translation of Ephesians 5:18 which reads, “Don’t get your stimulus from wine (for there is always the danger of excessive drinking), but let the Spirit stimulate your souls.” Psalm 4:7-8 adds, “You [O Lord] have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” There is no record that Jesus drank strong drink, As a pastor or church leader, would I demand abstinence for leadership? Absolutely! The principle of Proverbs 31:4-5 is appropriately applied here, “It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.” ”
(1 Cor 11:28 KJV) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
(Prov 3:33 KJV) The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
Jesus himself had said that professing to be a Christian is not enough,
Matt 3:8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];
Gal 5:23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
Matt 7:16 You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?17 Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. 18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.
The Bible’s suggestions on electing rulers.. good managers
(Deu 1:13 KJV) Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
(Deu 1:14 KJV) And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
(Deu 1:15 KJV) So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
(Deu 1:16 KJV) And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
(Deu 1:17 KJV) Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
(Deu 1:18 KJV) And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.
(1 Tim 3:1 KJV) This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
(1 Tim 3:2 KJV) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
(1 Tim 3:3 KJV) Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
(1 Tim 3:4 KJV) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(1 Tim 3:5 KJV) (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
(1 Tim 3:6 KJV) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
(1 Tim 3:7 KJV) Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
1 Tim 3:2 Now a bishop (superintendent, overseer) must give no grounds for accusation {but} must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, circumspect {and} temperate {and} self-controlled ( Sober) ; [he must be] sensible {and} well behaved {and} dignified and lead an orderly (disciplined) life; [he must be] hospitable [showing love for and being a friend to the believers, especially strangers or foreigners, and be] a capable {and} qualified teacher,
Alcoholics, wine drinkers, smokers, drug users too they all tend to have evidentially lost their self control..
Undeniably whether you are also a leader or not getting drunk is still an unacceptable sin as well. And all true Christians consider this still a sinful act
Obama amongst some others reiterated his support for civil unions for homosexuals. No surprise there. Some Christians do indeed allow for the conferring of some legal rights, short of marital status, on gays as a simple matter of fairness. We cannot legislate or enforce morality. Nevertheless all true Christians consider this a sinful act But I suspect his rationale raised some hackles. "If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans". Barrack Obama. Since when did Romans 1 become obscure? I thought pitting the words of Jesus against those of Paul was a tactic of Red Letter Christians, not something a serious candidate for the Oval Office would engage in.There is no refererence to gay civil unions in the Sermon on the Mount (unless you stretch the Golden Rule beyond all recognition). Perhaps Obama mixed up his Bible references Is Barack Obama a Red Letter Christian? http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/03/is_barack_obama.html
Are there now really so many different types? My next door neighbor tells me he is a Christian, and he says is a member of the church of Jesus Christ, the LATTER DAY SAINTS, Mormons, and he says now today he reads the Bible and prays daily too. But when I started to ask him about what the Apostle had said in the Bible now about getting drunk, he next said he did not believe in any of the the 12 apostles writings, but yes, he believes that these writings they are in the books that supposedly composing the Common Bible, but he does not believe they are really part of the valid Bible. So when I next had further asked him what he now had defined as being the true Bible, he said the Bible according to Him now was solely the spoken word of Jesus. He is another one of those red lettered Christians.. So I asked him if he believed solely in the 4 Gospels, the Bible books written now anyway by some of the 12 Apostles of Jesus anyway, even Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.. and so if he really is now believing in the 4 Gospel, the still Apostolic writings so what was the problem in him now even believing that the Book of Revelation in the Standard Bible now was aalso a part of the Bible? After all it was written by the same Apostle John who now had written the book of John, and the epistles of John now too.. Now he next replied and had said he did not believe in the book of Revelation as being a part of the Bible. Wow! This is getting all so confusing, needlessly complicated too , listening to him firstly. Really now what does he believe in cause I really cannot figure out how he picks and chooses to believe, it seems he believes in the ten commandments, but he does not even know what they are still too, he really believes in the Gospel solely according to him and not the Gospel according to Jesus and the Apostles.. and he admits has these complex rules for Bible interpretations as to what is valid and what is not, all made by his church, and he next had said I should go to his church to find out what these rules now are. I replied and said I did not need any more of these clearly false mere man made religion, rules to tell me what part of the Bible I should believe in firstly , for the Holy sprit himself, the spirit of Christ has clearly promised to lead us and to guide us personaly now into all truth, not rather anyone else who admits they do not even believe in the standard Bible now too. The Bible and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever too. I can read for myself and I can believe in it myself without has clearly distorted directions, guidance, rules now too. . I also either take it all as being God's word's or none of it. It is as simple as that for a start now too.
October 14, 2008 14:44 EST
Francesco Sinibaldi: The husk of my heart.
In the heaven,
near a beautiful
clapping, I
hear a voice:
a spirit appears
in the shade
of a Chapel
and everything
shines on the
side of your
darkness.
Francesco Sinibaldi November 01, 2008 13:33 EST
Snowballs: Utter nonsense. I can't see Canada ever having a strong arm "right wing" religious movement. It's paranoia on the part of liberals and atheists. It's quite the opposite when you read that the RCMP had to keep an eye out for trouble at the conference just because 2 Israeli officials and a preacher were the speakers. Looks like the "other side" need to look at themselves before thay point fingers. Quite violent are you not?
What's wrong with cutting off funding for well known terrorist groups? Why have you got a problem with that? Your liberalism has has made you blinded.
I'm amazed at all those God haters, Christian haters, atheists and many liberals who want evreything to do with "God" done away with. No prayers, no reference to God in the anthem, CHRISTmas is offensive etc..etc...While they want to acheive that, you don't hear of the immigrants with their religions wanting to do that and never will. While we throw out a part of our culture, religious beliefs are part of culture by the way, many immigrants laugh at us. It's fine if you don't believe in God, it's your right and it's a free country, but don't try to change society for it. We are a country that was founded on judeo-christian beliefs whether you like it or not. Don't like prayer, plug your ears and you don't have to pray. November 10, 2008 07:26 EST
Snowballs: And one more thing....to the guy who posted his comments near the beginning of the comments that "we have our own domestic version of the taliban". Yeah ok, evangelicals are like the taliban(sarcasm)....thank's for a good laugh this morning. November 10, 2008 08:54 EST
sikh matrimonial: This is nice site to visit and good news for all of you who searching for their soul mates you can find from my site especially for punjabies November 13, 2008 22:47 EST
Defoe: Good article, politics and religion don't mix too well, a bit like oil and water. Religion, particularly that practiced by the fundamentalists of which the Conservatives have many is their exclusiveness and beleif that they and they alone know the truth of God and they alone know what God wants us all to do which coincidentally coincides with what they want to do, to exclude peoples and groups of people, to keep women as chattels and with the ability to get the rich through the eye of the needle. Personally these people are a drag on society in general. Recall Stockwell Day, his beliefs that dinosaurs and humans roamed the earth together as it is only 6000 odd years old, you want this man to govern you? These people can practice their brand of christianity all they like but to force such restrictive and perverse views on me and others is wrong. They believe Peace can be achieved thru' Victory, the peace of a prison, whereas Peace can only be achieved thru' Justice and that is far too complicated for the christian right wingers that make up the majority of the neo cons in power.
These same christians believe in capitalism for they will tell us God is a capitalist, no doubt having bought into that revelation from their brothers south of the border.
A Pox on the lot of them, i think some drunks off the street would serve us better. November 19, 2008 19:55 EST