Religious Right in Canada

[kimmy]

Is there a party in Canada that will put an end to same sex marriage? There sure is!

Is there a party in Canada that will put an end to abortion? There sure is!

Is there a party in Canada that will put mothers back in the home? There sure is!

If you want these things, there's only one party for you: the Christian Heritage Party!

The "Conservative" Party won't stand up against gay marriage, but the Christian Heritage Party will!

The "Conservative" Party won't stand up against abortion, but the Christian Heritage Party will!

Canada's religious right are standing up and making their voices heard as never before! In fact, in September, the CHP received nearly 30,000 votes coast to coast! Twice what the party received in 2000! Almost 1 in 500 voters stood up and said "Jesus for me, thank you!"

Christian Heritage is the party for YOU, Mr Canada! This is the party that represents your views. The "Conservative" Party has failed the pro-life movement. The "Conservative" Party failed to overturn gay marriage. The Christian Heritage Party is the only party that truly believes in these issues!

And by the way, Mr Canada, get involved. CHP needs your help. A donation would help. And you know, maybe consider running as a candidate. Did you know that only 59 CHP candidates ran in the last federal election? That means that Christians in 249 ridings didn't even have the opportunity to go into a ballot-box and support Jesus with their votes... isn't that terrible? Why not you, Mr Canada? You obviously have the passion... and you know where you stand on the issues. Why not get in touch with CHP and tell them "I want to stand up for Jesus too!" They would probably be overjoyed to have you on their team.

-k

[DogOnPorch]

Hate is a pretty strong word ; I think we can disagree and question each other's views without hatred. Simply answer the questions that are asked, and stop giving vague responses without any actual substance to them. Saying people hate you because of your beliefs is just silly.

Trying to get a straight answer out of anyone using faith to justify their position is gonna be hard.

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It's a long way to Tipperary,

It's a long way to go.

It's a long way to Tipperary

To the sweetest girl I know!

Goodbye Piccadilly,

Farewell Leicester Square!

It's a long, long way to Tipperary,

But my heart's right there.

--- Jack Judge and Harry Williams

[whowhere]

Hate is a pretty strong word ; I think we can disagree and question each other's views without hatred. Simply answer the questions that are asked, and stop giving vague responses without any actual substance to them. Saying people hate you because of your beliefs is just silly.

Actually, This guy is a tard and a fanatical christian nutbar.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_...5&version=9

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Like a typical christian he takes this out of context. Jesus was talking to his apostles not you christian nutbars and this was a reflection of that time. What was Jesus attempting to do?? Bring down the synogues grip on the minds of man by being the opposite of what is stated in the old testament. What is ironic medievil Europe became what the synogoges were back in the days of Jesus. It took an independent United States to bring an end to the demented christian doctrines grip on the minds of man in the 18th century. Todays world is one of science, the corporation, and the Governments ability to be honorouble and enforce and do what is right for everyone. I know from personal experience Canada is an extremely corrupt so I wouldn't hold my breath on that. Christianity and Religion in general is done with. If God wanted it otherwise I believe he would do so personally. However, that does not stop him from Bitch slapping Canada back to the stone age with $10 dollar oil.

[Wild Bill]

In the grand scheme of things you're a no body as am I. When I say 'someone' I'm speaking about someone in the MSM. Only Mark Steyn has had the courage to do so in his book 'America Alone'. Barbra Hall took him before a sec 13 tribunal but he beat it. Barbra Hall is the leader of the thought police.

A religious right is forming here in Canada and they are gravitating towards the CPC and PM Harper. This shouldn't be surprising at all but apparently many here don't choose to believe this. The religious right is much like the one in the States. I for one that a group which has a higher moral standard than Hollywood ios taking shape in this country which I love Canada.

I don't understand why so many here hate me. It must be because I'm a Christian and say that I believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and that he died for my sins.

No, Mr. Canada. We don't hate you. We just think your views are negative in the grand scheme of things.

Kimmy said it with good satire but I suspect it went over your head so I'll state it more plainly. A religious right may be forming but their numbers are nowhere near high enough to represent mainstream Canada, particularly here in the East. The evangelical movement has always had a curious tendency to believe that they are part of some "silent majority" that shares their views.

This POV has never been proven in reality. The logical inconsistency is that just because "mainstream" Canadians might share many of the values of evangelicals that doesn't mean they share ALL values! There are some HUGE differences in thought!

Evangelical christianity has a history of forcing their views on others. Such as Creationism and outlawing the teaching of evolution, to give a recent example. Their very righteousness can be an attack on someone else's beliefs. Evangelicals have their own definition of when human life begins and accept it as a fact of the universe, with no empirical evidence to support their view. Yet they would make it the law of the entire land.

Evangelicals have their own views on sexuality. Here also they would make them part of the penal code. Yet again, they have no proof but only opinion, based on historical texts that other members of their faith wrote. The only defense I have ever heard for this circular logic is that somehow these texts were "divinely inspired". Try getting some proof of that!

No, Mr. Canada. Mainstream Canadians reject evangelical christianity for a very simple reason. Although they may share many values there are a few that in business we call "deal breakers". In other words, they are so strong by themselves that they cancel out all the others, no matter how many there may be.

These "deal breakers" tend to boil down to one common theme: a reduction or limitation on personal freedom. Not the freedom to lie, cheat or steal. Most folks agree on those. Rather the freedom to live their own life for their personal happiness, without restrictions based on some solely religious-based "morality".

I've written before about how Stockwell Day got a big reality check about "silent majorities" when he won the Reform leadership. Seems to me that you ignore his lesson. It's a virtual certainty that no champion for evangelical christianity will EVER win political power in Canada!

You're welcome to try. You can also try to make Canada a leader in genetic medicine while outlawing the teaching of evolution. You've got about the same chance of success.

I don't mean this as a personal attack Mr. Canada but simply as a statement of fact. I believe that the majority of Canadians think that the only difference between an Islamic radical blinding young girls with acid to keep them from attending schools and an evangelical christian is how violent they are willing to be in order to force their own views on their entire society. Evangelical christians would not likely use violence but they have already demonstrated that if they could they would have laws changed to accomplish their social engineering.

I am not a religious man Mr. Canada but I consider myself a moral one. If I were a religious man, quite frankly I would be suspicious as to which side of the good and evil split is REALLY behind the evangelical movement!

[WIP]

'Crazy Beliefs'? Well there are millions of Christians in Canada who live their faith daily. I think the number of homosexuals is a far lesser number.

And the possibility of mob rule, that gives the majority the opportunity to impose their will on any minority is the reason why constitutional rights and courts are made a part of any legitimate representative democracy. I suspect that theocrats see democracy only as a means to an end, just like the Nazis, since they view the majority as depraved sinners, and make constant appeals to their masses to respect authority without question. I think this is an important reason why the political right is so enthusiastic about recruiting theocrats to their ranks.

I thought 'queer' was acceptable. 'Queer eye for the straight guy' and all that. I didn't say it as a derogatory term. Iguess only homosexuals or sympathizers can say queer, I will use the term homosexual from now on if this is still acceptable.

As I understand, it's a term used inside their community, and if you think it's okay for you to use it because they do, it might be taken the same way someone who's black would take you calling them n _ _ _ _ _, since you feel nothing but contempt for them and blame them for their sexual orientation, I don't see how you using the term could be interpreted as anything other than derogatory! Whenever I see my gay cousin or my wife's lesbian cousins, I don't use that term in reference to them or their partners.

There will always be homosexuals and that's life and I accept it but I don't think they should be pushing their views onto our children and trying to tell all of us that it's the norm. It certainly isn't. IF they remained quiet and didn't try to push us all to be married in our Churches I wouldn't care one way or the other.

Who's pushing gay marriage in your church? As I understand it, it's about the right to civil marriage and having gay unions recognized in law.

Being homosexual in and of itself isn't a sin. The act of homosexuality is what is sinful.

This makes no sense unless it is intended to make a homosexual feel that every sexual desire they have is sinful (lusting in the heart etc.) If this is a Catholic understanding of homosexuality, it differs from most fundamentalist protestant interpretations that no one is predisposed to homosexual attractions, and that they are deliberately sinning by having these desires, and that they can all be turned straight if they go through "reparative" therapies. This is the whole ideology behind organizations such as Operation Exodus, which is funded by James Dobson's Family Research Council -- and has had the unfortunate bad press of having two of its former directors being forced to resign after they were individually caught walking out of gay nightclubs.

The priesthood has suffered a lot due to homosexuals being ordained, this was due to the 60's and 70's and trying to get with the times and accept that people may be homosexual but have chosen celibacy, which is the correct thing to do. Over the past 10 years or so homosexuals are being weeded out of the seminaries quietly. The amount of damage done to the Church by accepting homosexuals far outweighs any bad press that would come from kicking them out. This is fact.

Considering that you already have a priest shortage, I would question how your church will be able to maintain its churches during the coming years. The real ugly truth is that since celibacy is an unnatural existence for any man, most priests were never celibate in the old days. During my mother's time, the Church wielded such absolute power that nobody would dare complain or challenge a priest who was having affairs. Many priests focused their attention on young widows, since it offered the cover of ministering to the bereaved, and some priests were notorious for desiring virgin teenage girls -- she has never mentioned coming across a gay priest in those days, but her bad experiences were a prime motivation for her to marry outside of the Church and never return.

Right now, there are a few religious zealots like you, longing for a return of church power of a couple of generations back -- I hope most people want to keep your church and all of the others defanged and away from exercising authority over our lives again.

[WIP]

No, Mr. Canada. We don't hate you. We just think your views are negative in the grand scheme of things.

Kimmy said it with good satire but I suspect it went over your head so I'll state it more plainly. A religious right may be forming but their numbers are nowhere near high enough to represent mainstream Canada, particularly here in the East. The evangelical movement has always had a curious tendency to believe that they are part of some "silent majority" that shares their views.

But the point you and Kimmy are missing is that they don't have to represent the majority in order to have effective operational control of a political party. And what better movement to use than one which makes appeals to religious legitimacy.

In the U.S., the evangelicals do not represent the majority of the members of the Republican Party, and yet they control the agenda. An aggressive, highly organized movement can take control of a political party, and if they don't feel they are strong enough now, they will keep working at the grassroots level until they have achieved their goals. In the 80's, there were many who dismissed the religiious right when Pat Robertson's candidacy failed miserably, but most of the Christian Coalition were looking for a candidate who had some appeal with mainstream conservatives, while doing their bidding where it counted to them......and the rest is history!

[Goat Boy©]

The major religions that hate each other are all in agreement that Jesus Christ once walked the Earth. I'm not going to argue with an Atheist too much here. I do enough of that at Catholic.com. Atheism is flawed anyhow.

Do me a favor though and don't slam my God like that. I'm not personally attacking you. I'll wager that many of the people who attack me here are very young and most likely don't have much life experience. I would guess 16-23 or so. Still fresh from the brainwashing of the socialist education system. It fades over time and you'll start thinking for yourselves. I feel sorry for you guys more than anything.

Again. Wasn't slamming god. I was slamming religion. All of the major religions agree there was a guy named Jesus because they are built on each other. Christianity was built on Judaism. Islam was built on Christianity. Just ask a jew what they think about Jesus.

[Goat Boy©]

Who really cares? We shouldn't be so insecure.. Let them think whatever they want. You can try to spread the gospel; but in the end, it is an individual responsibility.

I wish more religious people were like you. We aren't so far removed from believe what I believe or face death/eternal punishment/etc.

[Goat Boy©]

Is there a party in Canada that will put an end to same sex marriage? There sure is!

Is there a party in Canada that will put an end to abortion? There sure is!

Is there a party in Canada that will put mothers back in the home? There sure is!

If you want these things, there's only one party for you: the Christian Heritage Party!

The "Conservative" Party won't stand up against gay marriage, but the Christian Heritage Party will!

And if they ever get elected into an office of power I'll spend four hours pole dancing on the steps to parliament.

...............

And I don't agree with abortion. And I think that a parent, be it mother or father should be at home with the kids.

[gordiecanuk]

I'm going to try one more time.....

Yes, there seems to be an upswing in Christians voting for the Conservative party, at least according to the article you have cited. What I am asking, though, is why? Specifically, why? What is it about the Conservative party that is attracting the religious vote? We know the policies regarding same sex marriage and abortion aren't exactly what many Christians had hoped for, so there must be something else. Please be specific - what is non-secular about the Conservative Party, and which of their policies are based on the Christian religion?

I'm new here, so forgive the intrusion...I am though a political junkie, and enjoy respectful debate that includes religion...though it can be hard to find with those fanatically believing in one faith or another.

Anyway on the questin of abortion, there were a couple of bills put forward by the Conservatives in the last parliament that died because of the premature election call. One was a private members bill that Pro-Choice advocates feared would enshrine fetal rights in law. I actually publish a political blog and posted about it a couple weeks back.

FWIW, I've voted Con/Lib/NDP in various elections both provincial and federal...Personally I don't think any one party has a monopoly on 'the right answers' all the time.

Edited December 21, 2008 by gordiecanuk

[scribblet]

I think you are referring to the Unborn Victims of Crime bill, which I believe is almost the same as a bill put forward by Liberal MP St. Denis C-543. ...

All this religious hyperbole, my goodness, all people including evangelicals believe it or not, have a right to a voice in Parliament. We might not like what they want, but they have the right to be represented or to present their views, preferably through the CHP. - As you can clearly see, Liberals have their share of religious MPs who are anti abortion etc. etc. They are not confined to the CPC.

[Wild Bill]

But the point you and Kimmy are missing is that they don't have to represent the majority in order to have effective operational control of a political party. And what better movement to use than one which makes appeals to religious legitimacy.

And once they gain that control they turn the party into a loser! That was my point that I've made here several times. Stockwell Day was an evangelical christian and when he gained control of the Reform Party he destroyed their chances by pushing some of their agenda.

This after Harper only a few years before had told the membership that mixing religion with politics was political suicide.

So there's an element of Darwinism to the idea of evangelicals trying to hijack a political party. If they succeed they kill themselves off. Harper and his team are well aware of this and will NOT allow it to happen!

If Mr. Canada's values were truly mainstream in Canadian politics then the Christian Heritage Party would have been swept into power years ago.

He and his friends are just pipe-dreaming. Don't worry about it.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Wild Bill

[gordiecanuk]

You're absolutely right scriblett...there are Liberals who identify themselves as "Liberals for Life" and they're referring to the abortion debate, not about their allegiance to the LPC.

This is all part of the 'scary' tag which opponents have tried to pin on Harper, and which he has dilligently tried to distance himself from. Like it or not, Canada is still a largely secular country and the last thing Conservatives concerned with electoral success want him to do is blather on about his religious beliefs.

Preston Manning was very up front about his religious convictions, with the caveat that he wouldn't pursue an ideological agenda. Still there were too many reactionaries in his party, and that hurt his ability to spread the Reform brand eastward.

[Goat Boy©]

And once they gain that control they turn the party into a loser! That was my point that I've made here several times. Stockwell Day was an evangelical christian and when he gained control of the Reform Party he destroyed their chances by pushing some of their agenda.

This after Harper only a few years before had told the membership that mixing religion with politics was political suicide.

So there's an element of Darwinism to the idea of evangelicals trying to hijack a political party. If they succeed they kill themselves off. Harper and his team are well aware of this and will NOT allow it to happen!

If Mr. Canada's values were truly mainstream in Canadian politics then the Christian Heritage Party would have been swept into power years ago.

He and his friends are just pipe-dreaming. Don't worry about it.

Nailed it.

[whowhere]

Let's put the show into perspective

God through Noah floods the world and destroys everything except who and what was on the ark. After the Ark, the people wanted to build a tower to heaven but God didn't like that so he scattered everyone about the world speaking different languages. As the epic progresses God comes to moses and gives him the commandments and statues to follow. After which each and every prophet cries on to the people to follow the commandments and statues. Somehow God has turned over a new leaf and has sex with the virgin mary to give birth to Jesus. I know he created adam from dust but somehow it was beyond him so he had to have sex with mary to to beget Jesus. In a twist, Angel Gabriel appeared onto Joseph and said he can't have sex with Mary until God is finished with mary. So Joseph got God's sloppy seconds. Ok, whatever Christians! So Jesus comes of age and says to the Jews, God didn't mean the commandments and his statues and I am putting a stop to it right now by sacrificing my life for all time. Don't worry do want you want, believe I am God and I am also the son. Somedays I am God but somedays I am the son. I can't decide but in anycase just believe in me and by the way drink my blood and eat me body: Not like that's a sin or anything! All is forgiven and you are all going to live in eternity with me an my apostles. Really??? Good luck with that demented dream

Huh, how did I get crucified for saying the shit I did? I don't get it?? If there is a God, he does not need man. Case and point. You on the otherhand may need him The old testament can amount to God being disappointed with man because of his loftiness.

If that is the case do not be surprised when an alien warship docked outside of earths orbit and is ready to subjugate man for their own ends. That's what you get for going a whoring after other gods with your Jesus and your Mohammeds. Oh wait, 2012 hasn't happened. Getting ahead of myself Oh did god not scatter man because they prematurely built a tower to heaven. You honestly think some sinning blasphemous whore is going to get you into God's Heaven??? Dream on.

Use your brains, Use your logic people. Who is your God: Jesus? Or god of Adam and Eve?

[Mr.Canada]

It's called the Holy Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

[Goat Boy©]

Let's put the show into perspective

God through Noah floods the world and destroys everything except who and what was on the ark. After the Ark, the people wanted to build a tower to heaven but God didn't like that so he scattered everyone about the world speaking different languages. As the epic progresses God comes to moses and gives him the commandments and statues to follow. After which each and every prophet cries on to the people to follow the commandments and statues. Somehow God has turned over a new leaf and has sex with the virgin mary to give birth to Jesus. I know he created adam from dust but somehow it was beyond him so he had to have sex with mary to to beget Jesus. In a twist, Angel Gabriel appeared onto Joseph and said he can't have sex with Mary until God is finished with mary. So Joseph got God's sloppy seconds. Ok, whatever Christians! So Jesus comes of age and says to the Jews, God didn't mean the commandments and his statues and I am putting a stop to it right now by sacrificing my life for all time. Don't worry do want you want, believe I am God and I am also the son. Somedays I am God but somedays I am the son. I can't decide but in anycase just believe in me and by the way drink my blood and eat me body: Not like that's a sin or anything! All is forgiven and you are all going to live in eternity with me an my apostles. Really??? Good luck with that demented dream

Huh, how did I get crucified for saying the shit I did? I don't get it?? If there is a God, he does not need man. Case and point. You on the otherhand may need him The old testament can amount to God being disappointed with man because of his loftiness.

If that is the case do not be surprised when an alien warship docked outside of earths orbit and is ready to subjugate man for their own ends. That's what you get for going a whoring after other gods with your Jesus and your Mohammeds. Oh wait, 2012 hasn't happened. Getting ahead of myself Oh did god not scatter man because they prematurely built a tower to heaven. You honestly think some sinning blasphemous whore is going to get you into God's Heaven??? Dream on.

Use your brains, Use your logic people. Who is your God: Jesus? Or god of Adam and Eve?

Which is it, is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s?

[Goat Boy©]

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

[Smallc]

It's called the Holy Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

You know, many Christians don;t consider Catholics to be Christan because of that.

[whowhere]

It's called the Holy Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It's called wipe my ass. Wow, How cool is that to have sloppy seconds with God himself?? Ok Joseph, I am God, I am going to have sex with Mary. When I am done with her you can have her ok!!

It's no wonder Jesus went Kamikazi because his parents brainwashed him with BS from the Get Go. Oh Mr Canada in Case in your pea brain you think I am satan, I suggest you read the Book of Job. What was Satan's position?? Job would crack and speak against God so Job was persecuted by Satan. After all was done, Job was blessed by God to be a rightous man. Huh??, what would you make of that? Why would satan care if a man honoured God enough, Satan cared what God thought? Because Satan is such a foe character to chritianity it is quite odd Satan was potrayed as the portrayer of right in the book of Job. However, after the Book of Job Satan was toss out of Heaven and thrown into Hell. An Angel of the Lord Freed Satan from Hell but in Jesus's Doctrine Hell is now a furnace where souls are destroyed. Ok, you know what they say: If you wish for it, you just might get it.

As Jesus says: what you sow is what you reap. Kiss yourselves god bye.

[whowhere]

Which is it, is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s?

It's a sad world where young people are not educated properely. When the going get's tough Machivellie takes over. Why manage people when God will do it for free Hold on, people are waking up and not falling victim to that shit. So when your face is smashed in becuase people recongize you are a liar and fraud, the god of Jacob has done his part: Eye for an Eye, tooth for a tooth, and so forth.

[WIP]

And once they gain that control they turn the party into a loser! That was my point that I've made here several times.

And in U.S. politics, disapproval of the religious right has been a key factor in marginalizing the Republican Party into becoming the Party of the Southern confederate states. Outside of the South, the Republicans are only a draw among the declining and aging white, male population. Republican organizers are concerned about their future prospects. But the silver lining for them is the economic turmoil now unfolding. Fundamentalism was in decline at the turn of the last century, but came roaring back during the Depression, when a demoralized, fearful populace started turning to religion to solve their problems after they started feeling they were losing control over their lives. I'm not looking forward to it, but fundamentalism will get stronger as economic conditions worsen today also.

Stockwell Day was an evangelical christian and when he gained control of the Reform Party he destroyed their chances by pushing some of their agenda. This after Harper only a few years before had told the membership that mixing religion with politics was political suicide.

If I'm not mistaken, Harper belongs to the same church that Stockpile belongs to; the difference is that he wants to use a softer approach to advancing a religious-social conservative agenda. But he wants that social agenda likely for the same reasons the Republicans wanted it -- to have an enthusiastic, highly motivated base of volunteers to work in the campaign offices, and since they turn out to vote in higher numbers than the average, evangelicals could provide an edge in close ridings where turnout on election day will make the difference between winning and losing.

[kuzadd]

You self-ascribed conservative types always give me a gut busting laugh. I will say that.

You scream for YOUR rights, under YOUR religion.

To hell with anyone else.

But YOU rail against religious rights and practices of others. (Especially Muslims/Islam)

In this country, and their own!

Yet like any good religious extremists, your all cut from the same dam rotten cloth!

Control, control, control.

Pot meet kettle....

do the double standards know , no bounds?

Allelujiah, the lord is gonna smite ya..............

Sinners abound.

[scribblet]

...

If I'm not mistaken, Harper belongs to the same church that Stockpile belongs to; the difference is that he wants to use a softer approach to advancing a religious-social conservative agenda. But he wants that social agenda likely for the same reasons the Republicans wanted it -- to have an enthusiastic, highly motivated base of volunteers to work in the campaign offices, and since they turn out to vote in higher numbers than the average, evangelicals could provide an edge in close ridings where turnout on election day will make the difference between winning and losing.

Who or what is 'stockpile' ? I don't think I've read as much crappola before, as on this thread !!!

Show where Harper has ever said or done anything to advance a religious/social conservative agenda, softly or otherwise ?

How about talking about the churches other leaders go to, their practices and beliefs. OOOh, isn't the RC church not only anti abortion, but anti birth control along with some some other whacky beliefs e.g. transubstantiation etc. I don't see anyone using these as scare tactics, but it's okay to use Harper's church as some kind of bogeman. How about we substitute Muslims/mosque in some arguments and watch people scream about bigotry - give me a break.

Yes there are some people in the CPC who are religously motivated, but there are in the Liberal party too, but isn't wonderful that we have a modicum of freedom of speech and religion where all people have a voice, or is the real intent of some people to take away freedom of speech and belief.

Again, it would be preferably that the religious zealots stick to the CHP, but they don't as they know that they don't stand a chance in 'ell of winning.

[Wild Bill]

And in U.S. politics, disapproval of the religious right has been a key factor in marginalizing the Republican Party into becoming the Party of the Southern confederate states. Outside of the South, the Republicans are only a draw among the declining and aging white, male population. Republican organizers are concerned about their future prospects. But the silver lining for them is the economic turmoil now unfolding. Fundamentalism was in decline at the turn of the last century, but came roaring back during the Depression, when a demoralized, fearful populace started turning to religion to solve their problems after they started feeling they were losing control over their lives. I'm not looking forward to it, but fundamentalism will get stronger as economic conditions worsen today also.

If I'm not mistaken, Harper belongs to the same church that Stockpile belongs to; the difference is that he wants to use a softer approach to advancing a religious-social conservative agenda. But he wants that social agenda likely for the same reasons the Republicans wanted it -- to have an enthusiastic, highly motivated base of volunteers to work in the campaign offices, and since they turn out to vote in higher numbers than the average, evangelicals could provide an edge in close ridings where turnout on election day will make the difference between winning and losing.

This is Canada. US politics are a poor parallel at best.

As for Harper, you just won't let it go, will you? I've pointed out several times that your premise that he's some kind of bible thumper with a hidden agenda is totally contrary to his history and the facts. So you twist that into some kind of "gradualism" conspiracy.

I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying that I've been following Harper for decades now and have heard him speak words that totally contradict your argument. I was a founding member of Reform in Ontario and find your implications about it being a bible thumper party to be totally contrary to anyone I ever met, spoke to or heard about.

So if you want to persuade me to your argument you'll have to do a LOT better! And for the record, I myself am NOT a conservative but a Libertarian! I am NOT a bible thumper but a devout agnostic who's first real book was a science book about astronomy and physics!

If you're right, I think I would have noticed even a little something during all those years!