Re: How Canada's religious right was built, May 8

Marci McDonald’s book, an expose of the ties of the religious right to the Harper government, was recently pilloried in the right-wing newspaper by neo-con Ezra Levant. Most Canadians would like to think we have nothing in common with the American Christian right’s policies on “God, gays and guns.” However, when the Harper version of the Conservative Party dropped the word “Progressive,” they weren’t kidding.

This is a party with very few women in leadership roles, and those who are tend to be muzzled or else booted when they cause embarrassment, like Helena Guergis. The axis of patriarchy in this party is clearly Harper, Stockwell Day, Rob Nicholson at Justice and Vic Toews at Public Safety (god help us). These men have no new ideas and tend to be anti-intellectual and populist in their instincts.

McDonald’s major contribution may well be to alert Canadians to Mr. Harper’s great ability to erode rights, “a restriction here, a restriction there . . .” and to disguise what should be government bills as private members’ bills that encourage MPs to vote away from party lines, thus dividing the Opposition, whose MPs are less tightly controlled by their leaders.

This was what they accomplished in their bill to ban the long-gun registry, along with sneaky “amnesties” granted to gun owners who failed to register their guns or renew their applications. The book also helps by exposing the network of religious right-wing groups that are eagerly awaiting the day when Canadians hand Mr. Harper a majority.

Ron Charach, M.D., Toronto

Marci McDonald’s The Armageddon Factor tries to connect dots that don’t exist. Her concern is that Christians, theologically and socially conservative, are about to impose their views on Canada. That cannot and will not happen for obvious reasons.

First Canada is a Roman Catholic country — 47 per cent of Canada is so. Can you imagine Catholics, with recent memories of the rule of their own church in Quebec allowing a small Christian group to impose its political will?

Second, the American “manifest destiny” impulse does not throb in our cultural veins.

Third, the bogey group the author cites — evangelicals — are but 3 million. In the U.S. there are 100 million.

Fourth, since 1983 while there is a stronger western influence, it is a huge mistake to make westerners and evangelicals synonymous.

Fifth, evangelicals are not so easily persuaded politically. We have an enormous history of caring for the poor, building community, being generous and leery of those who try to build an unholy link between Christ’s call to service and exercise of the levers of power.

Armageddon is coming, but not as Ms McDonald imagines.

Brian C. Stiller, President, The Tyndale Foundation, Tyndale University College & Seminary, Toronto

The CBC recently had a segment on their news program that asked a question which, I believe, has been begging for an answer: “How much influence does the Christian right-wing evangelical movement have on Steven Harper’s government?”

It compared the path that the Conservative government seems to be taking with that taken by George W. Bush for eight years in the U.S. (with regrettable results).

The segment offered as evidence the ways Harper has attempted to introduce his Christian beliefs into law. It cited the controversy that erupted when the Conservatives cut overseas aid to groups that included abortion in their attempts to assist female victims of rape, etc. Other groups that have been in existence for decades in Canada found their funding cut when the government decided their views did not fall into line with those of Harper or the Christian right.

Fundamentalist preachers have bragged openly in the media about having seemingly unlimited access to the corridors of power in Ottawa.

One wonders why, if Harper’s beliefs are so strong, he does not openly come out and declare them. Is it because his desire to share the good news of the bible is outweighed by his desire to form a majority government?

Canadians, unlike some of our neighbours to the south, have historically been more accepting and more open minded in regard to the religious beliefs of others. Harper knows this, and is shrewd enough to hold back the more extreme elements in his party until majority government is attained.

Richard Murri, Niagara Falls, Ont.

Not so long ago, many evangelical churches never made public political statements or told their members how to vote. What changed all of this? It can be traced back to 1979 when Jerry Falwell formed the Moral Majority. From that event, many evangelical churches all over the world have been taking an active part in politics.

When asked why he decided to start talking about political issues, the Rev. Falwell stated that world conditions were getting so bad that Christians must step up to the plate and enter the public arena of politics.

It amazes me how evangelical Christians can be found in denominations not normally thought as being evangelical. It is estimated that there are 100,000,000 Roman Catholics worldwide who have charismatic beliefs. One of Canada’s most famous evangelists is a conservative Anglican minister, the Rev. Marney Patterson.

In the midwestern U.S. Bible Belt (yes, there is a midwest Bible Belt, it’s just not in the southern U.S.), part of the belt is made up of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. Many of the people living in these four states are conservative Lutherans. Some people call this region the Lutheran Bible Belt.

Ken Sisler, Newmarket

Antonia Zerbisias quotes Marci McDonald about the pernicious advances of Christian fundamentalism into the federal government of Stephen Harper. And on page GT2, the headline reads, “Mayoral candidates say yes to faith groups.” Mr. Rossi goes so far as to say, “city hall has left God.”

So it’s not just that the religious right has infiltrated Parliament Hill with their particular brand of bigotry, but it looks as if they are about to advance on the city. Do we have cause to worry? I’d say so.

What is happening to our tolerant, liberal Canada?

Stephen L. Bloom, Toronto

Wake up, Canada! After reading the excerpt from Marci McDonald’s book, I am appalled at how quickly we could lose the rights and freedoms that we hold so dear. The right to religious freedom, and the rights for which women have worked so hard. These are just two that I have pulled out of the excerpt.

I have lived in Canada nearly half a century and find that I have probably taken a lot for granted. As a gardener, I should have noticed the creeping vine that is threatening to strangle some of our hard-earned rights.

If I wish to attend a religious facility of my choice, I may and I accept that others from all faiths or none may do the same. I do not, however, impose that choice on others (even my children), nor expect them to do that to me. I have thought that many in the U.S. go overboard on religion. To find that we may be going in that direction here is something that I have to speak out on. Attending church, synagogue, temple, mosque, etc. is one thing, but imposing those beliefs on others, I don’t think so.

I am past childbearing age, but have a very definite opinion on abortion. It should be legal and available for those who need it, e.g. in the case of rape or serious pregnancy complications, but preferably not as a method of contraception. A girl or woman has responsibility for that. It is not the church’s decision. As women, we have worked hard to get these rights for all women, as well as the right not to be abused, beaten, to walk safely home — a secure home.

Our religious readings, whether Bible, Koran or other, are frequently used out of context to suit the needs of the quoter. And that includes the correctness or otherwise of homosexuality, or wearing a head covering or dagger. However, the last two are another story.

Through the ages, humanity as a whole has become better educated and more aware of the differences around us. Canada has been very tolerant of those differences when it has allowed others to move here. It has been a good place to live and bring up a family. When we travel, my husband and I are happy to come home — we are both immigrants, and have accepted Canada as our home.

The “religious right” and the government that is trying to change this country need to be made aware that this is not the direction in which most of us want to go. We do still have the right to vote and we must make our MPs aware that we shall use that vote, and the written word.

Patricia Fraraccio, Ridgeway

It is with profound sadness and unease that I read the excerpt from Marci MacDonald’s book. Any other such orchestrated, covert infiltration of the corridors of power by a non-Judeo/Christian religious group would be considered as insurrectionary.

But the most troubling aspect of this development, besides the openly Machiavellian and medieval approach to power that these special interests seem willing to take, is the perversity with which they do so in the name of the figure of their savior. Christ never assembled any armies of Christian “soldiers” nor advocated the militant, venomous partisanship by which these groups seek to consolidate their power.

I pray — I hope with many other Canadians — that no God will bless the efforts of this unfortunate group of spiritually lost crusaders, and that they find the right path of peaceful, pragmatic political process.

Eben Holmes, Queenston

Muslims on one side of the door and Christians on the other. This will not end well.

Paul Beesley, St. Catharines

The Star has a long history of balanced reporting on issues of the day, but providing the amount of print space devoted to reporting on The Armageddon Factor is seriously over the top as a great example of a wrong-headed conspiracy theory.

We are not dealing here with gang wars, the drug trade or terrorism but faith groups with a perspective on social issues that just happens to not accord with that of other activist movements dealing, for example, with gay or pro-choice issues each of which pack enormous wallop.

However, any clout that this book might have is seriously diminished by equating socially conservative groups to “witch burning” and having “a dark and dangerous vision.” Perhaps the author should visit some city-centre conservative congregations where she would probably find herself in a totally multiracial environment.

If she enquired a bit further she would learn that the “charismatic renewal” peaked in the ’70s and was by no means a unifying force but rather just the opposite.

I think Star readers deserve better.

Ted Ward, Toronto

Right-wing conspiracy theorists can now take comfort in the knowledge that nutty conspiracy theories can also be hatched by “veteran journalists” such as Marci McDonald.

Ms McDonald’s basic theory is that there is some kind of cohesive “emergent Christian right” conspiring to develop an “idealized Christian nation” where those “in violation of biblical law … would merit severe punishment … that once characterized a society where suspected witches were burned.”

In support of this amazing and inflammatory theory, Ms McDonald attempts to tie together politically conservative groups such as the Canadian Constitution Foundation and Civitas, Aurel Braun (described as a “Zionist Jew”), Canada’s 300,000 Sikhs, the Evangelical Fellowship, Chabad-Lubavitch Jews, the National House of Prayer, and others. It is surprising that she omitted the Taliban from her list!

As partial evidence of her conspiracy theory, she claims that (God forbid — if, of course, She exists) Prime Minister Harper “sends his blessings to prayer rallies” (even though it has been common for politicians of all stripes to attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast), and that he is “aligning [Canada] increasingly with the United States.” Presumably, the U.S. under Barack Obama is even closer to fulfillment of that alleged mission “to prepare God’s dominion on earth,” or as she so sinisterly claims, “a dark and dangerous vision, one that brooks no dissent and requires the dismantling of democratic institutions.”

One must commend Ms McDonald for her fear-inducing rhetoric — as one must commend other whacky conspiracy theorists for theirs. However, it is difficult to imagine an entire book dedicated to such drivel. Nowhere in the excerpt from her book (exclusive to the Star, no less!) does she provide any evidence for her nonsensical claims; one must conclude that the entire book is of similar quality.

Fortunately for Ms McDonald, she will find some readership among those who believe that the Status of Women Canada, and the Court Challenges Program, need government funds to perform their wonderful works (what happened to the old donation system that seems to fund all of these nefarious conspiracies?), and will buy the book to learn to fear what they already despise.

Others of us, however, will mentally place her on the shelf with other whackos, such as Chicken Little.

Paul D. Mack, Oshawa

I wish Marci McDonald was deep into fanciful metaphor in her book’s title, but “Armageddon” seems about right, literally so. And in her focus on the Christian right she doesn’t get to the inevitability of Armageddon II, when Christian fundamentalists ally with their fellow extremists from other religions in finding common cause against, among others, women who think their bodies are their own, parents who want schools free of religious meddling, and politicians who do themselves follow a religion and nevertheless have the affronting temerity to insist that matters of the state and matters of religion are distinct and separate — and ought to be kept that way, a notion which we might soon nostalgically remember as an abiding prime ministerial position of all our first ministers, Tory and Liberal, up to these current end times.

Canadian apathy and smugness are wearing thin as endearing national traits. In fact, Ms McDonald’s account of the effectiveness of the Christian right in moving its strategy forward ought to scare the apathetic and smug beejesus out of many (most?) of us. It does me and I credit her warning as being substantial and alarming.

Maybe Canada as I assumed it to be never was and is adamantly quite never going to be. But maybe not. Social research into the Canadian demographic continues to show the real “moral majority” as being of “no religion” or indifferent to religion. But as soothing as indifference is, it better not extend to politics where “indifference” will likely be deadly to any idea of the survival of the true north as many of us have assumed and cherished it to be. An often “mythic” north for sure, but looking around the world I don’t see a whole lot of appealing alternatives.

In the last American election campaign both Obama and McCain thought it wise to appear as summoned by the Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church to offer testament of their Christian character and thereby reasonable assurance that their regime if elected would do well by the bidding of Warren’s flock. And Obama and McCain were certainly wise to the political strategy of the Christian Right — which would get as close as possible to 100 per cent turnout on voting day — or know the backsliding reason why.

In Canada voter turnout amongst the non- or indifferently religious is likely about 25 per cent. If this group gives a damn, it ought to also be as close to 100 per cent next time as evolution and its sister sciences permit.

There is no way right now that the voting power is in place and ready to entrench the tenets of the religious right in federal governmental policy and the laws of the land. But if we take the continuance of Canada as a close approximation to what it has been for granted and persist in our assorted trances, our very own end times of Canada as we knew it will be with us even before the other Armageddon chaffing in calendars of our right holy fellow citizens claims us all.

Peter Brown, Orillia

Mr. Harper is constantly telling us we have to support our troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan so girls can go to school and ensure women can have equal rights in that country. At the same time, he does everything he can to curtail women’s rights in Canada and abroad by restricting federal funding to organizations trying to promote rights and freedom. What he tries to sweep under the carpet is that he is actively promoting our own Christian Taliban and trying to shape national policy along religious lines.

Mark Jessop, Barrie

Marci McDonald’s excerpt is nothing less than thinly disguised hate literature aimed at Christians. Her hysterical polemic goes so far beyond the pale that it would be laughable were it not for its frightening implications.

To cite one absurd example of many, she posits an “idealized Christian nation” where “those in violation of biblical law, notably homosexuals and adulterers, would merit severe punishment and the sort of shunning that once characterized a society where witches were burned. Theirs is a dark and dangerous vision, one that brooks no dissent and requires the dismantling of key democratic institutions.”

The crowning irony of all this nonsense, of course, is that, if one were to substitute “Islamic” for “biblical” and perhaps “stoned” for “burned,” her indictment would be entirely accurate, if she were describing not Christianity, but radical Islam, where there is indeed no dissent, no pretense of democracy, and homosexuals and adulterers are routinely tortured and killed.

It is one thing for the Star to constantly rail about freedom of the press regarding the publication ban in the Tori Stafford case; it is quite another to meekly refrain from printing any attack on the tenets of radical Islam, knowing the reprisals might be violent and dangerous, and instead provide its readers, through McDonald’s overheated diatribe, with an all-out assault on the Christian right, where criticism figures to be gentle and restrained. The Star should be ashamed.

Michael Boyko, Toronto

The subtext of Marci’s article reads “those who support the Conservatives are religious radicals.” This is laughable! I am a conservative. I endorse and support the Harper government. It may surprise Marci that I am an atheist . . . and that I fully support a woman’s right to choose. Marci is clearly out of touch with the present day conservative voter.

To quote her, “When Harper came to office, he adopted an electoral script crafted by his ideological soulmates in the Republican party.” Wow, does she really believe this or is she just trying to sell books? Harper’s policies are in no way reflective of the U.S. Republican party. The reality is that Harper is left of Obama. Obama does not endorse a publically funded universal health care system, he supports the right to bear arms, and endorses limits on late-term abortions, not to mention the fact that he is freely and openly religious!

Your characterization of Conservatives as evangelicals is no more than common rhetoric. I’m an atheist and every single conservative that I know is an atheist. The mix of religious to non-religious conservatives simply mirrors society at large.

In fact I would argue that there is more religion in the Liberal Party than in the Conservative Party. Marci McDonald (and the media in general) loves to pick on Christians, all the while finding no contradiction in supporting freedom of religion for new Canadian Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and the like — by and large supporters of the Liberal Party.

Most educated Canadians understand that religion is absolute nonsense. For the majority of Canadians, religion is a non-issue and plays absolutely no part in the decision at the ballot box.

Doug Robertson, Toronto

As a nonreligious person, I appreciate McDonald’s concerns about a growing Christian right in Canada. But I lament the emphasis she puts on social issues.

The reason people on the religious right organize so well is that they’re inspired by a set of philosophical and theological ideas, as crazy as these ideas are from a secular viewpoint. But whenever religion is discussed in liberal newspapers and radio shows, it seems the focus is on the consequences of religion — for abortion, gay rights, symbols in public squares, on so on. The focus should be on criticizing the ideas that cause commitment to religions, since that’s the way to curb the influence of religion.

But I fear that secular liberals aren’t similarly inspired by philosophical ideas of their own.

Philip Kuchar, Thornhill

As a Canadian evangelical Christian opposed to 99.999 per cent of everything Mr. Harper stands for, I am offended by Marci McDonald’s suggestion that I am part of an evil plot to reshape this country. Narrow-minded, agenda-driven bullies are scary, no matter what banner they hide under, be it Christian or Muslim, Palestinian or Isreali, gay or straight, Conservative or Liberal. Isn’t it time we stopped villainizing the banners we hold dear, and start decrying the bullies instead?

Jayne E. Self, Orangeville

I applaud Marci McDonald for her article on religious people participating in Canadian politics. Clearly, unless someone’s religious views agree with McDonald’s, they should not be allowed to participate in the electoral process, including talking to MPs, running for office and voting. She should decide not only how people vote but how they practice their faith.

The only people who should participate in Canadian politics should be people who agree with McDonald. That is what real democracy is about.

Jojo Ruba, Calgary

As a friend of mine often observes: “the Christian right is neither.”

Rev. John H. Brown, Church of the Master United Church, Toronto