I'll admit it, when I saw this headline in the Toronto Star I thought oh no, here we go. The first parapgraph seemed to confirm my fears.
Stephen Harper, our newest Prime Minister, is an evangelical Christian. Over the course of the election campaign, certain media outlets, Liberal Party supporters, and members of Canada's intelligentsia have suggested that that makes him different from the rest of us ... us being "average Canadians."
But something happened on the way to the point of the article - and the misdirection was used as a prop to get there.
...as I said at the outset, in some ways Harper's faith does make him different from the rest of it. Specifically, if Harper is a typical evangelical then chances are he is more prone to be honest than the population-at-large.Research, also done by Reimer, has determined that because Canadian evangelicals see honesty, fidelity and charity as categorical imperatives and not situational options they tend to show more continuity between what they say and what they do. In the vernacular of evangelicals: if they talk the talk, they walk the walk.
The implications of these findings are staggering: it could mean that for the first time in decades Canadians might have a Prime Minister who doesn't lie to them.
Skeptical? I understand. It may be easy for evangelicals, but for the rest of us ... it's hard to believe in miracles.
Honesty. That, without having to do much more, will make me happy.
Comments (22)
Won’t lie eh? That sounds like a challenge to me. Now comes the Stephen Harper Lie Watch! Really Greg, Harper is human and a politician. He will lie and commit other sins as well.
Posted by Greg | February 4, 2006 9:54 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 09:54
I will judge his administration a success if he lives up to this:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV, John 13:34-35)
Posted by Greg | February 4, 2006 9:57 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 09:57
OK, OK, lie less.
Strange that someone who is so offended by “God bless Canada” would bring the Gospel into play. Works for me though.
Posted by Greg Staples | February 4, 2006 10:00 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 10:00
Everything I’ve read about Harper says he’s not an evangelical Christian. I don’t see it being relevant one way or the other, but I wonder if it’s accurate.
Posted by canadianna | February 4, 2006 10:18 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 10:18
I have seen conflicting evidence as well.
Posted by Greg Staples | February 4, 2006 10:33 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 10:33
Greg, why republish Toronto newspaper crap when even you think it is questionable? You’re actually hurting, not helping, public discourse by publicizing the crap the Toronto newspapers publish. I do not believe it is accurate to say Harper is an evangelical Christian and neither do you, apparently. Use some judgement.
Posted by Anonalogue | February 4, 2006 10:49 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 10:49
I found the article interesting. Nothing more than that. I will read anything, from any source, as long as it is interesting.
Posted by Greg Staples | February 4, 2006 11:36 AM
Posted on February 4, 2006 11:36
Is Harper an evangelist or isn’t he? Who can say considering his personal beliefs are shrouded in secrecy. Think about it, what do we really know about Stephen Harper, the man? Not much. We do know quite a bit about his political beliefs; or at least we did before the magical, mystery, summer bbq makeover tour in which he claims to have totally reinvented those beliefs. But on a personal level, we really know squat about him.
Posted by Robert McClelland | February 4, 2006 12:02 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 12:02
Proof positive of Mr. Harper’s evangelical nature is conclusivly proven by the conversion of Sinister.lol
On a more serious note, I don’t know the reality of evangelical or not but I do get the feeling that he is honest and won’t lie. He could have lied throughout the campaign on a variety of issues and didn’t. That speaks well for him in my books.
The writer of the article does make a point. “it could mean that for the first time in decades Canadians might have a Prime Minister who doesn’t lie to them.”
Maybe we’ll even see someone that shows, as Sinister has suggested, a genuine love for Canada, not a love for the position of PM.
Pat
Posted by Pat | February 4, 2006 12:27 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 12:27
Don’t know how I managed to run the post off the ends of the page??
Posted by Pat | February 4, 2006 12:29 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 12:29
Greg, don’t you know, even the devil can quote scripture. ;) BTW, I am not offended by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Posted by Greg | February 4, 2006 12:37 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 12:37
I fixed it Pat. Weird. For some reason indents change the fonts. Don’t ask me…
Greg - it’s all good…
Posted by Greg Staples | February 4, 2006 1:06 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 13:06
“Think about it, what do we really know about Stephen Harper, the man?”
About the same amount as we knew about Paul Martin, the man; Jean Chretien, the man; Brian Mulroney, the man; or Pierre Trudeau, the man. Or for that matter, Jack! Leighton, the man; Gilles Duceppe, the man; or Jim Harris, the man. We probably know more about Stephen Harper, the man than we knew about Mike Pearson, the man; John Diefenbaker, the man; or Louis St Laurent, the man; and certainly more than we knew about MacKenzie King, the man. Much much more than we knew about King, in fact.
Tell me Robbo - do you ever get tired of being a fatuous git, or are you practicing for a position as a circus clown?
Posted by dcardno | February 4, 2006 3:00 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 15:00
You have a very good point dcardno, I don’t know about the clown stuff, but about what do we really know about Jack Layton, Duceppe or for that matter, any of the leaders, past and present.
Because of the horror of Harper being a self-professed Christian, he is investigated by the press in huge detail. Why tht man is a danger!!! He probably believes that there are things that should be considered as sins!!! How dare he!!! In Canada!! I’m not making this up!!!
Wonder how the rest would stand up to the same moralistic scrutiny.
Posted by Pat | February 4, 2006 6:22 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 18:22
Next you’ll be telling us Harper’s a homo sapiens and his wife is a thespian. Disgraceful!
Would it not be a simple matter to ask the man what church he attends?
Posted by Occam's Carbuncle | February 4, 2006 10:57 PM
Posted on February 4, 2006 22:57
“…and his wife is a thespian.”
Well, no - but she plays on on TV. ;)
Posted by dcardno | February 5, 2006 2:11 AM
Posted on February 5, 2006 02:11
“plays one damnit!
Posted by dcardno | February 5, 2006 2:35 AM
Posted on February 5, 2006 02:35
It’s irresponsible and deceitful to spread this false rumour. Saying “I found this interesting” is airheaded; it doesn’t cut it in the adult world, especially when your post gets syndicated to other blogs with the headline “Stephen Harper just can’t quit his Inner-Evangelical”. It’s a childish excuse. And don’t even think about saying “I was being ironic”. In any case, we Conservatives (and let’s be honest, you’re nanometers and milliseconds away from being a Liberal) don’t appreciate bloggers spreading lies about Stephen Harper and you will be held accountable for this. Greg Staples: Spreads lies about Stephen Harper.
Posted by Anonalogue | February 5, 2006 8:04 AM
Posted on February 5, 2006 08:04
Cripes Anonalogue, your spittle is hitting me through my monitor.
Posted by Gareth Igloliorte | February 5, 2006 11:39 AM
Posted on February 5, 2006 11:39
“It’s irresponsible and deceitful to spread this false rumour.”
The use of the term “irresponsible” implies that Greg had -well- a responsibility to someone. To whom, Anonalogue, and how did it arise? Moreover, how did he default on it?
Posted by dcardno | February 5, 2006 1:30 PM
Posted on February 5, 2006 13:30
Would it not be a simple matter to ask the man what church he attends?
In Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada, it’s said that he was raised in the United Church and Presbyterian Church. However, in The Pilgrimage of Stephen Harper, his religoius views are said to have changed through extensive reading (akin to the reading that created his political identity), and he and his family attend the Christian/ Missionary Alliance church, which is evangelical.
Posted by Jess | February 5, 2006 6:07 PM
Posted on February 5, 2006 18:07
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an offshoot of the Presbyterian Church with a strong focus on foreign missionary and aid work. It is somewhat evangelical, but not in a shove it down your throat way. It also does a lot of local charitable work without preaching, just giving.
Posted by georgev | February 5, 2006 10:12 PM
Posted on February 5, 2006 22:12