U.S. fundamentalist groups have a foot in Canada's political door

[Beaver Tail]

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/observer/story.html?id=0d185839-efcf-4cf4-8f7f-2e34350ebb81&page=1

[stepnw1f]

1. Whatever..(nt)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. If you read the piece, there's a big "whatever." The subject's a nut.

American evangelist Stephen Bennett declares he's willing to endure "persecution" in Canada to preach his message that homosexual acts are a mortal sin that should be illegal.

The famous U.S. preacher --a married family man who considers himself "ex-gay" after renouncing his earlier promiscuous homosexual lifestyle -- was the keynote speaker before more than 250 Canadians this summer at a $100-a-ticket fundraiser.

Even though Bennett's Canadian evangelical allies warned him against bringing most of his anti-homosexuality tracts to Canada because they might earn him a jail sentence under the country's hate-speech laws, it didn't stop Bennett from joining a widespread U.S.-based campaign against Canada's proposed same-sex marriage legislation.

"I spoke for nearly an hour, openly and freely as an American," Bennett wrote in his recent weekly column, headlined O Canada, which was distributed to millions of people through popular Canadian and U.S. evangelical websites.

"I will not be silenced," said Bennett, who believes homosexuality is a moral choice, not a genetic predisposition. "The truth is not hate speech. Let them come in here now and arrest me."

<snip>

Okay, he wants to be arrested. Let him be a disappointed martyr wannabee.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. The truth is not hate speech?

:eyes: So what if someone went around and talked about you huh mister? Would you like that? Give me a break!

[getmeouttahere]

3. Why can't he just stick to the U.S.?

I hope they string his ass up!!!

[stepnw1f]

5. I'm With You There (nt)

[wli]

4. I'm waiting for undue influence on Canadian elections to crop up

It's bound to happen.

[jim3775]

6. No they don't.

That kind of crap is only accepted in one province (Alberta), and that province is totally irrelevant to the national political scene. The christian fundie message will not be accepted in Canada period.

[applegrove]

7. We are a nation of immigrants and tolerance is # 1 on the list of

what people demand out of our government.

Poor little baby. Perhaps he is using this to get a name for himself in the U.S.A.

Though why he doesn't just 'meet with Bush' who controls both houses of congress and the Judiciary and demand action..I do not know.

Well yes - of course I know. Bush & neocons & political operatives will not attempt to solve any of the issues that 'payoff' at election time. Look for abortion & gay issues to not be solved as long as the wounds can be made to fester & the GOP tries for this 30 years rule.

[FreedomAngel82]

11. Exactly

Bush and his group really don't care about abortion and gay marriage or anything like that. They only do every four years to get out the vote. I don't think they'll ever take away Roe V Wade and the only way we'll get equal rights for gay people is if it's under a democratic administration. It's all to control the politicial scene. Those like him only vote on two issues. Abortion and gay marriage. They believe just getting rid of it will stop it which is purely ridiculous. And of course if this guy does get arrested in Canada people like Pat Robertson will be on every "news" outlet crying persecution and demanding George Bush to free him when in reality this guy should know the laws of another country and respect them.

[applegrove]

12. Making a name for yourself in a way that moves the neocon agenda

forward results in $$$ and opportunity for your children. This is like Rome.

[Telly Savalas]

8. and said fundamentalist groups will get broken political toes...

when the political door slams on their political feet.

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Here's hoping that Canada can begin influencing US politics.

[CHIMO]

13. Slanted

Writing.

Many U.S. evangelicals have been galvanized by recent developments in Canada -- particularly Parliament's July vote in favour of same-sex marriage, but also by Canadian political efforts to legalize marijuana and maintain wide access to abortion, as well as Ottawa's refusal to join the U.S.-led war against Iraq.

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/observer/story.html?id=0d185839-efcf-4cf4-8f7f-2e34350ebb81&page=1

Canada has not attempted to legalize marijuana. It has been trying to decriminalize small quantities. One has to question whether the article was written by a Canadian or just copied from a pr release.

However, the fact that they are trying to convert people to their political beliefs is not in dispute by most people. One would wish that more effort would be exercised to investigate illegal political influence especially since a lot of the funding is coming from those pushing political right groups and using religion as a front.

Another push is being made in the labour movement.
Christian union stands firm in Alberta

A LABOUR conflict is threatenening to disrupt a major Canadian oil development.

http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/050630alberta



And it is being pushed by the right in Canada with no political group defending Canadian interests.