An Intro for my new found readership
Well hello there! It seems I've been getting a fair bit of traffic lately over the Iran/National Post controversy, (thanks in part to Canadian Cynic, and, in a roundabout way, Antonia Zerb from the Toronto Star) so as a result, I figured I should at least give a brief intro...
As you can tell by my blog name, I am a Bible believing Christian, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. Despite what you may have read in various lefty blogs and the main stream media (referred to here affectionately as "the MSM"), we don't run the Party... and all plans for our imminent take-over have been put on indefinite hold, due to the exposure of our "vast right-wing conspiracy". We were hoping to keep it under wraps, but, since that didn't pan out, we've relegated ourselves mainly to the blogosphere, and to various late night after-church meetings... kidding.
Seriously, I've become involved in political commentary over the last few years due to a dissatisfaction with how various groups, including the MSM, have treated issues that people of faith, like myself, care about. For some time now, many on the left of the political spectrum (which would include many in the media) have been trying to make anyone who has faith related concerns with various policies as bigoted, intolerant, racist, and just plain wrong.
Well, we do live in a free country, and I may have opinions on issues that you disagree with... and you're free to disagree with me. I may think that certain issues that the left care about are wrong, and if you're interested, I'll tell you why I think they're wrong. And then there are many issues that I'm sure we can find some, if not complete, agreement on.
You see, I to want to make the nation of Canada a better place to live... I live here too, after all. I don't want to turn Canada into a police state, or have policy dictated to us from the White House, which many lefties seem to think is our goal. What I would like is to see a nation where people can choose to live their lives as they see fit, and not have the government, or the media, telling them what to think.
I support the Conservative Party of Canada because I believe that they alone hold to this vision. The other parties on the left of the political spectrum would prefer to have the government dictate to us how we ought to live... a proposition I reject wholeheartedly. The Liberals advocate a "Stateist" mentality, and the NDP as "Socialist" agenda... both of which I have problems with.
An example of this is the Liberal "Child Care" program. The Liberals say "you can have government paid daycare, or none at all", whereas the Conservatives say "you can choose registered daycare, or use the money to support your family at home". Now, the availability of spaces for those who chose the Liberal way is another matter altogether...
As for my faith, I do indeed believe that "God created the heavens and the earth". I do believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He came to earth, God incarnate, 2000 years ago to die for the sins of mankind, and that He rose to life again three days later. I believe that He offers forgiveness from sin TO ALL through the acceptance of His sacrifice in your place. I also believe that the Bible is God's revelation to mankind for this life and the one beyond. I believe that He is returning to earth again, perhaps tomorrow, and will one day rule this earth from the eternal city of Jerusalem, in a redeemed nation of Israel.
So what? Why does it matter to you that I believe that? You don't believe in God? You're an atheist? You don't believe the Bible? Well then, you're just an ignorant bigot who doesn't have a clue what he/she is talking about... now, wouldn't it be much better if I just say that I disagree with your views, and we talk about it more if you want to? ;-)
If you want to know how a Christian views thing here in Canada, then I hope I can be a good example for you. If you want to disagree with anything I say, please feel free... but I do ask that you keep the language to a "PG" level. ;-) (I have been known to toast a comment or two, but only once or twice... right jDave?)
And yes, I do have an agenda... to convert the world to Christ. Considering the "Golden Rule", is that really such a bad thing?
As you can tell by my blog name, I am a Bible believing Christian, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. Despite what you may have read in various lefty blogs and the main stream media (referred to here affectionately as "the MSM"), we don't run the Party... and all plans for our imminent take-over have been put on indefinite hold, due to the exposure of our "vast right-wing conspiracy". We were hoping to keep it under wraps, but, since that didn't pan out, we've relegated ourselves mainly to the blogosphere, and to various late night after-church meetings... kidding.
Seriously, I've become involved in political commentary over the last few years due to a dissatisfaction with how various groups, including the MSM, have treated issues that people of faith, like myself, care about. For some time now, many on the left of the political spectrum (which would include many in the media) have been trying to make anyone who has faith related concerns with various policies as bigoted, intolerant, racist, and just plain wrong.
Well, we do live in a free country, and I may have opinions on issues that you disagree with... and you're free to disagree with me. I may think that certain issues that the left care about are wrong, and if you're interested, I'll tell you why I think they're wrong. And then there are many issues that I'm sure we can find some, if not complete, agreement on.
You see, I to want to make the nation of Canada a better place to live... I live here too, after all. I don't want to turn Canada into a police state, or have policy dictated to us from the White House, which many lefties seem to think is our goal. What I would like is to see a nation where people can choose to live their lives as they see fit, and not have the government, or the media, telling them what to think.
I support the Conservative Party of Canada because I believe that they alone hold to this vision. The other parties on the left of the political spectrum would prefer to have the government dictate to us how we ought to live... a proposition I reject wholeheartedly. The Liberals advocate a "Stateist" mentality, and the NDP as "Socialist" agenda... both of which I have problems with.
An example of this is the Liberal "Child Care" program. The Liberals say "you can have government paid daycare, or none at all", whereas the Conservatives say "you can choose registered daycare, or use the money to support your family at home". Now, the availability of spaces for those who chose the Liberal way is another matter altogether...
As for my faith, I do indeed believe that "God created the heavens and the earth". I do believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He came to earth, God incarnate, 2000 years ago to die for the sins of mankind, and that He rose to life again three days later. I believe that He offers forgiveness from sin TO ALL through the acceptance of His sacrifice in your place. I also believe that the Bible is God's revelation to mankind for this life and the one beyond. I believe that He is returning to earth again, perhaps tomorrow, and will one day rule this earth from the eternal city of Jerusalem, in a redeemed nation of Israel.
So what? Why does it matter to you that I believe that? You don't believe in God? You're an atheist? You don't believe the Bible? Well then, you're just an ignorant bigot who doesn't have a clue what he/she is talking about... now, wouldn't it be much better if I just say that I disagree with your views, and we talk about it more if you want to? ;-)
If you want to know how a Christian views thing here in Canada, then I hope I can be a good example for you. If you want to disagree with anything I say, please feel free... but I do ask that you keep the language to a "PG" level. ;-) (I have been known to toast a comment or two, but only once or twice... right jDave?)
And yes, I do have an agenda... to convert the world to Christ. Considering the "Golden Rule", is that really such a bad thing?
posted by Christian Conservative @ 4:05 p.m.
10 Comments:
At Sat May 20, 05:27:00 p.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
But Jesus called on us to love each other. And that's what I do.
At Sat May 20, 05:40:00 p.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
"And yes, I do have an agenda... to convert the world to Christ. Considering the "Golden Rule", is that really such a bad thing?"
Actually, yes. Their tastes may be different.
At Sat May 20, 05:53:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
Anonymous, are you saying I don't love people? ;-)
Jim... oh well
At Sat May 20, 06:00:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
Yes Jim, other cultures may have their preferences... Ravi Zacheriah commented on that by saying, "In some cultures, they love their neighbours... in other cultures, they eat their neighbours... do you have a preference?" (actually, he was quoting some other philosopher who was challenging someone who made that same statement to him)
Just a funny aside there.
At Sun May 21, 11:31:00 a.m. EDT,
Blake Kennedy said…
"And yes, I do have an agenda... to convert the world to Christ. Considering the "Golden Rule", is that really such a bad thing?"
I just can't believe you'd write such a thing as a "Blogging Tory". I'm just dumbfounded, with a strong emphasis on the first four letters. I realize that the Blogging Tories are not an official arm of the Party, but do you not think that comments like this are, to say the least, embarrassing to the Conservative Party?!? I mean, no offense, Andrew - it's good to have your beliefs and convictions, a good deal of which I would probably share (at least at a philosophical level). But this is not acceptable political discourse. The Conservative Party is categorically not seeking to convert the world to Christ, and for you to make a statement like that opens a huge door for opponents to say, "Look, this is the kind of mentality that supports the CPC."
For the love of God, give your head a shake before you write. Remember what I said before about taking some PoliSci classes over at the U of G? Do it. Do it now. Learn how to learn and listen as opposed to dictate. And do it quickly, because posts like this are not helping the CPC's cause at all. In fact, it's hurting it.
At Sun May 21, 02:38:00 p.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
Andrew,
I would like to disagree with the previous commentator and say that you have done well with this posting. I'm all for removing politics from the church, but believe it is a necessity to involve the church in politics. For those who are truely born again Christians, they would understand that we are called to do all things as unto the Lord, even if it is a Conservative Blog.
Keep up the great work!
At Sun May 21, 03:53:00 p.m. EDT,
Blake Kennedy said…
"For those who are truely born again Christians, they would understand that we are called to do all things as unto the Lord, even if it is a Conservative Blog."
I am a born-again believer, Luke, as if that matters. So I understand your point quite well. And even if I weren't a "truely [sic] born again Christian", does that mean I couldn't understand your point?!? Tsk, tsk. Somebody needs to refresh his memory in logical fallacies, especially "argumentum ad hominem (abusive)".
And, if Andrew feels truly called to do a Conservative Blog "as unto the Lord", then he should just simply do a Conservative Blog, to the best of his abilities. Period. Talk about policies; talk about ideas from a Conservative perspective; advance some actual thought. But do a good political blog, if that's what you're going to do. Setting up your Party to get crucified in the media with religious rants is not doing good politics, I'm sorry. If you're doing it unto the Lord, then, for Pete's sake, doing it well, just like if you're farming "as unto the Lord". You don't have to preach to the freaking wheat and groundhogs to do that "as unto the Lord", do you? No? Good. If the actual political blog is "unto the Lord", then He should be able to be plenty glorified in discussing the merits of a proposed tax regime, or environmental laws, etc: you don't need to turn it into a bloody church meeting to make it glorifying to the Lord, and the more that happens, you're just setting your Party up to get nailed.
And "as unto the Lord"?!? Do you even stop to think about how that sounds to non-captives of evangelical churchdom?!? I'm a recent escapee, myself, and that just sounds so...freaking...lame. Why use KJVish language? Who do you think you're communicating to, unless it's just hopeless self-talk? Honestly, that's just another way to alienate a potential audience and cast even more suspicion on the Conservative Party and Christians in particular. Lame.
At Sun May 21, 10:18:00 p.m. EDT,
Anonymous said…
Blake,
Let me get this strait, Andrew makes Christian comments on the Canadian Christian Conservative blog and you rant on about it? Wouldn't people kind of expect this stuff just by the name of blog?
At Mon May 22, 12:44:00 a.m. EDT,
Blake Kennedy said…
Anonymous:
Let me help set you straight, because evidently the two-by-four between your eyes that was my last post didn't register.
Andrew is a Blogging Tory. The first sentence in the byline to his blog is, "I SUPPORT AND TRUST PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER." As such, since this is a politically-affiliated blog (he is, again, a Blogging Tory), he needs to advance good political thoughts. Comments such as those that can be found in this post are not acceptable in the political arena. They have no place, there, whatsoever. If he wants to have a religious blog, then have a religious blog somewhere. Somewhere that's else. These, again, are not appropriate under the banner of Blogging Tories, and come awfully close to constituting an embarrassment to the Party he professes to support so much.
I don't care that the blog is titled "Canadian Christian Conservative", or "Joe Sniffs Glue", or "Paris Hilton Nude Photoblog"; he has chosen to have a politically-themed blog affiliated to a certain party, and he should be smart enough to realize what he says might indeed reflect poorly upon that Party. Frankly, if I were a Liberal, I'd be sitting back and just documenting all the crazy stuff he says and just read it aloud at an all-candidates meeting locally. All that person would have to say to end all discussion would be to say, "This is the kind of person working and communicating on behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada. Does this make you feel comfortable?" Game. Set. Match.
Now, frankly, I don't want that to happen. I voted Conservative in the last election, I am a currently-lapsed member of the federal CPC and the Ontario PCs, and I think Stephen Harper has done a rather solid job as PM to date. I think he deserves a majority government at this point, and it would be a shame to not be able to accomplish that because a bunch of wingnuts can't figure out how to do politics and political discourse properly and spout off before thinking.
Honestly, it doesn't matter what people expect when they come to this blog. Andrew has a certain amount of responsibility and it's maddening to see him not get it through his skull. Part of that is no doubt due to his religious affiliation(s); if/when he comes out of it, he'll look back and shake his head. I know I've had to.
At Mon May 22, 12:58:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
Thanks for the warnings Blake. Duely noted.
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