David Sweet, Spiritual Capital and Reconstructionism

A CULTURE OF DEFIANCE: History of the Reform-Conservative Party of Canada

When Darrel Reid was defeated as a Conservative candidate in 2006, he became "Vice President of Project Development for the Work Research Foundation, an organization with the stated mission to “influence people to a Christian view of work and public life.”"(1)

I must admit that I'd never heard of the 'Work Research Foundation' and wasn't quite sure what was meant by a "Christian view of work and public life". So I perused their site, and though they are now calling themselves Cardus, what I found was a bit alarming, beginning with this:

"Our mission is to rethink, research and rebuild North America's social architecture."

If you link to their audio section and scroll down to a 2005 recording, you can listen to a lecture series on something they call "spiritual capital." And just so there's no mistake, the re-introduction by Michael Van Pelt, clearly states that Cardus is the new name for Work Research Foundation. And Darrel Reid, Stephen Harper's deputy chief of staff, went right from there to Harper's office. From their site:

The third installment of our thINK audio series is here, and our latest WRF product is just in time: spiritual capital is a concept which provides the tread for walking faithfully in a society that gets more secular every day. First, David Sweet introduces, in layman's terms, the idea of "spiritual capital." (2)

For those who don't know, David Sweet is the MP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, a backbencher in the Harper government. He introduces himself as the Vice-President of Business Development for the group.

I listened to all of the speakers and if there was ever a scripted mandate for a theocracy this is it. On his website, Sweet refers to himself as a motivational speaker, and it's pretty clear after listening to 15 minutes (twice) of his speech, that he is motivating business leaders to create a Christian workplace.

He praises one such leader for printing that his "Purpose was to honour God" on his business cards. Sweet goes on to describe what spiritual capital is, by suggesting that it could be equated to social, physical and human capital, all requirements to maximize profit. "Faith" economics and devoting your business to the "Glory of God". (when I was roaming I was linked to The Christian Labour Association, that even encourages companies be unionized by Christians)

The next speakers continue along the same vein, and what they describe is a Utopia where a company's mission statement is reflective of "Christian values", with a healthy dose of redemption.

They suggest that if a company bases their business on these "Christian values", it will be a workplace with integrity and little conflict. And rather than discouraging employees from discussing their religious beliefs, they encourage open discussion, even for non-Christians.

It's not too difficult to see what would take place here. You have a business with a stated Christian hierarchy. You employ non-Christians and then encourage open discussion of religious beliefs. Sounds like proselytizing to me. And what happens if those non-Christians don't see the light? Will there be accusations of religious harassment, that would be similar to sexual harassment, where an employee is "saved" or risks losing their job?

Darrel Reid once suggested that gay rights are a form of Nazi tyranny. Is there a place for gays in this wonderful, non-conflict workplace?

Templeton Foundation

One of the groups that David Sweet promotes is the Templeton Foundation:

The mission of the Templeton Foundation is: to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. We support research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and infinity to creativity, forgiveness, love, and free will. We encourage civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians and between such experts and the public at large, for the purposes of definitional clarity and new insights.

One of those 'Big Questions' is answered through intelligent design, rather than evolution. The foundation has also been embroiled in controversy, because despite the fact that they claim to be non-partisan, they regularly provide funding to Conservative groups, including Ari Fleischer's Freedom's Watch.

They have also garnered "criticism from some members in the scientific community who are concerned with its linking of scientific and religious questions."

Another speaker mentions that they had just completed a project with the Max De Pree Center, in Pasadena California, where they promote a 'servant leadership' program, and recently hosted a seminar on the "Morality of the Market."

So what does this all mean?

David Sweet and Darrel Reid from the Harper government are both involved with the Work Research Foundation, now Cardus, who are working to 'Rebuild North America's social architecture' by promoting Christian businesses.

Michael Van Pelt, another speaker on the podcast, is a new appointee at Rights and Democracy, which has been embroiled in controversy after their hostile takeover by the Harper government.

Ray Pennings, another speaker, is the chair of Redeemer University College, where the 4th speaker, Gideon Strauss is one of the faculty.

David Sweet hosted a National House of Prayer 'dessert reception' there, where the faithful were invited to "Come and hear what God is doing in our Government." And Redeemer College recently received three million dollars of public money - our money; despite the fact that they are an elite private Bible school.

Welcome to Reconstructionism 101. Leave your souls at the door.

Sources:

1. Wikipedia: Darrel Reid

2. Spiritual Capital, By Ray Pennings and Michael Van Pelt, CARDUS, July 1, 2005

My Apologies to Timothy Bloedow, But I do not Hate Christians

A CULTURE OF DEFIANCE: History of the Reform-Conservative Party of Canada

I posted an item yesterday about the Evangelical Fellowship, and received an email from Timothy Bloedow, legislative assistant to Reform-Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott, correcting an error I had made regarding affiliation. I have temporarily taken the posting down, but will repost once I have corrected the error, because I still believe that the message is an important one.

However, Mr. Bloedow accused me of hating Christians, and nothing could be further from the truth. However, what I pointed out to him is that since the Religious Right movement has decided to enter the "public square", as they like to describe their political activism, they can no longer declare religious immunity.

They are helping to determine how our tax dollars are being spent, so we have a right to question their motives. And we also have a right to expose groups that claim to be non-profit, enjoying all of the tax breaks that go along with that, when they are clearly simply another voice for the Harper government.

Stephen Harper himself once complained about Stockwell Day exploiting religious groups for political gain, when it was discovered during their leadership race in 2002, that The Campaign Life Coalition, an anti-abortion lobby group backing Day, had sent out 130,000 letters asking its supporters to donate money so the organization could buy memberships in bulk to help their chosen candidate. (1)

I visited Bloedow's website ChritianGovernment.ca, and he has an item where he is attacking Marci McDonald's book, The Armageddon Factor. Or actually he is attacking Prof. John Stackhouse's critique of the book, when he concurs with her that "there are Christians about whom even other Christians should be wary, especially those who talk about things like theocracy and Christian government (Reconstructionism). For some reason, almost everyone who thinks Christian theocracy also thinks stoning of homosexuals as though the two are synonymous." (2)

Bloedow suggests, and rightfully so, that murder is a criminal offense, so the actual physical act of stoning someone to death would be against the law. Fair enough.

However, there is more than one way to 'stone a homosexual'. Or a woman. Or Muslims. Or any other identifiable group being marginalized in the name of Christianity. You do it by cutting their funding. By erasing them from a guide on Canadian identity and by viscerally attacking them on what are supposed to be "faith based" websites.

In his defense, Bloedow's site is mild compared with many others I've visited, but in at least one headline he refers to 'Equal' or 'Same-Sex' marriage as "Homo-sexual marriage", as if a person's identity is based solely on their sexuality.

We don't call it "hetero-sexual marriage" or "people who like threesomes marriage". It is simply "marriage". It is two people committing to one another, who want to share that commitment with family and friends, and who want to be recognized as equal citizens.

So when I posted the following 1987 quote from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, it was with the utmost respect:

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada affirms the rights of all Canadians, including homosexuals, to share in the privi­leges of a free and democratic society. We uphold the view that the Scriptures teach that homosexual practice is unac­ceptable. At the same time, we call on all Christians to affirm justice and equality to all people. (3)

On Bloedow's suggestion, I am going to write to them to apologize for aligning them with the new branch of political evangelism that does not seek "to affirm justice and equality to all people."

And as I told him, Marci McDonald has opened a debate that was long overdue, and may have actually done them a favour. She has brought what they call 'Christian Conservatives' into the "public square." We just want to know who they are and what they want from us. And if they are indeed being partially funded by their American counterparts, that speaks to our sovereignty, since it means that a foreign country is meddling in Canadian democracy.

And we also want to know why all the secrets. Secrets only lead to speculation, so if your intentions are not as being warned, you tell us what they really are.

I quoted from the Evangelical Fellowship because I've always been drawn to religious organizations with messages of tolerance. That's what I grew up believing Christianity to be.

And maybe that's why so many of us are speaking out against this movement, because it is not about instilling "Christian values", but destroying them.

Sources:

1. Day slips into Bible college for Rally, By S. Alberts, National Post, February 13, 2002

2. What does theocracy REALLY mean? By Tim Bloedow, Christian Government, May 23, 2010

3. Fragmented Gods: The Poverty and Potential of Religion in Canada, By Reginald W. Bibby, Stoddard Publishing Company, 1987, Pg. 160

Why Maurice Vellacott and his Reconstructionist Theories Will Fail

A CULTURE OF DEFIANCE: History of the Reform-Conservative Party of Canada

With the introduction of Marci McDonald's book; The Armageddon Factor (1), we are now being given an opportunity to debate the enormous influence of the Religious Right on Canadian politics.

And one area that needs a great deal of debate, is the issue of Reconstructionism, which is being organized in the breezeway between Reform-Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott's office and the American 'Conservative movement*'.



C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Stephen Harper


In Lloyd MacKey's book, The Pilgrimage of Stephen Harper, he claims that Harper did not come to his "born-again" status from the need to be reborn to escape a lost life, but rather from the results of a cerebral journey.

C.S. Lewis dealt in absolutes, so as one of the theologians introduced to him by Preston Manning, Lewis would be the easiest for an analytical mind to grasp. Stephen Harper is a smart man, but he is not a wise man, and Lewis expressed Christian faith in the simplest of terms.

In fact, it has been those 'simple' terms that have had his critics state that among other things, his theories were "textually careless and theologically unreliable." (2)

Lewis is what is known as an 'apologist', which is described** in part as:

... a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views ... Apologists have based their defense of Christianity on historical evidence, philosophical arguments, scientific investigation, rhetorical persuasion and other disciplines.

Rather than being mythological, they try to make Christianity scientific, historical and absolute. For Lewis, it was all-or-nothing and half-heartedness was not to be tolerated. There was no middle ground. In that way he gave permission for religious intolerance, and most definitely intolerance toward anyone not seeking religion at all. To him they were simply "mad men" or "lunatics".

C.S. Lewis has come to be revered by Reconstructionists who want to transform the earth into the "kingdom of God", a necessary action before the second coming of Christ.

In Reconstructionism, the main thrust shifts from the salvaging of lost souls in a doomed society to the reconstruction of a Christian world. The significance of the Reconstructionist movement is not its numbers, but the power of its ideas and their surprisingly rapid acceptance. Many on the Christian Right are unaware that they hold Reconstructionist ideas. Because as a theology it is controversial, even among evangelicals, many who are consciously influenced by it avoid the label. This furtiveness is not, however, as significant as the potency of the ideology itself. Generally, Reconstructionism seeks to replace democracy with a theocratic elite that would govern by imposing their interpretation of "Biblical Law."

Reconstructionism would eliminate not only democracy but many of its manifestations, such as labor unions, civil rights laws, and public schools. Insufficiently Christian men would be denied citizenship, perhaps executed. So severe is this theocracy that it would extend capital punishment beyond such crimes as kidnapping, rape, and murder to include, among other things, blasphemy, heresy, adultery, and homosexuality. (3)

Wanting to replace democracy with a theocratic elite, sounds very Leo Strauss, though I suppose that's why neoconservativism and the Religious Right are such a great fit. When Stockwell Day was teaching at the Bentley Bible schools, in his social studies classes he warned students that democratic governments "represent the ultimate deification of man, which is the very essence of humanism and totally alien to God's word." (4)

Footnotes:

* "... your country [United States], and particularly your conservative movement, is a light and an inspiration to people in this country and across the world" Stephen Harper 1997 to the Council for National Policy, the vanguard for the American Religous Right (5)

** Wikipedia

Sources:

1. The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, By: Marci McDonald, Random House Canada, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-307-35646-8 3

2. C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion, By john Beversluis, Prometheus Books, 1985, ISBN 1-59102-531-1

3."Christian Reconstructionism: Theocratic Dominionism Gains Influence: Part 1 -- Overview and Roots," by Frederick Clarkson, March 1994, The Public Eye

4. Bentley, Alberta: Hellfire, Neo-Nazis and Stockwell Day:A two-part look inside the little town that nurtured a would-be prime minister - and some of the most notorious hate-mongers in Canada, By Gordon Laird, NOW Magazine, 2000

5. Full text of Stephen Harper's 1997 speech, Canadian Press, December 14, 2005

Maurice Vellacott Goes "a Courting"

A CULTURE OF DEFIANCE: History of the Reform-Conservative Party of Canada

Maurice Vellacott is the Reform-Conservative MP for the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, and one of the strongest social conservatives in Stephen Harper's caucus.

According to Marci McDonald, author of The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, Vellacott's office is now the clearing house for Christian Right activity in the capital, thanks to his Reconstructionist legislative assistant; Timothy Bloedow.(1)

There was one error in McDonald's book though, about Vellacott's education. She stated that he received his doctorate in theology from a University in Chicago. However, Vellacott does not hold a doctorate in theology, despite what his website bio might suggest.

He does have a Bachelor's degree from Briercrest College - whose mission statement reads as follows: "Briercrest College and Seminary is a community of rigorous learning that calls students to seek the kingdom of God, to be shaped profoundly by the scriptures, and to be formed spiritually and intellectually for lives of service."

It is an accredited school and I'm sure their standards are exemplary.

However, his 'master's degree' (Master of Divinity from the Canadian Theological Seminary) is not. The CTS is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (Harper’s Church), but most of their degrees are obtained, again, through distance education. There is no thesis required, and it is only recognized as a stepping stone toward ministerial pursuits.

And his 'doctorate' degree (Doctor of Ministry from Trinity International University) was obtained from another evangelical Christian university that offers distance education. They are located in Deerfield, Illinois; but if the ‘Trinity’ makes you feel warm and fuzzy, because of the reputation of Trinity University, their website claims that they are NOT affiliated. However, they do list ‘The following online Ph.D. Programs in Religion focus on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems.....

This is not the same as the better recognized Doctor of Theology, which is an academic degree, rather than just a ministerial one. In fact, you can obtain a doctorate degree (i.e.: Doctor of Ministry) for your “life experience”; as well as off the Internet.

His education is not really the issue, though he should be more honest in his bio, nor are his religious beliefs. His riding consists of a large Mennonite population, and as Canadians they too deserve a voice. They voted for Vellacott because of his beliefs, not in spite of them.

However, since the majority of Canadians do not share such stringent, and dare I say, hypocritical views, he does not get to force them on the rest of us. I would prefer that Mr. Vellacott be up front and honest, and let us decide on issues that threaten to change the landscape of Canada.

As a Dominionist, he is committed to giving up our reputation for tolerance, without asking us if this is acceptable.

Alliance with Stockwell Day

During the leadership campaign of 2002, Maurice Vellacott aligned himself with Stockwell Day, against Stephen Harper and Grant Hill. Harper criticized Vellacott for mailing out endorsements for Day, through his constituency office, at public expense.

However, Harper and Hill both made more serious allegations of exploitation of religion and faith based issues, after a "secret" rally was held at Briercrest, Vellacott's Alma Mata.

Stockwell Day yesterday continued to seek support from evangelical Christians with a barely publicized campaign stop at Canada's largest Bible college, even as one of his opponents warned the Canadian Alliance leadership race risks being "perverted" by a single-interest group. Mr. Day held a campaign rally at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Sask., an event that attracted hundreds and was not included in the public itinerary posted on the candidate's Web site. He campaigned earlier in the day at the evangelical Victory Church in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Mr. Day lashed out at rivals Stephen Harper and Grant Hill for accusing him of aiming his campaign primarily at devout Christians and opponents of abortion. the latest chapter in a week-long controversy that began with complaints by Mr. Harper and Dr. Hill over the former party leader's campaign tactics. Last week, organizers for Mr. Harper went public with concerns that Mr. Day is appealing to a narrow base of religious groups -- including orthodox Jews, Pentecostals and anti-abortion Catholics -- in a bid to regain the leadership post he was forced to relinquish late last year.

The Campaign Life Coalition, an anti-abortion lobby group backing Mr. Day, was also censured by party officials for sending out 130,000 letters asking its supporters to donate money so the organization could buy memberships in bulk to help the candidate. Organizers for Dr. Hill and Mr. Harper complained successfully that the actions by Campaign Life violated party rules prohibiting groups from buying memberships.

The National Post has also learned Mr. Day's campaign director in Quebec, Eric Lanthier, recently appealed to evangelical Protestants in Quebec to buy 5,000 memberships. "The objective is 5,000 [membership] cards," Mr. Lanthier wrote in January on the Web site of the Association of Evangelical Protestant Churches, promoting Mr. Day as a candidate who has worked in "defence of Judeo-Christian values."

Vellacott's Attacks on the Judiciary

Maurice Vellacott has always been a vocal critic of Canada's court system. In 2006, he sought out a CBC reporter and accused Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin of claiming "God-like" powers. Citing a speech McLachlin had made to a New Zealand conference, he charged her with comparing the process of applying unwritten constitutional principles to acquiring prophetic gifts. "Suddenly there's some mystical kind of power that comes over them, by which everything that they've ever decreed is not to be questioned." (1)

McLachlin pointed out that she had never said anything like that, and Vellacott was forced to apologize, but it was empty given that he would later suggest that the Supreme Court was assuming the role of a secular priesthood. This made the appointment of Reconstructionist Timothy Bloedow, as his legislative assistant, a perfect match. Bloedow has called for the dismantling of all federal institutions, including the courts, and from his own website: ChristianGovernment.ca

Judeo-Christian political theory is unique in its hostility to totalitarianism. Christian government, and Christian government alone, is anti-tyrannical. God has designated multiple governments for a just and functioning social order: civil government, church government, family government and self-government. Such division of authority and diffusion of power mitigates against political centralism and tyranny. With the rise in the influence of Humanism in Canada and the West, this division of authority is disappearing.

Even most Christians today don’t appreciate these facts and, therefore, they aren’t prepared to support and promote Christian government. Hopefully they will change their position before totalitarian Humanism or Islam take over and it’s too late.

"Even most Christians today don't appreciate these facts"? Bloedow doesn't see a Canada with religious tolerance, not even tolerance for "most Christians".

Sources:

1. The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, By: Marci McDonald, Random House Canada, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-307-35646-8 3

2. Day slips into Bible college for Rally, By S. Alberts, National Post, February 13, 2002