Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Stephen Harper and the Theocon Menace






It would be hard to imagine a more disturbing sight. Stephen Harper surrounded by a posse of religious leaders.

Looking and sounding like a smarmy televangelist, while claiming it wasn't a partisan event. Despite all the Con signs like the one in the picture.

And appointing as the ambassador for the sinister Office of Religious Freedom, the Dean of a Christian College whose curriculum would drag us back to the Dark Ages. 

Paul Bramadat of the University of Victoria told CBC Radio's Louise Elliott that Augustine College has a unique position on education — to basically return education to a time before "the acid of modernity," as it says on the college's website. Bramadat also noted that the college's purpose seems to be to prepare students to enter a secular world perceived as hostile. 

The college's website says, "Augustine College accepts the model of education that reigned for millennia, until the modern age began to dismantle that tradition."

Drag us back to the nightmare time before "the acid of modernity" gave women their human rights, and stopped gay people from being jailed or murdered with impunity.

And the Cons would have us pay MILLIONS for an Office of Religious Freedom that is clearly modelled on the one in the United States. Where deranged Christianists, similar to the ones in Harper's rabid base, are always persecuting others.

While claiming they are the ones who are oppressed...



It's so obvious, it's so outrageous, it's so deeply disturbing, and so very un-Canadian. Because as I said last night, we are the ones who need to be protected from those religious fanatics.

And we expect a Canadian government to stand up for HUMAN rights. Period.

But then what do we expect eh? When Stephen Harper belongs to one of the most aggressive missionary churches in the world. This is all about the freedom to proselytize.

Arvind Sharma, who teaches comparative religion at McGill, told CBC that one of the reasons Christian faiths are the most persecuted is because they are also the most proselytizing in many parts of the world.

And as a secular nation we should not be paying to help spread any missionary message, when what the world needs is LESS crazy religion not more.

But then, as I keep reminding people, Stephen Harper needs his rabid base more than ever now that he has cut government funding for political parties...



(click pic to enlarge)

So we can expect more of the same.

And a man who would fund an anti-gay group that compares homosexuality to paedophilia and bestiality, in a place like Uganda, is clearly capable of ANYTHING.

Oh boy. You know one of Stephen Harper's closest theological allies is the American evangelist John Hagee, who like Harper believes that Israel is the most important country in the world because it is the place to which "The Messiah" will return. As you can read about if you want, at the beginning of this well known story. 

Well now Hagee and his wingnuts have found a new way to dial up dollars, by slipping their message into teddy bears.

To brainwash sleeping babies...



It's so sinister, so horrible, and the worst thing is I can't help feeling that Harper and his Con regime are trying to do the same to Canadians.

Slipping religion into the hidden heart of government, hiding their  real agenda, taking us to a very bad place. A nightmarish place, a country we don't recognize. 

Even as so many Canadians still sleep the sleep of the innocent, or the ignorant. And can't see the growing threat, or don't know that the PMO and the Con War Room are crawling with young religious fanatics.

Oh well. At least MY teddy isn't one of them. He's not that dumb.

He may have just arrived in Canada from Scotland.

But he knows a scam when he sees one...



And of course I'm with him eh?

Unite to defeat those hideous religious fanatics, and their deranged leader.

Use their madness to destroy them.

So Canada can become a secular country, like it once was.

And we can ALL sleep safely again...

Click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.

23 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:48 AM

    Canada is secular? God Simon, you poor fool. It never really was, you are just to blind to see it.

    Should the cross be taken down in the National Assembly in Quebec City? Or is that different.

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    1. hi anonymous... Canada is in reality a secular place. People may say they are this or that, but the pews are empty. And of course the cross in the National Assembly should be taken down. There should be no religious symbols in a House of Democracy. Democracy and religion do not go well together...

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    2. Of course there should be no cross in the National Assembly - a Legislative Body should be welcoming to Members of all faiths and of none. The crucifix, which is a historical relic (in more ways than one) can quite suitably be displayed in the National Assembly's museum.

      Québec probably has the lowest rate of church attendance anywhere in the Americas, except perhaps Cuba.

      By the way, Simon, I like your bear. Did he really come from Scotland?

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    3. hi lagatta... as long as I can remember they've been going on about that bloody cross, even though the National Assembly is quite pretty and the cross is definitely out of place. I am a huge fan of Quebec history, although I was reminded by a reader that it wasn't Cartier who carried up the cross it was Maisonneuve. But it's not like there aren't enough crosses in Quebec eh? ;)

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  2. It should be Anon, because it is the very symbol of barbarity and blood sacrifice, that even the Jews and Abraham had agreed was evil.

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    1. hi Stig...the only public cross I would spare in Quebec, apart from those on churches, is the one on Mount Royal. Because Cartier carried a wooden one up on his back, so it has some historical merit. And because I once climbed it years ago, and the view was fabulous...

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  3. e.a.f.3:33 AM

    They closed the busiest Coast Guard Station in Canada today, because it costs $700K a yr. They wanted to save money. Get rid of the regligious police dept. and put the money into the Coast Guard where real lives can be saved.

    Harper is just another example of the taliban mentality. he is just from another religion but the same principles. well there goes the neighbourhood.

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    1. hi e.a.f... I didn't get into the money question, but spending $20 million over the next four years strikes me in itself as outrageous, considering that Foreign Affairs gets more that $2.5 billion a year. But then we know that for the Cons when it comes to spending money to win votes nothing is enough...

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  4. Anonymous6:39 AM

    "Canadian taliban" . . . . I LOVE IT! What a great new name for the so-called "progressive conservatives". Can somebody explain to me how the fuck you can be progressive and conservative at the same time? (Unless it's to progress your sick, stupid fucking ideology of "conservatism" a.k.a. christofascism at the expense of everything that actually makes sense, of course)
    Hey "conservatives". FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCKS!
    Hi, Simon. I'm back!

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    1. hi anonymous...Welcome back !!!! :) You know I remember when I an other started calling the Cons the Canadian Taliban years ago. Some people were outraged, outrage I tell you. And although I'd still place the Taliban lower than the Cons, when you see how the Harperites are bringing religion into government, I wonder if those people are as outraged as they once were....

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  5. Hi Simon
    What disgusted me most about this "announcement" was to listen to Harper go on about the importance of "tolerance," "cooperation," "human dignity" etc. Here is a guy whose own religious sect has NO tolerance for anyone else's beliefs, to say nothing of the fact that he has made his entire political identity out of attacking, marginalizing, and just plain lying about anyone who opposes him. The idea of this King of hate creating a office of religious tolerance is an irony that should be enough to disrupt the equilibrium of the whole universe.

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    1. hi kirby...you're so right, it was disgusting. Any sensible person would know it's just a way of appeasing his ghastly base, but to hear Harper go on it sounded like he was doing it because he's such a noble guy. What's frightening is that people have come to accept his behaviour as something normal. When surely no leader of a Western democracy turns truth into farce as often as Harper does...

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    2. e.a.f.12:34 AM

      you gotta love his comments about "human dignity". There is nothing dignified about dying in water from hypothermia because there was no Coast Guard vessel to get to you fast enough. Try staying afloat in cold water while you pray to stevie slime's god. Not going to work, this dept. of religious tolerance is just another part of taliban tories trying to turn this country into a version of the christian/canadian taliban. Hey may be he won't mind if the pres. of iran comes over and gives him a few tips.

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  6. Anonymous11:46 AM

    Theologically driven Governments fail in their one true job! They do not unite the populace! They divide and regionalize the various sections of a nation! This all but garantees loss of unity and cohesion ! Church and state cannot be successful partners in running a country when theology purports to be the leading element!

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    1. hi anonymous...I completely agree with you. I'm not saying that a religious person can't be a decent leader, but as I said above, government and religion are a really bad mix. If you read the website of the college our new "ambassador" came from you see it talks about how the truth is the truth. But that truth involves a leap of faith, and it's not usually yours or mine...

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  7. So Harper and his office of religious fanaticism want to peer Canada with Dark Age nations such as Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Congo and Afghanistan, hey? I guess we thought we had elected a Prime Minister, but apparently we really elected the Clown Prince of the Religious Right; now he's appointed some bonehead Czar of Religion whose college’s 'model of education' you can be damn sure is based on 'teaching' moral 'values' such as the 'homosexual agenda' is intent upon turning all our children into queers and that all of societies woes and economic downturns are caused by unions, abortions, pagans, secularism, feminists, gays and lesbians.It is the same loud vocal gang of fruitcakes who make up that maybe 30% of us who still dwell in the mindless dogma and intolerant bigotry which has been the mainstay of organized religion for the past 5,000 years or so. And they are still here, with their very own little Office of Religious Bullshit, to remind the rest of us that they are absolutely right and everyone else is absolutely wrong and had better change fast or suffer an eternity of having their eyes gouged and red hot pokers shoved up their butts.

    Basically what these idiots want to do with education Simon is rewrite history and social science textbooks. Ideology over academics; to teach absolute bullshit like 'intelligent design' and basically to inject their right-wing religiously insane swill into our children’s heads, come hell or highwater. But mostly it is about racism to remove from history whatever they can regarding minorities, non Christians, and gays and lesbians historic struggles.Meanwhile Harper and the theocons will do all that they can to use this office as a front for 'equality' and equality of religions.

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    1. hi wazz...I think I'll take two of your descriptions and call Harper the Clown Czar of the Religious Right. It was bad enough in the beginning when he used to end his speeches with "God Bless Canada." Which I thought was appalling. But NEVER in my worst nightmare did I ever think that he would dump such a load of pure unadulterated bullshit on the Canadian population, and get away with it for so long. When Harper is finally defeated I wonder what people will call his term in office. The Lost Decade or the Great Madness?

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  8. Anonymous1:56 PM

    ...time to get out (while we can!)

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    1. hi anonymous...well I'm going to wait to see if we can get Harper out first. But I'm keeping my bags packed, and I've put a large clove of garlic above every door and window to keep him and his new "ambassador" out... ;)

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  9. Anonymous5:56 PM

    Good grief Simon. I am very serious in saying, God help all of us. How can any decent, sane and kind Canadians, support a monster such as Harper? He doesn't have a morsel of decency, in his entire body.

    Harper's plots for Canada began 24 years ago. Harper was Policy Chief for his, Northern Foundation Party of 1989. He was linked with Christian Fundamentalists and other very dubious links. Harper is certainly no Conservative, never was. Harper is no different than any of the Dictators. He is corrupt, foul, and evil. Harper is the epitome of hate. We know exactly how Harper feels towards our gay citizens. We know exactly what he thinks of, our F.N. people. I likely sound just as bad as Harper? I want nothing to do with, Harper's Christian Fundamentalists, what-so-ever. I certainly do not hate gay people, nor our F.N. people. They are far better people, than Harper could ever be.

    What will Harper and Mr. Ambassador of Religious Freedom, do about Communist China? What about Tibet, Communist China persecutes? This is the horrible country Harper has allowed to set up shop, on our own Canadian soil. Where will Mr. Ambassador fit Harper's Christian Fundamentalists into our country and, the other country's around the world? No way can I see Harper, as a Christian of any form.

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  10. hi anonymous...you ask a hard question:

    How can any decent, sane and kind Canadians, support a monster such as Harper?

    And the only answer I can think of is this one: You can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time. And since the opposition is divided you don't have to fool too many to win a majority.

    We need to catch up with the times, unite to fight the common enemy. For until we do, the nightmare will continue...





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  11. Anonymous4:03 AM

    With one size fits all chaplains wouldnt that be a Unitarian .? And for the girl jails a priestess from the cult of Lesbos or an Amazon would be appropriate.

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  12. Anonymous10:17 PM

    Complete bs from a dumb liberal. An office for religious freedoms protects people's religious freedoms. They acknowledge that some people's faiths are being trampled on by the state so they make an office to protect people's rights. The Canadian Taliban? Thanks for proving that you are a fool. Comparing a government that to be honest didn't really even do that much for Christianity or any religion to a group of radical Muslims who GAS GIRL SCHOOLS?! Thanks you for proving that Liberals are delusional people.... Oh and God Bless Canada and God Bless America

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