“Jesus loves gays and wouldn’t carry and AK-47”
In politics, as in life, one needs to have friends that run the full spectrum of views. From the most rabid conservative to the most ideological socialist, knowing people who hold very different perspectives allows us to keep our mental gears well-oiled. Besides, hanging out with people who think just like us can be very boring.
But even an old gadfly like me can sometimes be caught off guard by ideologically-rooted friends-as was the case when a friend of mine looked over his coffee cup and asked me, "What kind of gun would Jesus carry?"
The question was the jumping off point for someone whose distain for so-called "social conservatives" is well-known. It comes in the aftermath of an announcement by the federal Conservatives that they are extending an amnesty for gun owners who refuse to register their firearms. The federal government plans to extend the amnesty, due to end this spring, until May 16, 2009.
In the last federal campaign the Conservatives attempted to appeal to social conservatives-those Canadians who like "small government" and yearn for the "good-old days" of "family values"-largely on two planks: opposition to same-sex marriage and getting rid of the federal gun registry.
Turning back the clock on same-sex marriages has always been more about symbolism than substance for the Harper Tories. The move to defend "traditional marriages" never stood up in the courts and the government simply couldn't convince enough opposition MPs and even members of the Tory caucus to defy the judicial will and public opinion polls that generally supported gay marriage.
But on the gun registry, social conservatives held out hope that the long detested registry would bite the dust. Unfortunately for the gun-loving crowd, the shootings at Montreal's Dawson College in 2006 and alarm bells over illegal guns being wielded by organized crime organizations and street gangs in large urban centres across Canada quickly forced the government to reconsider its plan.
Some political observers see a direct link between same-sex marriage and the gun registry. The thinking goes that those otherwise nice religious people who love their Bibles but hate gays must also love their guns.
That type of thinking is just plain stupid except for the fact that at least some of the people running the federal Conservative Party obviously believe this stuff. Is it any wonder that the Tories can't get any traction with voters despite the lousiest group of opposition parties Canada has ever seen?
Arguing about same-sex marriage from a faith perspective is understandable since marriage is not just a social contract between two individuals. Even the most intolerant gay rights activist will acknowledge that religious groups will have views on this issue because marriage is a fundamentally spiritual matter for most people-within and without organized religion. But guns are another matter.
Social conservatism may have some connection to traditional faith
perspectives, but to equate guns to issues such as the sanctity of marriage, the right to life for the unborn and the mentally challenged and social justice is plain wrong. Someone can be a committed Christian, uphold the traditional view of marriage, believe every fetus has a right to life, fight for the poor and still think guns should be tightly controlled.
This grand coalition of the right that Stephen Harper thought was there to propel him to power isn't there because most Christians aren't simple ideologues who will do whatever their pastors tell them to do.
In other words, Jesus loves gays and he wouldn't carry an AK-47.
My left-wing friend assumes that we Christians worship a blond, blue-eyed Jesus who has socially conservative views on everything from same-sex marriages to the environment to gun control.
He thinks all Christians would agree with the infamous observation of perennial American candidate for public office, Alan Keyes, who said: "Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama. Christ would not vote for Barack Obama because Barack Obama has behaved in a way that it is inconceivable for Christ to have behaved."
Christians may grieve over the failing of our political leaders and their policies, but most of us aren't waiting for Jesus to send us an e-mail on how to vote. Defending the rights of gun-lovers isn't exactly at the top of Jesus' plan for the world.
Would-be political leaders would do well to treat Christians as voters rather than voting blocs.
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