May 09, 2004
By Brian Goodman

"If Jesus were alive today, there is one thing he would not be: a Christian."

Mark Twain may have been on to something when he uttered these words.

A look at the church's role in politics, certainly in the U.S. but also in our own country, can give us some insight into what Mr. Twain was talking about.

We know that the religious right in the U.S. overwhelmingly supports the Republican Party. But what about Canada? Who is the church (at least the more fundamentalist denominations of the church) more likely to prefer to govern our country? The NDP, who look at social and economic equality as honorable characteristics of a society? The Liberals, who proclaim to hold these same values and may have more reasonable expectations and policies?

In fact, the church would support neither of these parties. It supports the party whose aim is to lower taxes and remove any restrictions on personal accumulation of wealth. The party that believes in open markets which should be allowed to operate on the basis of capitalistic principles. The party that believes in tough punishment for criminals. Just as the religious right in the U.S. supports the Republicans, the religious right in Canada supports the Conservative Party.

Does anyone else see a contradiction here? Didn't Jesus tell his followers to give the Romans back their coins? Didn't he overturn the tables of commerce in the Temple? He doesn't appear to be a die-hard capitalist, does He?

Did he not instruct us to take pity on the weak?

And do you think that Jesus would have been in favour of strict punishment for crimes, even though he tells us to turn our other cheek to be slapped after the first one has been struck?

I, for one, would not expect Jesus to be standing on a podium, expounding the benefits of smaller government. I could not see Him speaking to a roomful of corporate executives about increasing exports of some commodity in order to improve our country's balance of trade with a particular government, which may or may not be corrupt and repressive to its citizens. Or to allow major corporations to take resources out of third-world countries without providing much benefit to its citizens. Often with irreversible environmental damage.

Basically, I don't feel that Jesus would be a Conservative. He would not have supported the creation of the Canadian Alliance. He would not have chosen ultra-conservative Stockwell Day as its leader. And I don't believe that he would oppose Bill C-250 or any other movement to give rights to a minority group. In this case, homosexuals. Did he not associate with the 'unclean' (ie. prostitutes, etc.) and gentiles in Jewish society? People who were marginalized because they did not fulfill all of the criteria required of a respectable Jewish citizen?

So who would the "Saviour" support in a federal election?

Would he stand with the NDP and agree with Jack Layton that we should remove people's incentive to work by taxing the rich to give to the lazy? I don't think that he would. I think that He would understand that sometimes people need a little incentive to improve their own situation instead of receiving a continuous supply of handouts.

Would he be able to forgive Paul Martin for the corruption within his party over the past 11 years? To forgive the dirty politics that he's been using to get his buddies into cabinet and nominated in their ridings? Forgiveness is a virtue, He says. But should we willingly tolerate greed and stupidity? Again, I don't think so.

Or could he bring himself to support the Conservatives, the party that opposes everything that he tried to teach in his travels from Nazareth to Jerusalem? The party that is supported by so many of his followers?

In fact, I don't think that He would support any of these parties. I think that He would be ashamed of those that have fought and continue to fight to give Canadians a far-right alternative. He would frown upon the corruption of this country's government. And he would be just as skeptical of this new Conservative Party as many Canadians seem to be.