Living in Canada it is impossible to avoid the US election.
Absolutely impossible - unless you don’t read a newspaper, don’t have a TV or radio or don’t go online.
In the day to day, it is not a topic of conversation in spite of the bombardment.
Canadians aren’t as insecure as some think we are, part of the growing experience of both countries is learning and re-learning to respect each other’s sovereignty.
The Heresy touched on the growing gap.
When I went online with my blog I found myself connecting with Canadians, Kiwis, and Australians and only a few Americans. I was surprised at this as Canadians often regard themselves as unarmed Americans with universal health care. I’m now convinced that this isn’t the case. America and Canada are growing apart as cultures.
I think cre8d touched on this a bit in the post Recognition Heuristics. (sounds boring but it really isn’t) and connexions took it a bit further.
At best we have a rocky relationship with our southern neighbours, and the past few years have been a time of attack instead of diplomacy. When Canadians criticize, we essentially criticize policy and politicans, not citizens. And when we criticize the whole (think Carolyn Parrish) there is a reasonable outcry on both sides of the border. I think my American friends struggle to understand our reservations and critique are not personal. And I think we can do a great deal in interaction on blogs to help with understanding.
I’ve been following the Australian election. Like us, they have a parliamentary system and they share many of the issues my country does. It was with interest I followed a link from Signposts to the Evangelical Fellowship of Australia.
As a reporter I found the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada to be a thoughtful, balanced voice that spoke outward to the Canadian people. I never hestitated to call them if I needed a soundbite or statement. No assumptions were made about people’s understanding of civics, politics, faith or God. Focus on the Family is now in Canada and I hope they do not gain a strong foothold, for in addressing social and cultural issues, values and policy, the organization takes a US approach. I don’t think that approach is healthy for my country.
In reading the Australian piece I was reminded of our similarities. Maybe it can help my American friends in ways that I cannot see that we don’t regard God, law, politics and politicans as one and the same.
Have a read on this piece - 8 core christian values. I’m not asking you to agree, but I am interested in what you think.
Search
Subscribe 
You are currently browsing the Bene Diction Blogs On weblog archives.
Related Entries
- God's Politics launch
- Hawks and Doves
- Progressive Faith Blog Convention
- Politics, Faith and Opportunism
- Faith Streams - Videos on Demand
- Street Prophets
- The NDP- Faith and Social Justice Issues
- The US Ambassador to Canada
- Signposts, DogfightAtBankstown, ABC and Hillsong
- When politicans tangle with issue lobbiests
For blog design, Wordpress or MovableType coding or blog consulting, see cre8d design.
At the best of times, I am not a particularly political animal. I watch little TV, I listen to CBC Radio Two and I do not subscribe to newspapers or news magazines. What little current affairs news I receive comes through the filter of my feed reader. Through the Canadian election campaign earlier this year and currently with the US election, I have had more of a sense of people connecting Christian belief to a political affiliation.
Specifically, to be a Christian is to be a Conservative/Rebulican and to be a Liberal/Democrat is to be non-Christian. I don’t think it has always been thus. I think that, up until recent years, the American Bible-belt tended to vote Democrat. I could be wrong. It might be that my lack of interest has kept me from seeing these relationships previously.
I like Brian Edgar’s “Eight Core Values”. While I don’t see them ever being embraced by a society as a whole, I don’t think that precludes them from being good core values by which every Christian should live. If you wan some “purpose-driven” living, you needn’t look any further.
I’m on to lead staff devotions at work tomorrow. I think I’ll scrap what I had planned and share some of what you’ve pointed out here. (If you don’t mind) Blessings
What struck me is the bible has over 100.
I had no idea.
As believers we are to lead with the hopeful ones, and I’m glad he put grace first.
A political system may have trouble extending that. But as citizens of the church and our respective countries, dare we lead with less?
When I saw that they’d put “grace” first, I muttered an “Amen”. These are core i>christian principles, so we can’t expect everyone to hold to them. But we’d do a better job of communicating our faith if we ourselves lived by them instead of hiding behind a smokescreen of expediency and so-called realism.
Good stuff - thanks for pointing out the link.
I think he makes a good case in pointing out of course we can’t expect everyone to.
In looking at Signposts candidates ‘values’ (good job!) it’s a microcosm of our sellouts, smokescreens, image making expediency and realism.
Grace takes a serious back seat, if it is even on the journey. As does the other seven values too I think, in spite of what is shouted.
I’ve been going to a 3-night seminar on relationships and on the first night the speaker (Dean Sherman from YWAM) said the bottom line is love, per I John 3 & 4 and I Cor 13. Of course I could be over-simplifying but I think if one were to always act in love then the others will follow as well.
Up until the 1960s or so the (USA) Democratic party was aligned with the christian values of protection of the helpless, justice, and the kinds of social values associated with Dorothy Day, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. Sometime after Roe v Wade, the focus of the Democratic party began to change, and now many of us who were dyed in the wool democrats have been left stranded - left behind by a political party who disrespects our deepest core values, yet reluctant to join or support a party that disrespect our other faith based social values.
Bene, I know that you need to keep focused on Canadian stuff, but there are a few bloggers in St Blogs who are working on platform planks for a proposed christian values type of political party. http://elcaminoreal.blog-city.com/read/827200.htm is a post from one such, with links to others. here http://yawpings.stblogs.org/archives/016810.html
is another.
I didn’t format these as hot links since I think you removed that capacity from your comments boxes a while back. You might find them of interest, I think.