Harper hasn’t hidden anything, he stated from the get go he attended the CM&A reported by all kinds of media, those that understand evangelicals and those that don’t.

” I can tell you that he did not initiate the conversation with the reporter and declined to talk about Harper with the reporter, Trask’s only comment was that he is a friend–which is true.”

Most people don’t initiate a conversation with a reporter on location. If you do not want to talk to a reporter say so, say thanks, no, walk away. Our job is to get you to talk, everything is on record; you speak, you may wind up in the copy or on the air.
Pleading media naiveness doesn’t cut it.

“The reporter then went on to ask Trask what evangelicals thought about different topics. This all happened minutes after a worship service on a Sunday morning, after he introduced himself as a Sun reporter on vacation. He did not even ask if he could interview Brent. Hmmm, ambush, I think so.”

No excuse. If Trask felt ambushed he asks the reporters deadline and makes plans with the reporter to speak with Trask’s and Trask’s convenience.
If the reporter wants to interview him badly enough, that’s no problem. We can wait.

There are always more than two sides to a story.

“If your ever in Calgary, I invite you to join us at RockPointe.”
Your invitation is appreciated - if I am in Calgary during appropriate service times, I’ll try to join you at RockPointe, thank you!

That said, I would caution you to not believe everything you read. The article was clearly written by someone with a biased opinion about Harper. I think the author set out with the premise that Harper is hiding something and did everything he could to prove it.

As a brother in Christ, I would urge you to be careful with your comments about another Christ follower. You comment that “Trask is grabbing the spotlight” is totally wrong. As someone who actually knows Brent Trask, I can tell you that he did not initiate the conversation with the reporter and declined to talk about Harper with the reporter, Trask’s only comment was that he is a friend–which is true. The reporter then went on to ask Trask what evangelicals thought about different topics. This all happened minutes after a worship service on a Sunday morning, after he introduced himself as a Sun reporter on vacation. He did not even ask if he could interview Brent. Hmmm, ambush, I think so.

For me this just reinforces that there’s two sides to a story and you can’t believe everything the media says.

It was interesting reading your thoughts and checking our your blog. If your ever in Calgary, I invite you to join us at RockPointe.

That church was one giant spiritual paradox, an enigma wrapped in a mystery nestled between the pages of a Francis Schaeffer book (that, or ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’).

Speaking of politics, during the ‘95 Ontario General Election, one of the church members was the campaign chair for a very socially conservative (and exceedingly dense) local Ontario PC candidate (who eventually won - big ups teh Common Sense Revolution!) I knew I was at the wrong venue of worship when, prior to the election, the church allowed her to set up an information desk for her candidate during services. (Of course, they wouldn’t let me pass out pro-NDP literature). They also had us youth group members go door-to-door passing out Ontario Taxpayer Coalition propaganda literature (as a church-sanctioned youth event). And though my memory is hazy, I think I can recall several prayers for God’s hand to guide the big Blue wave.

So, when I say they would (and likely do) see Harper-as-PM as evidence of ‘God’s will’ I’m being entirely serious.

Yeah, luckily I came out of the experience with everything–my politics, my sexuality, my sanity–intact. Well, everything but my faith.

His dislike of gays, abortion, daycare are based on his “faith” and the attitude that social services should come from the church is very noble.

So knock one off the 2.5 million. Harper hasn’t won any brownie points with this Christian.

You’d have been welcomed, it was a university town - you’d have had some grand debates with some smart, kind and mature Christians.:^)
Now? Nope.

Tozer’s work shaped me, solid bible exposition, no Rushdoony, North, LaHaye, Schofield or anything I’d have found in the local Assemblies of God.
The tension was always there, in so thoroughly dismissing some of the ‘rules’ nonsense I guess I didn’t see the damage.

We didn’t have the influences you had to go through, you seem to have come through it quite intact.

I’m amazed to read CM&A bloggers that believe in creationism or ID, reject civil equality for gays, abortion, are against immigration.
I’m angry about Trask’s political assumptions, he’s welcome to them, but I have a real problem with him shooting his mouth off to media.

Interesting the church I joined was planted by a homesick American. He was good people :^)

I have and will always have very mixed feelings about ever having been a part of the denomination.

Suffice to say, the spiritual foundation of the church was light years away from the Social Gospel (they probably think PM Stephen Harper is evidence of God’s providence in action - predestination FTW!)

Did I mention that, at the time, I was a bisexual Marxist agnostic? Amazing what torture one will subject oneself to in the name of love. (She turned out to be [literally] psychotic - big surprise, that, considering.)