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By Lloyd Mackey
Having been involved in writing about The Hill for almost ten years, I have become aware of the many Christian groups that cluster around the political institutions here, all with the objective of providing some kind of influence on the body politic.
Increasingly, several people close to the Hill scene have been wondering if there might be a way of bringing representatives of these groups together for a day or two, to get to know each other better. In addition, some are wondering about providing, within such an event, a cohesive opportunity to present a common front to public servants, Christian leaders in the city, politicians and diplomats.
One day, while contemplating this possibility, I jotted down the names of about three dozen groups that I encounter in and around Parliament Hill. This list is not comprehensive, by any means, and is purposely presented in no particular order, to illustrate the stream-of-consciousness way by which it came together.
Here it is, as I composed it, several months ago, while letting compassionate professionals help God to make my heart work better: - Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
- Mennonite Central Committee
- Salvation Army
- Laurentian Leadership Centre (Trinity Western University)
- Citizens for Public Justice
- Work Research Foundation
- National Prayer Breakfast
- Christian Embassy (Campus Crusade for Christ)
- Institute for Family and Marriage Canada (Focus on the Family)
- Habitat for Humanity
- Inter-Church Committee for Corrections and Justice
- Prison Fellowship Canada
- National House of Prayer
- Vote Marriage Canada
- Enshrine Marriage Canada
- Defend Marriage Canada
- Campaign Life Canada
- Centre for Cultural Renewal
- Institute for Canadian Values
- Nation at Prayer
- World Vision Canada
- Watchmen for the Nations
- Ottawa Christian Leadership Centre
- Mission Ottawa/Outaouais
- One Way Ministries
- Canadian National Christian Foundation
- Christian Business Ministries Canada
- Tyndale University College and Seminary
- Augustine College
- Redeemer University College
- Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
- Public Service Christian Fellowship
- Military Christian Fellowship
- Christian Info Canada
- CHRI-FM
- ChristianWeek Ontario
All of these groups, in one way or another, project those parts of the Christian faith that can roughly be described as evangelical, charismatic, socially conservative and/or reformed.
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In addition, my mind wandered toward the naming of several groups which might have some points in common with some of the above groups, but spring from some other part of the Christian spectrum. I will name them, without expressing any view as to what particular stripe of Christianity they might represent, leaving it to OttawaWatch readers to make their own assumptions.
Those particular groups are: - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Canadian Council of Churches
- Initiatives for Change (formerly Moral Rearmament)
- Metropolitan Community Churches
- Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints)
- Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints
Again, in addition, one could point to the hundreds of Protestant and Catholic churches located in the Ottawa/Outaouais area, working in English, French and about 30 other languages.
Each of those other groupings, as well as the increasing number of organizations and movements coming from other non-Christian faith backgrounds, have their own equivalent spinoffs providing a range of unique faith/political interfaces.
For example, one of the most organized and, for matters of bringing about some cohesiveness to faith-based influence, is the Aga Khan Foundation. Among other things, the AKF is developing a partnership with the federal government, to turn the former war museum, located almost within eyesight of my press gallery perch in the Parliament Buildings, into a centre for the advancement and understanding of religious pluralism.
(It would actually be within direct eyesight, if it was not blocked by the sleek glassy facade of the National Gallery, parked beside the intersection of the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River.)
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At this point, I am not sure what will happen with respect to bringing together an event that will facilitate the goals of a forum and showcase for the three dozen or so groups. I know there is a resonance among a fair number of Christian leaders to see such a thing develop.
My hope would be that something like this could be two-tiered: an actual event, held close to The Hill, and some communication vehicle that could plug Christian leaders across the country into what is happening here -- and vice versa.
From time to time, over the next couple of months, I will try to report progress or otherwise on this event idea. And I would appreciate feedback from readers who might have some ideas on how to make this a reality.
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Lloyd Mackey is a member of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa and author of Stephen Harper: The Case for Collaborative Governance (ECW Press, 2006). He can be reached at lmackey@canadianchristianity.com.
June 28/2007
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First of all, there are not hundreds of Catholic Churches; only one and the Catholic Church leads by guidance of the Holly Spirit and therfore is not led.
In order to understand how to succeed, we must first understand what success means. Marriage is an institution created by God, not men and therefore, men cannot change it or destroy it. The 'cause' is to protect the individuality of humans before false gods and false profets who are trying very hard to create an illusionary world where sin sucumbs before tolerance and where truth is something personal and thereby instigate individualism or if you want selfishness on behalf of either let the state lead in our spirit, or the big corporate statehood direct our minds. Neither is the State God, nor is the big corporation and so neither is to be allowed to distort the spirit. This is what the quest to protect marriage is all about and how it is associated with our quest for protecting life by clearly understanding when it begins and when it ends and the dignity of humans altogether. Why these groups do not succeed? Maybe because they are not following the right lead... or is it that success is not properly defined? The enemy, the one and only devil who so many are scared to identify as the true instigator of sin, needs ot be brought to the open so that the people see the light and take sides accordingly to the truth, the only one, the path given to us by God Himself in the body of Jesus. For this 'problem' and all the others; the answer always will be to let Jesus lead and just follow Him...