It's Morality, Stupid

Quite a bit has been written on religion's place in politics. I don't intend to re-write it all.

For too long, Conservatives have been afraid to stand up and wear their religions as badges of honour. Poll after poll shows that great majority of Canadians self-identify with a religion. Why is it, if that the majority of Canadians are okay with religion, that we are hiding our religious values?

After all, the basic values that guide most people through their lives are partly developed in a church of some sort.

This is a point that Stephen Harper understands well.

"If we're to . . . clean up government, end corruption, restore some sense of ethics and morality into politics, then you have to have people who are concerned with these kinds of things," said Harper.

"If you continue to vote for people who say they have no ethics, you'll end up with an unethical government."

I was at a model parliament at Queen's park once when a Liberal "MPP" stood up and said something like this: "Religion is a cancer upon our society. Religious people are all bigots." It's not a verbatim quote, but it's fairly close. This is honestly what liberals believe. They believe that religion, or at least any religion that requires any discipline, is a cancer upon society.

Now, who do you think Canadians will find more extreme? People who believe that the core of what Canadians believe is a cancer or people who are proud of this core?

Stockwell Day was harmed each time he explained how he would shield his religion, or limit his religion, from affecting public policy. He should have been pointing out how his religion is the moral basis that keeps him from cheating and steeling from the tax payer. He should have talked about how he would not lie and how he would not promote stripper visas because of his religion. Religious people share many values with majority of Canadians, if we are ever to form a permanent conservative majority we ought to tune into these shared values.

I am not advocating handing over the keys of Parliament to the Vatican. All I'm saying is there are political benefits to be drawn from being religious. These are the benefits Stephen Harper is talking about.

Good on him.