Posted by Ron Gray Dear Xxxxx Yyyyyy, Many thanks for your encouraging e-mail. I think, in your circumstances, I'd have done pretty much the same thing. The challenges before Christian voters are many and varied -- almost all parties have some policies with which a Christian can agree. So, for us, it becomes a task of prioritizing our own principles, so that we can ensure that the 'good' does not become an enemy of the best... and to use our potential as a citizen and voter to stop governments from behaving like enemies of the culture on which Western Civilization is based. We have a new CHP member in the Greater Vancouver Area, for example, who was formerly an ardent supporter of the Green Party; and as a Christian, why not? Stewardship of the environment is an important Christian principle! But this man was actually kicked out of the Greens for making pro-life statements... and at a recent all-candidates' forum where I spoke for the CHP, the Green Party representative stated flatly that, in his party's scale of values, a fish is equal to a fetus. Similarly, the Ontario PCs under Mike Harris had some commendable policies regarding thrift and personal responsibility -- yet they kept throwing pro-life grandmother Linda Gibbons into jail for her peaceful sidewalk counseling and prayer, with just as much zeal as Bob Rae's NDP Government had shown. Fiscally, they were different as chalk and cheese; morally, there wasn't a dime's worth of difference. So when a voter realizes that the CHP shares the environmental policies of the Greens and the economic policies of the Reform/Alliance/Conservatives -- and is pro-life and pro-family as well (because its policies are rooted in the conviction that God's word is revealed truth) -- the choice is obvious! But what to do when there is no CHP candidate available? The answer is: become a CHP organizer in and for your riding. You don't have to be a professional politician. Indeed, when I spoke at a pro-marriage rally in Boston recently, I pointed out that when you seek professional politicians, you get the Ted Kennedys and Bill Clintons; but the founders of their nation (and ours) were citizen-politicians who simply wanted what's best for their neighbours and their children, and knew that 'the best' was to be found in God's revealed truth. If you'll call the CHP's toll-free number -- 1-888 VOTE CHP (1-888-868-3247) -- and ask for a CHP InfoPak, it provides most of what you need: there's a brochure entitled 'Seven Reasons Why More and More Canadians Are Choosing The Christian Heritage Party', which includes a membership application form ($25 for a three-year individual membership; $40 for a three-year family membership; $200 for a life membership). It also includes a perforated sheet which can be burst into 10 business-card size handouts for friends, giving them the same toll-free number to call. (Thus you don't have to become an expert on CHP policies; simply say to friends, "When I learned about the CHP I decided to become a member; why don't you check it out for yourself? Here's the number to call" -- and hand them one of these little cards.) When they call the toll-free number, they'll get the same package -- and thus your membership can become 10, which can become 100, which can become 1,000 -- and soon you'll have a strong CHP riding association which can nominate a local candidate. One of the major barriers to the CHP's growth has always been the 'blackout' on our statements and policies by the mainstream media; the only solution to this appalling censorship is for citizens to work at the grass-roots level to become our own media. That's why for us the Internet and e-mail have been a God-send! Thanks again for writing. I hope you'll become part of this movement to restore Biblical sanity to Canadian politics. With you in His service, Ron Gray
on 7/14/2004, 2:42 pm, in reply to "The Big Five didn't offer Reform"
Vol 11 No 28
Dear Xxxxx Yyyyyy
I recently received an e-mail from a Canadian who said he'd voted Reform-Alliance (and PC provincially) in the past, but voted Green in the 2004 Federal election because there was no CHP candidate in his riding. I thought it would be worth sharing my response with the four out of five Canadian Christian voters who are in the same situation:
National Leader
Christian Heritage Party of Canada