D
David_Paul
Guest
Globe and Mail
By MICHAEL VALPY
Monday, June 13, 2005
Page A1
GUELPH, ONT. – This, maybe, is the new face of Canadian politics: In the large, modern church in Southern Ontario farm country outside Guelph, there’s a sign behind Rev. Tristan Emmanuel’s right shoulder that reads, "How can we obey our government when it 's trying to destroy us? "
At the pulpit, the boyishly handsome 36-year-old is in soaring oratorical flight. His timing, diction and syntax are flawless. With just bare-bones notes in front of him, he speaks in perfect paragraphs, weaves in sophisticated theology, philosophy and history, effortlessly building an impeccable argument.
His topic is the familiar New Testament story of Jesus explaining what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God. Pointing to Caesar’s image on a coin, Jesus reputedly says: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.”
The words of Mr. Emmanuel, founder and executive director of Equipping Christians for Public Life, suddenly crack like a whip on this hot spring evening in the Emmanuel Canadian Reformed Church.
"Does marriage belong to Caesar? " he asks. "Does it have his image? "
And then he gets to the meat of his message: why does Jesus command Christians to be politically engaged?
Because, he says, it is an act of worship. Because Christians who allow the state – Caesar – to exert authority beyond its jurisdiction do not render unto God what is God’s, and thus do not worship God in the totality of their beings.
It is this message, he says, that he now preaches two to three times a week in conservative evangelical churches throughout the country. He proclaims it at public rallies opposed to same-sex marriage (he organized the successful May 23 rally in Toronto that attracted 3,000 people). He delivers it at fundraising gatherings for people charged before human-rights tribunals for alleged discriminatory speech and actions against homosexuals.
He calls himself the “motivational speaker” of Canada’s Defend Marriage Coalition, the most visible member of the team. There are things about him that raise questions – seeming contradictions in his comments on homosexuality and tolerance, for example – but his effectiveness is unchallenged.
He delivered his message at an April rally in Kentville, N.S., that has entered political folklore as the event that led to the successful nomination of three members of the Christian right – whom he endorsed in his speech – as Conservative Party candidates in Halifax.
Mr. Emmanuel neither takes nor denies credit for the nominations. He acknowledges he was a little surprised that all three candidates were nominated. The rally organizer, Rev. Lewis How of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, says Mr. Emmanuel is an excellent speaker and that there were three good candidates named, but adds it is impossible to nail down causality beyond that.
But Mr. Emmanuel says it is the unequivocal objective of his organization to prod conservative Christians into joining political-party constituency organizations and working for the nomination of “family values” candidates. “We want to encourage the Christian community to focus on the next election.”. . . Continued here. . .
By MICHAEL VALPY
Monday, June 13, 2005
Page A1
GUELPH, ONT. – This, maybe, is the new face of Canadian politics: In the large, modern church in Southern Ontario farm country outside Guelph, there’s a sign behind Rev. Tristan Emmanuel’s right shoulder that reads, "How can we obey our government when it 's trying to destroy us? "
At the pulpit, the boyishly handsome 36-year-old is in soaring oratorical flight. His timing, diction and syntax are flawless. With just bare-bones notes in front of him, he speaks in perfect paragraphs, weaves in sophisticated theology, philosophy and history, effortlessly building an impeccable argument.
His topic is the familiar New Testament story of Jesus explaining what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God. Pointing to Caesar’s image on a coin, Jesus reputedly says: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.”
The words of Mr. Emmanuel, founder and executive director of Equipping Christians for Public Life, suddenly crack like a whip on this hot spring evening in the Emmanuel Canadian Reformed Church.
"Does marriage belong to Caesar? " he asks. "Does it have his image? "
And then he gets to the meat of his message: why does Jesus command Christians to be politically engaged?
Because, he says, it is an act of worship. Because Christians who allow the state – Caesar – to exert authority beyond its jurisdiction do not render unto God what is God’s, and thus do not worship God in the totality of their beings.
It is this message, he says, that he now preaches two to three times a week in conservative evangelical churches throughout the country. He proclaims it at public rallies opposed to same-sex marriage (he organized the successful May 23 rally in Toronto that attracted 3,000 people). He delivers it at fundraising gatherings for people charged before human-rights tribunals for alleged discriminatory speech and actions against homosexuals.
He calls himself the “motivational speaker” of Canada’s Defend Marriage Coalition, the most visible member of the team. There are things about him that raise questions – seeming contradictions in his comments on homosexuality and tolerance, for example – but his effectiveness is unchallenged.
He delivered his message at an April rally in Kentville, N.S., that has entered political folklore as the event that led to the successful nomination of three members of the Christian right – whom he endorsed in his speech – as Conservative Party candidates in Halifax.
Mr. Emmanuel neither takes nor denies credit for the nominations. He acknowledges he was a little surprised that all three candidates were nominated. The rally organizer, Rev. Lewis How of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, says Mr. Emmanuel is an excellent speaker and that there were three good candidates named, but adds it is impossible to nail down causality beyond that.
But Mr. Emmanuel says it is the unequivocal objective of his organization to prod conservative Christians into joining political-party constituency organizations and working for the nomination of “family values” candidates. “We want to encourage the Christian community to focus on the next election.”. . . Continued here. . .
