1 The Impact of Institutions on the Politics of Canadian Evangelical Christians Jonathan Malloy, Carleton University 1 In May 2004 full page ads appeared in newspapers across Canada from an organization called Focus on the Family Canada (FOTFCanada). The ads, featuring a heterosexual couple with a child surrounded by a smiling and multiethnic crowd, proclaimed “We Believe in Mom and Dad. We Believe in Marriage.” Brief text below further affirmed a commitment to “a father and a mother” and directed readers to the organization’s website. While not directly stated, the ad obviously opposed same-sex marriages and parenting by same-sex couples. FOTFCanada is an organization founded by and strongly associated with evangelical Christians, who generally reject homosexuality as unbiblical. Its website includes a list of MPs and their votes on recent same-sex issues, and promises an upcoming “voters’ guide” for the current federal election. 2 Another interesting recent event was the revelation in April that Liberal Party pollsters were asking voters whether they would vote for the Conservative Party “if you knew they had been taken over by evangelical Christians." 3 This reflected a possible Liberal strategy to marginalize the Conservatives as right-wing, religious ideologues. Relatedly, when asked about the question in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Paul Martin said his party was not targeting people’s beliefs, and went on: “Let me say that faith, religion has no room in politics.” (He later elaborated that “..faith and religion will certainly influence the way that people look at the world. But faith and religion should not be the subject of partisan politics.”) 4 Both these incidents are about the politics of evangelical Christianity in Canada. They reveal different things, however. The first is an example of an expensive, well-produced lobby campaign by evangelicals to mobilize opinion on a key public policy issue. While FOTFCanada does not explicitly endorse a political party, it obviously suggests how its supporters should vote. Such campaigns are not new in Canada, but they are rarely so comprehensive and, by evangelical standards, slick and subtle. Yet the second item illustrates the tricky and controversial nature of introducing religious faith into Canadian politics. For many Canadians, ads such as the “Mom and Dad” campaign represent an ominous trend. They fear the growth of religiously-driven politics and public policy, affecting issues of reproduction and sexuality in particular, but also social policy, artistic expression, and the general content and tone of political debate. While Mr. Martin may have muddled his words, his intention was presumably that religious beliefs should not be associated with specific parties, and vice versa. Compare this with the United States. President George W. Bush has been explicit about his religious beliefs and the role of faith in his decisions and policies. Religious political advertising and campaigning - both implicit and explicit - is widespread. While there is some question about its precise impact and popularity, evangelical Christianity is certainly a prominent and significant aspect of American politics. And though specific organizations have grown and faded, like the Moral Majority, the 1 Research for this paper is supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 2 http://www.fotf.ca/familyfacts/takeaction/MPs_Marriage_C-250.pdf and http://www.fotf.ca/familyfacts/election/votersguide.html. (Last viewed May 26, 2004). 3 Jane Taber, Campbell Clark, “Key Martin aides debate June election” Globe and Mail, April 20 2004, A1. 4 Bill Curry, “Don't mix partisan politics and faith, Martin tells Tory”, Ottawa Citizen. May 13 2004, A3