Creationist MP quits Conservative caucus
Evolution not ‘fact’
A Conservative MP has quit the government caucus to sit as an independent so he can freely defend his creationist beliefs and counter attempts to “suppress a Christian world-view” in politics and other professions, he says.
The announcement came Tuesday from James Lunney, a chiropractor and devout Christian first elected under the Canadian Alliance banner in 2000 in Nanaimo, B.C. He is not running again in this year’s election.
About a month ago, Mr. Lunney caused a stir on social media by appearing to come to the defence of a Progressive Conservative MPP in Ontario who questioned the validity of evolution.
At the time, Mr. Lunney wrote on his Twitter feed: “Just stop calling evolution fact.” That tweet prompted criticism from some others on Twitter and the story was picked up by the media.
In a statement released by his office Tuesday, Mr. Lunney said his earlier remarks “were inflated by media, blended with other unrelated but alleged heretical statements and became a top story on national media creating a firestorm of criticism and condemnation.”
He said he will continue to vote the same way as Conservative MPs and will seek an opportunity to speak to the House “in defence of my beliefs and the concerns of my faith community.”
“Freedom of religion is foundational to democracy; if we don’t get that right, it always leads to persecution.”
In his statement, Mr. Lunney said that “leaders of the faith community” recently came to Ottawa to raise concerns about “unprecedented attempts to stifle freedom of religion, conscience and expression in Canada.”
Those leaders pointed to a refusal by three provincial bar associations to accredit any future potential law-school graduate of Trinity Western University, which is a Christian post-secondary institution.
“They identify deliberate attempts to suppress a Christian world-view from professional and economic opportunity in law, medicine and academia,” Mr. Lunney wrote.
“I share these concerns. I believe the same is true in the realm of politics at senior levels.”
In his statement, Mr. Lunney stressed he is leaving the Conservative caucus voluntarily and suggested he didn’t want to cause problems for other Tory MPs.
“Given the circling trolls, I do not intend to entangle the most multi-racial, multicultural and multi-faith caucus in parliamentary history in my decision to defend my beliefs.”
He wrote that “in a society normally proud of embracing difference, the role of the media and partisan politics in inciting social bigotry and intolerance should be questioned.
“Such ignorance and bigotry cloaked in defence of science is as repugnant as bigotry of any other origin. It is based in a false construct from another century and is a flagrant violation of a society that is multicultural, multi-racial and multi faith and strives to be accepting of differences.”
The MP’s earlier tweet about evolution was in response to a dust-up in the Ontario Legislature in February after a Progressive Conservative member, Rick Nicholls, told the media he didn’t believe in evolution.
In a 2009 statement in the House of Commons, Mr. Lunney said: “Any scientist who declares that the theory of evolution is a fact has already abandoned the foundations of science, for science establishes fact through the study of things observable and reproducible.
“Since origins can neither be reproduced nor observed, they remain the realm of hypothesis.
“The evolutionist may disagree, but neither can produce Darwin as a witness to prove his point. The evolutionist may genuinely see his ancestor in a monkey, but many modern scientists interpret the same evidence in favour of creation and a Creator.”