Anti-Christian slant illogical, prejudiced

Re: Politicians should leave religious beliefs at home — Dec. 11

Letter writer Larry Lootsteen’s arguments are somewhat illogical and prejudiced by his own beliefs about religion. To suggest that politicians should leave any of their beliefs, principals, values, and education or life experiences at home is equivalent to arguing they should leave their gender at home, or part of their brain at home.

And why centre out only people who believe in the God of the Bible? Why be intolerant and noninclusive of only one particular religious view? Everyone has some religious belief; an agnostic claims not to know if there is a God, an atheist denies that there is a God. Would Mr. Lootsteen be as keen to force those individuals to deny or suspend their particular religious beliefs on being elected? Would he impose the same restrictions on other faiths: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and devil worshippers, etc., as well as screen all new immigrants to Canada and insist that they promise to deny their faith and convert to his particular religious beliefs before they become Canadians or run for elected office? Of course not. Mr. Lootsteen appears to have a narrowly focused resentment and prejudice of Christian believers who run for office because he does not think they will vote the way he wants them to vote.

Finally, to label everyone of faith as “right wing” and not sensitive to the democratic and civil rights of Canadians is to ignore the Judeo-Christian foundations of all Western civilization. It was our Jewish and Christian values and principals that precipitated our democratic institutions, hospitals and schools, freed the slaves and were the first to recognize the rights of women. Has Mr. Lootsteen forgotten that? Ed Jacob Wellesley