These woman belong to the Hutterian Brethren Church of Canada, which sent the letter to Paul Martin.
Posted on 02/18/2005 7:47:33 AM PST by UpHereEh
ARM RIVER HUTTERITE COLONY, SASK. - Canada's Hutterite community has taken an unprecedented political stand, writing the prime minister to warn that the country could become the next Sodom and Gomorrah if same-sex marriage is legalized.
Hutterian Brethren Church of Canada, which represents about 50,000 Hutterites in British Columbia and the Prairies, urged Paul Martin not to adopt the proposed legislation.
"We will be classed as traitors in God's eyes, and we will live the darkest day in all of Canada's history," says the letter.
Never before have the intensely private Hutterites taken such a public, and political, stand. The religious sect tries to maintain political neutrality and its members do not usually vote in elections.
The letter shows how outraged many Hutterites are by the proposed legislation.
"Two men living together is not right: we are totally against that," Paul Hofer, an elder at the Arm River Hutterite Colony in Saskatchewan, told CBC News.
"There's only going to be one judge over that one ... and that's our dear Lord up in heaven."
Joseph Wollman, who lives in Hillcrest Hutterite Colony near Saskatoon and was one of the authors of the letter, said the Bible forbids same-sex relationships.
"It's a terrible sin. If all the people on the Earth would turn that way, the people in the world would die out," Wollman told the CBC.
Catholic and Sikh organizations in Canada have also come out against the marriage change.
However, the Mennonite Church of Canada has said it will accept the change as long as the legislation allows religious groups to decide for themselves whether they will wed same-sex couples.
A recent Compas poll suggested that two-thirds of Canadians would prefer a referendum on the issue of same-sex marriage instead of a parliamentary vote.
The Hutterites would also prefer a referendum.
The legislation went through its second reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday
I'm sure the liberals in Canada will be trying to pass legislation to fund 're-education' camps for the Hutterites.
After all, they've 'instigated hate' and that is a crime in Canuckistan.
Oh, Canada.
The church I go to tends to refrain from making political stands (as a nationwide group) also. At least they encourage voting. I find that a problem with this group.
Apparently they've stated that they will make an exception in this case and vote against the liberal government if this SSM bill goes through.
Well, hooray. We are made to be in the world, not ever too much away from it. And that means getting into the no-holds barred wrestling matches that are politics. Otherwise evil takes them over, and those who turned away to protect their own are counted for the most selfish.
Look at the pic. Those are people that can now be arrested in Canada for hate speech, if they read certain verses of Romans or Leviticus aloud.
Wimps.
I'm glad. But I was thinking that if they (and maybe others) had already been voting they wouldn't have to be at the point of making an exemption.
True, let's hope it's not too late.
One of their reasons for this are; "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's". Well that may be true in a dictatorship, but in a free society, we are all "Caesar".
I've always had a high level of respect for the Hutterites: people living a simple Gospel life with a profound grasp of the simple Gospel truths. Welcome to the battle, brothers and sisters!
The Hutterites are closely related to the Amish. It was interesting to see that some of our own Amish people decided to vote in the last Presidential election in order to support a conservative social agenda.
I guess they've decided that enough is enough. Maybe this will encourage others to come out in support of traditional marriage.
"The church I go to tends to refrain from making political stands (as a nationwide group) also. At least they encourage voting. I find that a problem with this group."
If these groups who reject the "world" come out of their shell and join the world of dirty politics, they will lose their uniqueness. I could never respect Amish folk and other traditional Christians if they were to lose their distinctiveness and cave in to worldly politics. They have survived pretty unchanged for quite some time. I like it that way. There's something really cool about communities with non-negotiable moral and behavioral standards.
To this traditional Canadian group, I say focus on Christs' word. Christ accepts the faithful and won't look upon you good folks as traitors because of government officials' decisions. The Lord said that in the end times, the nations will stand in opposition to Him. If "nations" are to be judged by Christ, then how can any Christian be saved if he dwelleth inside those boundary lines?? He doesn't care if you are within the boundaries of an unfaithful nation, so long as you are not unfaithful!
"Well, hooray. We are made to be in the world, not ever too much away from it. And that means getting into the no-holds barred wrestling matches that are politics. Otherwise evil takes them over, and those who turned away to protect their own are counted for the most selfish."
These people do not like the "world" and heed Christs' words and deeds on this matter. Political action doesn't change hearts and individual souls.
"I'm sure the liberals in Canada will be trying to pass legislation to fund 're-education' camps for the Hutterites.
After all, they've 'instigated hate' and that is a crime in Canuckistan.
Oh, Canada."
My thoughts, exactly.
The widow and the orphan, the weak before the strong. A person able to protect them must. That means politics. It is the selfish that avoid politics completely, leaving the widow, the orphan, the weak as prey.
Yep. Unfortunately, I think too many Christians have the same attitude as well.
Politicians will ignore them.
No votes, no threat to a politician's ambitions.
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