Dear Editor:
RE: Christians under attack? (Oct. 23).
Pat Woode cites American conservative influencer, Charlie Kirk and his putative conservative principles. I quote Kirk’s opinion of empathy: “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up new-age term that – it does a lot of damage.”
I regard this statement as preposterous. Imagine the one human attribute that ennobles us, that enables us to reach out to our brothers, that motivates some of the best of us to choose careers such as medicine, social work, science, teaching and charitable work to be so callously dismissed and undermined.
The author also makes a self-serving and selective stretch by insinuating that the CBC (which many conservative elements in Canada wish to defund) ran an article, “which could be interpreted as justifying [Kirk’s] assassination.” This is redolent of ideological bias.
And, in a similar vein, how can Canada Family Action portray itself as “non-partisan,” if the organization’s mission is “promoting and defending Christian principles in Canadian society.”
Opinions are not principles and we have all witnessed the poor outcomes elsewhere in North America when religion is allowed to co-mingle with governance.
Allan Berry,
Fergus