Journal: Global Journal of Classical Theology
Volume: GJCT 19:1 (Jul 2022)
Article: Propaganda And The Armageddon Factor In Canadian And American Politics
Author: Jeremy Hexham

Propaganda And The Armageddon Factor In Canadian And American Politics

Jeremy Hexham

Abstract

This paper discusses the use of Christian beliefs about the Second Coming of Christ as political propaganda by the Canadian writer Marci McDonald. Although her book The Armageddon Factor first appeared in 2008 its impact is still felt in Canada. An internet search soon shows that she is an active speaker and campaigner against Canadian Conservatives and that many other speakers have taken up her ideas. These criticisms are based on the scaremongering tactics that centre on the supposed danger of evangelical Christianity as a motivator of Conservatives who are said to adhere to unreasonable beliefs about the coming end of the world. The article discusses her claims and shows them to be false.

Introduction: The Fundamentalist Bogy Man

Canadian Liberal writer Warren Kinsella is proud that he was called “the Prince of Darkness” by both his office staff and opponents during the time he was a political assistant to the Leader of the Official Opposition, Jean Chrétien. Later the title stuck as Kinsella moved up within the Liberal Party establishments and Chrétien became the Prime Minister of Canada (Kinsella 2007:26–27).

He seems proudest of all about the way he went about destroying Chrétien’s political opponent “Stockwell Day and his Reform Alliance Party” during the General Election Campaign of 2000 (Kinsella 2007:78–81). One of the keys to his strategy was the suggestion that Day was a dummy which thanks to a number of gaffs by Day was a great approach to take (Kinsella 2007:94).

Nevertheless, two months before the election Chrétien seemed to have acquired the image of “a criminal, a simpleton, or both” and things did not look good. Then “the clouds parted, an angelic chorus sang and a gift descended from heaven” by way of a Canadian Broadcasting documentary on Day that drew attention to his Christian fundamentalism. This documentary “transformed” the election campaign (Kinsella 2007:137).

Suddenly, Kinsella had the key to destroying Day’s carefully crafted attempts to present himself as a viable choice for Prime Minister. Better still the documentary claimed that Day supported a fairly crude form of Biblical Creationism that involved belief in a six day creation around six thousand years ago. The informant who made this claim also said that in a fairly recent college discussion Day had said “Adam and Eve are real people” who “co-existed with dinosaurs” and had suggested that “creation science” should be taught in public schools (Kinsella 2007:137–139).

This claim gave Kinsella the break he needed. Shortly afterwards on one of Canada’s most popular television shows Kinsella said, “I want to remind M...