Christopher Bell lists the cost of living, the degradation of Canada's legal and healthcare systems, and the moral decline of society as key issues in the upcoming federal election.
But the Christian Heritage Party candidate for Airdrie-Cochrane says he has an even bigger motivation for seeking office.
“As a Christian who’s involved in a local church, I believe what the Bible says about government, and the Christian Heritage Party aligns with that. In general, I think we need to reclaim our Christian heritage—something Canada once had but has since been eroded by successive governments, liberal judges, multicultural policies, and so forth. I care about my country. I care about my hometown.”
Bell said that, at the very least, he wanted to ensure that viewpoint is represented on the ballot. He challenges voters—and his fellow candidates—to consider God and what His word says when they go to the polls.
He believes it’s time to reclaim the Christian heritage that Canada, as a dominion, was founded upon.
He points to the Latin phrase “A mari usque ad mare” on Canada’s coat of arms, which translates to “From sea to sea,” derived from Psalm 72:8.
“That was brought forth in Parliament after one of the founding Fathers of Confederation, Samuel Tilley, read that verse during his morning Bible reading and decided, ‘Yes, Canada will be a dominion from sea to sea, and it’s going to be a dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ.’”
Bell says the CHP would seek to reclaim that heritage through constitutional reforms, including repealing laws it believes violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms preamble, which recognizes the supremacy of God.
In speaking with Christians in Airdrie-Cochrane, he says many care about free enterprise, raising their families, prospering, and passing on their wealth and values to future generations—without having those things taken away by an overreaching government.
“Speaking to Christians in Airdrie and Cochrane, they are more concerned about moral degradation and the public and overt tolerance of other religions,” he said. “The thing with religion is what we've been lead to believe that it is something relegated to our minds, but it really has real-world implications. Any religious group is going to want to implement their laws.”
He pointed specifically to Islam, stating, “I think this is most obvious with Islam and Muslims, who believe in the fundamentals of Islam and want to impose Sharia law on the Canadian system. That’s been a problem that Canadians have been dealing with for a number of years.”
Bell also drew a comparison between religious doctrines and progressive ideologies.
“I think what’s been referred to as ‘woke’ ideology, and diversity, equity and inclusion, is likewise its own religion—with its own god, its own laws, and its own means of redemption and salvation, and it has obvious legal ramifications. That’s been very concerning—not just for Christians, but for conservative-minded folks that I’ve spoken to.”
While he has no firm plans to visit Cochrane in person, Bell says he looks forward to participating in the upcoming virtual forum jointly sponsored by the Cochrane and Airdrie Chambers of Commerce on April 22.
