How many right-wing Christian politicians are perverts?
• Christian Fundamentalism , • Wearisome Bedfellows
A reminder that most pedophiles are heterosexual. I wonder how many other defenders of sexual purity have similar motivations for their vicious ranting and raving.
The former leader of the Christian Heritage Party has pleaded guilty to the indecent assault of a girl under the age of 12. This crime is regarded with abhorrence in New Zealand society, and rightly so given the emotional damage which can be caused to the victim. But in Capill's case, to this abhorrence can be added the taint of hypocrisy, given his previous political activity.
Capill led Christian Heritage between 1991 and 2003 and during those 12 years he seemed synonymous with the party. He was invariably called upon to comment on moral or family issues and he rarely failed to deliver a response of brimstone fundamentalism. The party's moralistic undertones and emphasis on traditional family values meant it never achieved the electoral success which its supporters believed it merited.
What adds to my distress is that Capill is not the only conservative Christian sex offender. Quite a number of prominent Christian leaders have been caught up in sex scandals of various sorts in the past few decades: Catholic priests, Baptist youth pastors, Pentecostal ministers and so on. No part of the Christian Church seems exempt, and that includes the evangelical Christianity that has continued to emphasise the importance of sexual purity.
Morality - let him who is without sin cast the first stone
However, despite the distancing, political analysts are already saying that the Capill mud will stick to Christian Heritage, and possibly the Christian political movement in general. Auckland University political scientist Barry Gustafson says the fall of a high-profile figure known for preaching family values and traditional Christian-based morality would affect other religious political leaders.
Comments
Posted by: Syd'n'ham Kiwi | July 3, 2005 7:02 AM