Chilliwack North MLA's embrace of radical Reformed Christian organization and removing rights illustrates how she doesn't represent her constituents
Even fellow BC Conservatives shocked Heather Maahs would invite homophobic, misogynistic 'ARPA' theocracy activists to legislature
MLA Heather Maahs thinks every single one of her constituents and all British Columbians are “totally depraved.”
All are rife with “wickedness” and completely despicable both in our very nature and every single one of our actions, our speech, thoughs, wishes, soul spirit.
“Everything humans are and do, inwardly and outwardly, are wicked. They cannot do, desire, or even understand what is good.”
Harsh words, but this “doctrine of total depravity” Maahs is a fan of explains a lot about her anti-LGBTQ positions while on the Chilliwack school board, her continuation of that campaign to turn Canadian democracy into a theocracy, her admiration for far-right populists such as Donald Trump, and her invitation to bring members of an organization that is racist, homophobic, and misogynist, and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars in court cases attempting to roll back rights for women, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and whoever else they decide doesn’t fit their particular Biblical perspective, to the B.C. Legislature.
Most people are understandably outraged to find out she invited the regressive Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) to the Legislature this week, including some of her fellow BC Conservative colleagues.
ARPA is a radical right wing Reformed Church activist group that aims to see Canada turned into a theocracy in the long-term. In the short-term, they want to see female reproductive rights taken away, they want the LGBTQ community to have marriage rights taken away, and they want people to have the right to control the end of their lives taken away.
Maahs’ colleague, BC Conservative Surrey South MLA Eleanor Sturko is pissed off.
“To see a group that, in my opinion, actively works against the rights of other British Colombians, is not in line with what I personally want to see in the Hall of Honour,” Sturko told CBC news.
Sturko is gay and has three children with her wife, Melissa.
On their website, ARPA characterize same sex-couple as being immoral. ARPA executive director Mike Schouten, a long-time promoter of his brand of misogyny and theocracy in Canada, sat down with CBC and confirmed this.
“We believe that homosexuality is immoral.”
In his defence, he and Maahs and all of them believe we are all depraved and wicked and evil as per Reformed Church doctrine, so I guess the gays are just more wicked than the rest of us?
Coward that she is, Maahs ran and hid from the CBC looking to ask her questions about the matter. She blocked me on social media a long time ago so I can’t even readily ask.
Joyce Arthur of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada was similarly shocked to have a Christian organization opposed to female rights invited to B.C. legislature.
“It’s an official recognition that gives a legitimacy to this anti-human rights group.,” Arthur told the CBC.
Maahs won't learn
I don't know what happened to Heather Maahs.
It's not like she emerged fully formed as a disinformation fan, a radical right-wing evangelical preaching anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, insane conspiracy theories, and sharing disinformation while jumping on the Donald Trump bandwagon.
Heck, I remember going to events at my kids' elementary school many years ago and chatting with her because, I think, she had grandkids at the same school. I even joked with her one time about whether it was true that Barry Neufeld sometimes nodded off at school board meetings and she verified its truth.
Then in 2017, Neufeld got bit by the insanity bug, went off the deep end screeching his homophobia and bigotry, sparking much discussion about trans rights and general LGBTQ bigotry.
Was Maahs, like Barry Neufeld, hiding her bigotry and ignorance and suddenly felt it was OK with the election of a racist, ignorant president?
Two months ago it was clear that Heather Maahs was unsuitable to represent Chilliwack in Victoria when she and other of the most far-right BC Conservatives fell for a dumb political trap with their admiration for Donald Trump.
Did she learn some lessons, improve her understanding of this new challenging job? No.
She’s much, much worse, doubling down on her oblivious approach to public office and the constitutionally protected separation of church and state.
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Paul J. Henderson
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