Pat Martin vs. Opus Dei – Nick Dion

A new debate is emerging concerning the relation between religion and politics in Canada, brought on in part by NDP MP Pat Martin’s comments that Opus Dei gives him ‘the creeps’, and closely related to Marci MacDonald’s recent book about the Christian Right’s influence in Parliament.

The video above contains a link to a 10-minute interview between a television host, Evan Solomon, NDP MP Pat Martin, and the vicar of Opus Dei in Canada.

I post it not because I endorse the views presented therein nor because I support the labeling of this event as ‘anti-Christianism’ or ‘the bigotry of the Left’, as it is called in the Youtube page. I post it because, as the interview goes along, I see one of the most thoughtful and human struggles of a person faced with these issues. Granted, Martin isn’t a Liberal or a Conservative MP. He has a lot less to lose. He can afford to be candid and honest. But in an age of pro forma politics, the issues raised in this interview are worthy of reflection.