Later this week, certain churches in the Comox Valley are hosting the Tanya Gaw Tour.
For those unfamiliar with Gaw, she is the founder of Action4Canada.
On the surface, Action4Canada claims its mission is “to protect Canada’s rich heritage which is founded on Judeo-Christian biblical principles.”
According to judeochristianity.org, “The central idea in Judeochristianity is non-self-interested love. Non-self-interested love is defined as the awareness of others’ individuality.”
But does Action4Canada follow that idea?
Action4Canada is proudly anti-SOGI anti-LGBTQ, and anti-immigration.
Gaw herself has made Islamophobic social media posts, as well social media posts against Truth and Reconciliation. (On Oct. 12 she posted “It’s time to pull the plug and end the charade of the Truth and Reconciliation witch hunt. The graves are empty and indigenous (sic) violence is their own doing!”)
We are not trying to dictate what, or who, churches can and cannot support. They have every right to support whomever they want.
What we take issue with is when our tax dollars are being used to keep said churches sustainable, considering our local governments’ policies regarding diversity and inclusivity.
Just last week, Bay Community Church in Comox was granted permissive tax exemption by the Town of Comox. That is the Comox church hosting the Gaw Tour.
Every time a tax exemption is given, it increases the tax burden on those of us who pay taxes. So we ask, is the Town of Comox going against its own diversity and inclusion policies by granting tax exemptions to a church that promotes hate?
(The Living Waters Fellowship Church in Black Creek is the other organization hosting Gaw. The Comox Valley Regional District acting chief administrative officer James Warren confirmed that Living Waters is not a recipient of a permissive tax exemption.)
Courtenay council has the discussion on the agenda for its Oct. 25 meeting. The family that operates Aaron House Christian Fellowship has participated in numerous anti-SOGI protests in the community, including one last weekend on the 17th Street Bridge.
Our local governments all take pride in their positive stances on inclusivity and diversity.
Governments ‘talking the talk’ is nothing new, at any level. But when it directly affects the taxes we pay in our community, perhaps it’s time to ‘walk the walk.’
ALSO: Community groups ask Courtenay council to reconsider options for tax exemptions