[Ed. note: as of 10/17 the offensive article bashing BRUU and its congregation remains. We can assume Mr. Candland has not demanded it be removed.]
Candidate Peter Candland needs to hold his supporters accountable for their behavior on his behalf. Last week, the Reverend Robert Jeffress spouted off about Mormons being a cult and not being Christian. Many bloggers and commentators, including Moonhowlings, took a strong stand against Mr. Jeffress’ specific brand of religious prejudice and denounced bashing an entire religion based on one person’s opinion.
Apparently not everyone feels that bashing someone’s religion is nasty business. BVBL has published a tirade against Candland’s opponent, Ann Wheeler, for having a fund-raiser in the home of Brian Pace who is a leader in the Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Church in Manassas. Brian Pace was used as a springboard to launch into another diatribe vilifying BRUU and its perceived support of progressive issues, specifically opposition to the Marriage Amendment Act, various church events, Gay Prom Night for teens sponsored by BRUU and a variety of other ‘sins’ enumerated by the blogmeister. The piece was prejudicial, gay-bashing, anti-BRUU and illogical.
If elected, Gainesville Supervisor, Mr. Candland will represent people of many faiths, including some with whom he staunchly disagrees on matters of values and beliefs. If he is troubled by this fact, he should not be running for public office. Moreover, reaching out to potential constituents does not signify that Ann Wheeler or any other candidate agrees with the totality of the views held by any group of people. Must someone who supports Mr. Candland accept all of the beliefs of the Mormon Church? Many Protestants, Catholics, Jews and others support Mr. Candland on the basis of his stated conservative views. Why should we think that Ann Wheeler shares all of the beliefs of the BRUU any more than Mr. Candland’s supporters share all of the tenants of his Mormon faith?
