Rural Alberta leaders criticize NDP ministers, policies as attacking Christian faith

NDPpolicies were slammed as attacks on Christian faith by politicalleaders from rural Alberta attending a fall convention in Edmonton Thursday.

At a Rural Municipalities of Alberta association forum with provincial ministers,Josh Knelson, reeve of Mackenzie County, told Education Minister David Eggen he takes the threat of withholding funding from private faith-based schools "very personally."

"I feel that it's an attack on Christianity and all faith-based believers," Knelsonsaid."And to be quite frank, you scare me."

Eggenhas given all schools until the end of the school yearto develop a policy allowing gay-straight alliance groups, or risk losing government funding.

Eggenrespondedovergroans and murmurs in the large crowd at theShaw Conference Centrethat it wasn't his intention to create fear.

All public,Catholic, Francophone, charter and most private schools already comply with the policyand itfalls to a handful ofoutliers to getonboard, the minister said.

"Atthe end of the day," Eggensaid, "if a school is taking public money, which is private schools, then they have to follow the law just like everybody else."

A second Mackenzie Country council memberthen chastised Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehanfor arguing a year ago thatusing the Bible to oppose Bill 24, an Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances, wasabsurd.

Ernie Peters calledFeehan's speech an attackon Opposition Leader Jason Kenney's faithand also criticized Feehan for holdingtheBible while making the argument.

"You mocked parts of the Old Testament, laughing about it for about four minutes," Peters said. "Is that your mandate for all faithsor just for Christianity in particular?"

'A message from Jesus'

Feehan, a Catholic who holds a degree in theology,said he was sorry for taking his religious beliefs into the legislature, but not for defending his firmly-held stance on human rights for all people, including those from the LGBTQ community.

"I fundamentally believe that was a message from Jesus Christ and I live that out every day,"Feehanexplained. "I make sure that that I respect the rights of all people."

The rural mayors and reeves also challenged ministers overthe economy, environmental programs, infrastructureand how to kick-start projects that seem to be dragging on for months.

The association represents Alberta's 69 counties and municipal districts.