A Vancouver city council candidate’s social media post where she invoked a prayer while talking about voters heading to the polls is prompting calls to keep church and state separate. ABC candidate Lorraine Lowe posted on X and Instagram saying, “Father God, here we are. Advance polling. Your Word says, ‘we wrestle not against flesh and blood.’” Lowe added, “Remind us that this is ultimately a spiritual fight for truth, love, humility and light, not a fight against people. Protect our team and everyone we love.” The messaging has not landed well with groups like the B.C. Humanist Association, who called the use of explicitly religious language surprising. “I think that kind of stuff doesn’t resonate with people,” said executive director Ian Bushfield. “That’s not to say you can’t be a religious politician, but just that you need to be a politician for everyone, and we hope that all our elected officials understand that.” ‘Tread a lot more carefully’ This isn’t the first time ABC has been called upon to keep municipal politics secular. In 2022, Sim’s mayoral inauguration ceremony included prayers which prompted the B.C. Humanist Association to threaten legal action. The Supreme Court of Canada found opening council meetings with prayers was unconstitutional in a unanimous 2015 decision. The City of Vancouver eventually determined the city breached the state’s duty to uphold religious neutrality. “I think for ABC, as the party that brought that in, I think they need to tread a lot more carefully when it comes to religion and politics,” said Bushfield. Secular province B.C. is one of the most secular provinces in the country, with the largest proportion of agnostic, atheist or irreligious residents, according to a 2025 poll by Research Co. Research Co. president Mario Canseco said, the number of B.C. residents who do not identify with any religion has been the highest in the entire country by a significant margin. “To borrow the 90s phrase, British Columbians are losing their religion,” he said. “We don’t see the same type of situation in Ontario or in Quebec, or on the prairies. And there’s no area in the United States that is comparable to this.” ABC defends candidate ABC and Mayor Ken Sim defended Lowe’s post, with Sim saying he thought it was “absolutely incredible.” “We are a diverse city,” he said. “I have spent the last more than eight years visiting gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, churches, and we celebrate that. We celebrate culture and different faiths. That’s what Vancouver is, and so I 100 per cent support it. I think it’s great and I’m really proud of Lorraine.” In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson ABC said, Lowe’s post was, “a personal prayer at the end of a long campaign.” The official campaign period began Sept. 19. The statement continued, “Read in full, it asks for truth, love and humility, and says plainly that politics should never be a fight against people. We think most Vancouver voters, whatever their beliefs, can agree with that.” Asked whether the party approved the post, ABC said no, and added they want candidates, “to be authentic and true to themselves, and politics could use more of that. We stand with Lorraine.” Lowe was not made available for an interview. ABC’s media team also suggested CTV News do a story about a candidate running with a different party who posted “anti-Canada rhetoric” on X. Dr. Carmen Celestini, a lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Waterloo said, while Lowe’s post may be polarizing for some, for others it may be embraced. “It could also appeal to those who very strongly believe that God plays a role in our politics, she said.
