The Religion Card
Responding to James Morton, who argues, "Canada is a nation rooted in faith."
No. Canada WAS a nation rooted in faith. But with 4 in 10 Canadians no longer religious (by your own statistics) we cannot say that faith is any more a foundational value in this country.
What has allowed Canada to remain peaceful and harmonious is that, for the most part, we have managed to keep matters of faith out of the public sphere. We were founded from the very beginning with a potentially divisive Catholic-Protestant split, and in more recent years have seen large influxes of Muslims, Hindus and Jews. And, of course, atheism has risen dramatically in recent years.
The purpose of public policy, at least in this our peaceful and diverse society, is to enable people of many faiths to interact together under a single legal and social framework. This very much means that no particular religion can or should have the means to impose its particular view on society.
This is not to say that people can not or should not live and represent their moral and spiritual values. Nobody has a problem with that, not even the atheists.
Rather, it means that if you advocate "policy x" because your religious views compel you to do so, your advocacy of "policy x" will have to be on the basis of its own merits, not because "Canada was founded based on the principles of religion y". Indeed, people - excepting those of your particular creed - will find such a tactic (in this country, at least) divisive and an attempt to seed racial and religious disharmony.
To advocate otherwise is to emperil the basis on which this country was founded, a basis that enshrines freedom and diversity of race, language, faith and opinion.
Play the religion card with great caution. You may be religious; I don't care. But when you try to cram religion into government, I get very very upset.
No. Canada WAS a nation rooted in faith. But with 4 in 10 Canadians no longer religious (by your own statistics) we cannot say that faith is any more a foundational value in this country.
What has allowed Canada to remain peaceful and harmonious is that, for the most part, we have managed to keep matters of faith out of the public sphere. We were founded from the very beginning with a potentially divisive Catholic-Protestant split, and in more recent years have seen large influxes of Muslims, Hindus and Jews. And, of course, atheism has risen dramatically in recent years.
The purpose of public policy, at least in this our peaceful and diverse society, is to enable people of many faiths to interact together under a single legal and social framework. This very much means that no particular religion can or should have the means to impose its particular view on society.
This is not to say that people can not or should not live and represent their moral and spiritual values. Nobody has a problem with that, not even the atheists.
Rather, it means that if you advocate "policy x" because your religious views compel you to do so, your advocacy of "policy x" will have to be on the basis of its own merits, not because "Canada was founded based on the principles of religion y". Indeed, people - excepting those of your particular creed - will find such a tactic (in this country, at least) divisive and an attempt to seed racial and religious disharmony.
To advocate otherwise is to emperil the basis on which this country was founded, a basis that enshrines freedom and diversity of race, language, faith and opinion.
Play the religion card with great caution. You may be religious; I don't care. But when you try to cram religion into government, I get very very upset.
I haven't yet read Morton's last post, but I will say that you would do well to not underestimate Canada's religious beliefs; more specifically, Christian fundamentalism.
ReplyDeleteRead this long and scary article:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/03/19/harper%E2%80%99s-hard-right-turn/
Yeah, I know, Manning Center and all that, how accurate can it be, right? Well, when you have Harpercon media serving up the same kool-aid over and over again, most are going to end up drinking the damned stuff.
This SoCon phenomenon is something I have suspected long before the Manning Center Conference
I don't buy Harper has any 'religion', despite the numerous articles about it. I do believe his voters drank the k00l-aid in church basements when they were toddlers. A minority. That the minority somehow rules the rest of us is made up. It is a made-up phenom constantly repeated in the news, and was never institutional in our make-up as Canadians in the first place.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise it is all White Majority Rules, which sux, and doesn't have any basis in reality.
Harper may have fooled you all on that, but it is nothing but a political tool. I didn't drink it, why would I assume everyone else has?
I don't and I'm glad, because I can attempt relationships with everyone, without even thinking about anyone's religious beliefs, for good or for bad. I am compelled by fairness and justice FIRST.
Well, I believe that only law and policies guarding the freedom of beliefs and speech can ensure the harmony of a society. Education also plays an important part in making sure the citizens practice mutual respect. Peace does not come easy. It requires learning.
ReplyDelete