Go Hide Your Light Under A Bushel!
It's time for a clear, decisive separation of church and state.
In Canada, a rich melting pot of world religions, everyone is entitled to worship her/his deities, gods, goddesses, heroes and spiritual leaders in her/his own way. In any crowded room there could be ten people representing ten belief systems, and those ten people are most welcome to "make a joyful noise" on behalf of whomever they worship.
Just keep me out of it.
There is no place for religious icons, religious teachings, religious beliefs or religious interference in public institutions. This includes governments, the court system, public schools, hospitals and prison systems. Religion is not scientific, beliefs can never be proven, which is why they are called "faiths". If an individual wants to pray at the site of the Virgin Mary's face reflected in an oil spill in a Canadian Tire parking lot, be my guest. If a group of people want to pervert "gospel" teachings in order to justify hate-filled beliefs, I can't stop them, as long as that hatred stays inside their private homes. When that kind of loathing is allowed to seep into the public arena, it becomes a whole different ball game.
Public officials, judges and politicians have a clearly mandated responsibility to be unbiased in their dealings with Canadian citizens. The recent discussions about whether Justices of the Peace should be allowed to refuse to marry same-sex couples is a case in point. As public officials their duties are clear, they are responsible for providing services to citizens. All citizens. They do not and cannot have the right to refuse to fulfill their responsibilities. The choice they have is to remain civil servants or resign.
The bible has no place in public forums. At times beautifully poetic, at times grotesquely violent, at times contradictory, the Bible is a fanciful set of object lessons put together by deprived, repressed, frustrated scholars in the middle ages. The bible is no more "the word of God" than Curious George Goes to the Hospital is an encyclopedia of primates. Even if the bible had been written by the christian God, it is not appropriate to use it as either a reference book or a club with which to bash people, depending on the whims of all-too-human zealots. Religion should be an intensely private relationship between the faithful and their God, Allah, Creator, Hashem, Mohammed, Tao, Krishna....not a public display of "my God is better (bigger, smarter) than your God". Personal opinions are just that, one person's belief, and to think that God shares anyone's opinion is the height of conceit.
If people believe abortion is immoral, they do not have to have an abortion. If people believe same sex marriages are immoral, they do not have to enter into a same sex marriage. The same goes for birth control, divorce, and any other legal activity of which we, as Canadians, have the right to partake, should we so choose.
What consenting adults choose to believe is up to them and them alone. I don't care whether people worship Homer Simpson, as long as they don't try to force their beliefs on one single other person.
D-oh!
In Canada, a rich melting pot of world religions, everyone is entitled to worship her/his deities, gods, goddesses, heroes and spiritual leaders in her/his own way. In any crowded room there could be ten people representing ten belief systems, and those ten people are most welcome to "make a joyful noise" on behalf of whomever they worship.
Just keep me out of it.
There is no place for religious icons, religious teachings, religious beliefs or religious interference in public institutions. This includes governments, the court system, public schools, hospitals and prison systems. Religion is not scientific, beliefs can never be proven, which is why they are called "faiths". If an individual wants to pray at the site of the Virgin Mary's face reflected in an oil spill in a Canadian Tire parking lot, be my guest. If a group of people want to pervert "gospel" teachings in order to justify hate-filled beliefs, I can't stop them, as long as that hatred stays inside their private homes. When that kind of loathing is allowed to seep into the public arena, it becomes a whole different ball game.
Public officials, judges and politicians have a clearly mandated responsibility to be unbiased in their dealings with Canadian citizens. The recent discussions about whether Justices of the Peace should be allowed to refuse to marry same-sex couples is a case in point. As public officials their duties are clear, they are responsible for providing services to citizens. All citizens. They do not and cannot have the right to refuse to fulfill their responsibilities. The choice they have is to remain civil servants or resign.
The bible has no place in public forums. At times beautifully poetic, at times grotesquely violent, at times contradictory, the Bible is a fanciful set of object lessons put together by deprived, repressed, frustrated scholars in the middle ages. The bible is no more "the word of God" than Curious George Goes to the Hospital is an encyclopedia of primates. Even if the bible had been written by the christian God, it is not appropriate to use it as either a reference book or a club with which to bash people, depending on the whims of all-too-human zealots. Religion should be an intensely private relationship between the faithful and their God, Allah, Creator, Hashem, Mohammed, Tao, Krishna....not a public display of "my God is better (bigger, smarter) than your God". Personal opinions are just that, one person's belief, and to think that God shares anyone's opinion is the height of conceit.
If people believe abortion is immoral, they do not have to have an abortion. If people believe same sex marriages are immoral, they do not have to enter into a same sex marriage. The same goes for birth control, divorce, and any other legal activity of which we, as Canadians, have the right to partake, should we so choose.
What consenting adults choose to believe is up to them and them alone. I don't care whether people worship Homer Simpson, as long as they don't try to force their beliefs on one single other person.
D-oh!
posted by Alphamutt at 11:20 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Deb,
Beautifully said - about the role of religion in our Canadian society. Your blog should really be provided to media outlets as a 'letter to the editor' for it touches on so many relevant political/sectoral 'hot topics' of late.
Folks - to the extreme of religious zealots - really do lack a sense of limitation. Your beliefs are not mine, nor may they be of others. As a result, you cannot simply proposed a law that would impose your select beliefs on the general populace.
Now, tackle the issue of the general populace carrying the property taxes of religious properties and structures, in spite of the fact that the majority of Canadians do not describe themselves as religious (most recent Canadian cencensus).
I find myself asking - Why the hell are my hard earned dollars being used to perpetuate all of the various mythologies - especially when most of them are used, at least to some degree, to oppress women (and children)?
I would love to see this tax amendment go to vote at the federal level.
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