Which is it that Canada is founded on? Freedom of or freedom from religion? How many came here to escape religious extremism?
Freedom of Religion or Freedom FROM Religion?
- Thread starter petros
- Start date
Canada's immigration was founded on the Blessed Trinity: Furs, Timber, and Wheat.
Western Canada had more religious refugees; Eastern Canada, more adherents of the established religions.
Western Canada had more religious refugees; Eastern Canada, more adherents of the established religions.
It's funny that the freedom of religion thing only referred to christianity. They certainly did not allow for freedom of the aboriginal peoples to practice theirs.
Canada's founding documents really don't make much mention of religion, except in the parts that allow for the creation of a separate school system for Roman Catholics. There's no explicit mention of the separation of church and state as there is in America's founding documents, but neither is there any mention of a state-sponsored religion. Recent amendments (from about 25 years ago) mention the supremacy of god in a rather vague way, but not in a fashion that would require the state to do anything about it. It's about as vague as the reference in American documents to all men being endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, without specifying what's meant by "their creator." As far as I know there's never been any legal challenge at the Supreme Court about what the reference to the supremacy of god means in Trudeau's amendments, so it remains legally undefined. I'd prefer to leave it at that, or delete that reference.
No ... they were too busy "bleaching them of Godless ways and heathen tongues". (NOT my words BTW) Select Europeans believed themselves to be superior to all creatures great and small.
When I saw this I thought I would ask you if you had googled this (I was feeling like being silly). So - I googled it. Looks like there really isn't a clear answer.
Constitutional rights
The "Fundamental Freedoms" section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states:
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association. Canadians are therefore free to have their own beliefs and opinions, are free to practice religion or refrain, and are free to establish media organizations with or without religious content. Canadian religious institutions generally benefit from charitable organization status, which allows supporters to benefit from tax credits or deductions for their financial contributions.
According to the Charter's preamble, Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God.[1] This portion of the preamble has not been accorded legal effect in Charter jurisprudence.[2] The constitutional recognition of God has been criticized as conflicting in principle with the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed in section 2, as it would disadvantage those who hold nontheistic or polytheistic beliefs, including atheism and Buddhism.[3][4]
[edit] Human rights codes
While religious freedoms are protected from state interference by the Charter, the actions of private individuals are largely governed by the provincial human rights codes. These codes prohibit discrimination in the marketplace, accommodation, and employment on the grounds of a variety of personal characteristics, including religion.
[edit] Case law
The Supreme Court Building in Ottawa
In 1955, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Chaput v. Romain, regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, that all religions have equal rights, based upon tradition and the rule of law. At the time, no statutes formed the basis for this argument.[5
I'm thinking the quick answer to your question would be freedom OF religion not from religion as freedom from religion implies a sort of atheistic attitude and Canada was founded on Christian values. Example: it was only since the 80's that we stopped reciting The Lord's Prayer in schools.
Correct me if I'm wrong, I think if people want to go somewhere where freedom from religion is their aim, I'm thinking sweden and thoses euro-northern counties are more atheistic in their approach to life in their society.
Correct me if I'm wrong, I think if people want to go somewhere where freedom from religion is their aim, I'm thinking sweden and thoses euro-northern counties are more atheistic in their approach to life in their society.
The vagaries of the charter should be clarified to include freedom from religion as well as freedom of religion. Unless both are entrenched in our charter it is discriminatory.
I don't think you read my post. It addresses the rights of those who may be non-believers:
According to the Charter's preamble, Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God.[1] This portion of the preamble has not been accorded legal effect in Charter jurisprudence.[2] The constitutional recognition of God has been criticized as conflicting in principle with the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed in section 2, as it would disadvantage those who hold nontheistic or polytheistic beliefs, including atheism and Buddhism.[3][4]
Right, I understand, but it was originally "founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God." It was only afterwards that they started to manipulate it.
That is the perfect example of "freedom from religion". No-one is required to say a prayer to a god they may or may not believe in.
As the lovely Island Pacific noted no one religion holds superiority over another which is once again freedom from religion also there is no claim whatsoever of Canada being founded on Christian values.
It has nothing to do with atheism but freedom from persecution or dominance of one religion over another or anyone who choses to not partake in a belief.
The only mentioning of religion or God in the Constitution or Charter of Rights and Freedoms are as follows:
Now that the misconception of Canada being a Christian nation is out of the way I'd really like to see politicians come to grasp of this fact.
Too many politicians have used their beliefs to impose law or idealism that have gone beyond the boundaries of our most basic and fundamental rights and freedoms.
I posed this question to shine light on the fact that we are in no way a Christian founded nation nor are we in the position to go beyond our borders to spread such idealisms of Christianity or any other religious doctrine.
I'm not a big fan of religion by any means not because of doctrine contents but because of the people who take their idealisms beyond reality and cross the line.
We currently have Mormosexuals practising polygamy within our borders which according to our laws they are perfectly allowed to yet we ( I included myself in the we) find it immoral and unjust until I gave it some thought and reviewed our laws only to realize they are doing nothing wrong and that it is through religious belief and not law that we are trying to persecute them and that my idealism of unjust was created by a religion I do not belong to.
Since I am one to stand by our rights and freedoms I've come to realize that my opinion has to change in favour of the Mormosexuals in order for myself to remain free from persecution for my beliefs or nonbeliefs.
Ain't that a dilly of a pickle?
Riiight, but the question was "Which is it that Canada is founded on? Freedom of or freedom from religion? How many came here to escape religious extremism"
The answer is Canada was founded on Freedom of Religion.
I don't know what your guys' problem is? Freedom of Religion says exactly what you have all been saying! We are free to believe what we want. I mean, at least that's what I think when I read freedom of religion. It doesn't say that you can't be Moslem, Jewish or Christian. It's the haters that were complaining and we listened to them and even amended laws for them and they are still out there trying to define themselves. We have to live together whether everybody likes it or not. It would be best if we could be respectful of each other and allow each other to be free AS LONG AS we are not hurting or killing each other.
I don't see what everyone's problem is? We CAN live and be happy together.
The answer is Canada was founded on Freedom of Religion.
I don't know what your guys' problem is? Freedom of Religion says exactly what you have all been saying! We are free to believe what we want. I mean, at least that's what I think when I read freedom of religion. It doesn't say that you can't be Moslem, Jewish or Christian. It's the haters that were complaining and we listened to them and even amended laws for them and they are still out there trying to define themselves. We have to live together whether everybody likes it or not. It would be best if we could be respectful of each other and allow each other to be free AS LONG AS we are not hurting or killing each other.
I don't see what everyone's problem is? We CAN live and be happy together.
And yet for some reason we seem to have managed better than the Americans to have human rights, rather than the rights religion is willing to grant, be the basis of our law. Abortion rights, gay rights to marriage. Politicians seem much less swayed by religious posturing. Somehow, some way, without a legal declaration, Canada has managed to keep religion, while at the same time, telling religion to keep its mouth shut. It's a neat balance really, when you look at some other countries.
One could easily argue that freedom of religion includes freedom to choose no religion.
One would have to define "God" to recognize his/her supremacy.
My "God" tends not to be the vindictive God of "christian" interpretation. So nontheistic, polytheistic, atheism, agnosticism or Buddhism are perfectly acceptable