Gov’t decision on religious statement is an ‘attack on our Charter Rights’
By Letter to the Editor on October 17, 2018.
When the provincial government labels the statement, “We believe men and women were created in the image of God, after His likeness, and therefore have transcendent, intrinsic worth” to be “unwelcoming, uncaring and/or disrespectful” (which is utterly ridiculous) and needs to be removed from a faith-based school’s “Safe and Caring” school policies or face being threatened with loss of accreditation, then that is an attack on our Charter Rights and Freedoms which state that everyone has the fundamental freedom of conscience and religion. As a public educator and a person of faith, I strongly believe that we are created in the image of God, after His likeness, and therefore have transcendent, intrinsic worth, and as a result of that belief, I am compelled to treat each person with whom I interact with love, value, and worth, regardless of their own personal beliefs. To suggest that my philosophy of belief based on my Christian faith is “unwelcoming, uncaring, or disrespectful” is not only false but simply unacceptable. It is unfortunate that there are those in the provincial government that need to be reminded that those who follow the tenets of Christianity are not the enemy, and should not be treated as such. Scott Raible Medicine Hat 6-5
As one who believes in separation of religion and state, I would hope for all educational institutions to be secular one day. Students interested in the study of world religions could have the option to study them. Religious belief carries no guarantee of respect for the intrinsic worth of fellow human beings. Rather, I would suggest it carries more judgement and contempt for others who do not fit within the narrow parameters of most traditional belief systems. Throughout our history religion has been responsible for an estimated 16-36 million deaths. I could go on to list its other transgressions regarding institutional abuse, discrimination, misogyny etc, but my point is made.
I should have said, Christianity, not religion is responsible for those deaths, if the total was attributed to all religions the totals would be much greater.
I’m still baffled and disturbed that in 2018 my tax dollars are still funding the teaching of mystical wizards, people with wings, and other nonsense. All faith based teaching should be through private schools only, and not subject to government funding, in the interests of separating church and state. If you want your kids to become adults that still believe in Santa, go for it, just don’t make me pay for it.