Here is an good article about what is happening in Ontario with regards to our religious freedoms.
Please read and let me know what you think.
There's a line for religion in public arena
By BRIAN MACLEOD
As religious issues increasingly creep into the political realm, the temperature of the debate is rising.
Given the changing demographics of the Canadian population, new lines are being drawn on religious tolerance--or in some cases, intolerance--but with each line, comes a new controversy.
Christmas, in particular, finds some public officials twisting themselves into knots trying not to address the religious aspect of the season, often after some misguided soul renames the decorated Scotch pine a "holiday tree."
There is nothing wrong with displaying festive symbols signifying a certain religious group is celebrating a special occasion. Erecting a Christmas tree in city hall, setting up a menorah in the school cafeteria or placing a display of lanterns in a public building's foyer isn't spreading the word of a religious group, or subjecting others to their teachings. It's just drawing attention to the fact that it's an important time of year for a religious community.
But that's where the line should be drawn. Several public school boards have undergone
painful debates recently over whether to continue to allow the Gideons to distribute New Testaments in schools to Grade 5 students whose parents sign permission slips.
This is a 60-year tradition that should end. Schools shouldn't be used to hand out religious teachings. Bluewater District School Board trustees dealt with many nasty e-mails and phone calls before they voted to end the practice this week. It was just as bad in Waterloo in June when a resident asked to be able to hand out the Qur'an to students. Waterloo Region District School Board chair Kathleen Woodcock said the reaction from the community to allowing non-Christian religious groups to distribute materials in schools was "disturbing."
Another line some religious organizations don't want to cross is the province's pending legislation that would force publicly funded school boards to allow students to set up gay after-school clubs. Since homosexuality is not accepted by Catholic teaching, some say this is forcing Catholics to act against their faith.
But the Catholic boards will have to live with it, and so will private religious schools that rent space in public schools.
The Dalton McGuinty government introduced the Accepting Schools Act after the suicide deaths of two gay teens highlighted the issue. Gays aren't the only ones bullied in schools, but a recent Statistics Canada report shows they are targeted by hate crimes more than any other group.
The Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association says gays should be respected, but Catholic teaching is that homosexuality is a sin. Since these school clubs don't have to be called gay-straight alliances, Catholic schools will call them Respecting Difference groups, in which gays or any others can join, but members should not be engaged in political activism.
Whether this clashes with the legislation, which says such groups should promote "awareness, understanding and respect for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities," remains to be seen.
The bill aims to "encourage a positive school climate and prevent inappropriate behaviour, including bullying, sexual assault, gender-based violence and incidents based on homophobia."
Some religious officials resent the emphasis on gender-based bullying or use of the term "homophobia." But pretending that gays aren't singled out is to defy reality. Ask the students.
The legislation doesn't target religious schools; it targets bullying, and stresses the reality of bullying against gays.
Once the bill is passed, it will be a reality religious schools must address.
