freedom from religion must also be guaranteed
By Timothy Friesen Reprinted with permission of the Winnipeg Herald
It’s absurd that the Manitoba Human Rights Commission is getting so much flak for trying to remove Christian exercises from Manitoba classrooms. Classrooms are places for academic learning. Young people are required to be there, by law, and graduation is required to move on to virtually any form of higher learning, at college, university, and even in most entry level jobs. There are plenty of places people can freely practice their religion, voluntarily. But forcing people to attend a public institution and then ramming religion down their throat while they’re there is simply wrong and goes against the very principle of our most cherished charter rights – Freedom of Religion. Before anyone can be free to practice their religion, they must be free from having any other religion forced upon them. In order to be free to be Christian, you must be free from being Muslim. In order to be free to be a Buddhist, you must be free from being Hindu. Freedom of religion requires freedom from religion. Personally, my religion is no religion – which I practice every day. Despite all the good ideas and pleasant sentiments embedded in the world’s sacred texts and oral traditions, religion is primarily a powerful political force. People have been using religion for thousands of years to galvanize empires, foment revolt, and build communities. Some form of religion Has been found in virtually every society and culture. This is because it provided such a powerful, if sometimes blunt, way to coordinate and control people, that those societies that didn’t have it simply didn’t survive. But that was then, and in recent centuries we have developed far more inclusive ways to bind together our communities and build our nations. As a result, many people such as myself are deciding to remove themselves from any kind of religious environment. That is my choice, and I believe the Canadian Charter protects my right to do so. The young people in Winkler’s public schools, along with young people across the province, are at a very impressionable age. The Manitoba Human Rights Commission must continue its efforts to afford them the opportunity to make their own decision about their religion. (Editor’s note: Mr. Friesen sounds like a good prospect for membership in HAM)
