We must reject religious fundamentalism in Québec and Canada

We must reject religious fundamentalism

in Quebec and Canada

Jewish holidays of RoshHashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot approchent- they are celebrated here for over 250 years - and with them for hours with family and friends, shared meals with friendly . As well as long hours in the synagogue. In fact, for most Jews,the holidays are the only time of year when they set foot in a synagogue.

Richard Marceau

This year, the festivities will take place in Quebec with in frame funds, the debate on Draftof Charter  Quebecvalues.

In other words, these religious festivals take place in the open debate on the place of religion in our society.

It is now known that the government of Pauline Marois wants to ban all religious symbols from employees the public and broader public sector. In addition, some votes went as far as proposing that any religious manifestation of public space is downright hunting. (!) Thank you god, Quebec does not seem to go in that directionreligion.

Freedom of  Fundamental freedom

Beyond ridiculous to create a font conspicuous religious symbols in government departments ("Excuseme madam, your crucifix is a quarter of an inch too big, you have to remove it or buy a smaller, otherwise you will be reprimanded"),this debate affects the question morefundamentalof the place of religion in asociety. given  In other words, let's take a moment to reflect on the wider than the display of religious symbols.issue

Not only freedom of religion is it considered one of the most important freedoms in Quebec, Canada and in theworld - art. 3 of the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ss. 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ss. 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, art. 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, etc., is well regarded because religion can and should be a positiveme.?:

Wars religions for thousands of years

misunderstand  I'm not saying that a person agnostic or atheist is poorer, less moral a person a believer. Or that religion, when misguided, can become a problem.

But this is true for any idea. Nationalism is in itself something good. But the extreme nationalism that becomes exclusive, xenophobic or racist, is just as bad.

Liberalism is also positive. But pushed to the extreme, to the point that society collectively lost interest in the poor and have-account, it becomes unhealthy

religion.Force for good

seems to forget is that religion can be a force for good -. though it does not match thepolitical power

Ado we forget that it was the British evangelicals who pushed for the abolition of slavery? Than their American counterparts were in the front row of the same struggle in the United States?

We mark these days the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington Martin Luther King for the defense of American civil rights. A do we forget that King was a Baptist minister who drew inspiration from the Jewish prophets and Jesus' message of love? Its main white allies were young Jewish supporters of the principle of"TikouneOlam"(obligation to repair the world), with RabbiJoshua Abraham Heschel in mind?

A does one forget that the South African Anglican Church led the struggle against apartheid?

A does one forget that the Catholic Church with Pope John Paul II as its head, has greatly contributed to the fall of communism, first in Poland and throughout Europe?

More Closer to home, we are ready to remove all priests, abbots, etc. who taught generations of Quebecers? For those sisters who have spent their lives in service to others in schools and hospitals

Whatabout today FatherPops, devoted to more eras of the Montreal street and serving them the help without judgment but with compassion ( Latin for "to suffer with") and love?

What about theArmy Hi (Protestant) who collects money and goods for the poor? Same for the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic side.

I think the last rabbi of a large synagogue came to Montreal, RabbiLisa Grushcow Emmanu Temple Beth-El-Sholom, lesbian woman and defending the rights of the homosexual community. The last rabbi arrived in Ottawa - which also serves the small community of Gatineau - called ElizabethBolton.It is also a lesbian woman-.

I think of my father Secular Franciscan -. Has spent years volunteering to help Haiti and even stayed there for over a year

As for the claim that religions are to origin of the main conflicts in the world, it is important to remember that the most deadly ideologies of the twentieth century (Nazism and Communism) caused over 100 million deaths and were anti-religious.

Fundamentalist

Religious fundamentalism is a problem of course, mainly in non-democratic societies in theworld. Arab-Muslim

Niqab Freedom woman

Islamism is also a problem here in Canada. We saw it with stops lately several youth charged and found guilty of terrorism. Or with reports of Fatrice Pierrebourg of LaPresse on Independence conference soon to be held at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal.

Other religions are also affected by fundamentalism. Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism have their radicals.

It is also developing an intolerant secularism, distorted, far from its original meaning, a secularism that claims to be the only way, the only way to society.function

Secularismmeans that state and religion should be separated. Not that the state governments to promote atheism, or makes of it the basis of any public policy

whatsoever.'sSecular state does not mean absence of religion in society. It means neutrality of thestate.;

state,in other words, secularism is a duty of the  it is not a constraint imposed on citizens of the state by the latter. Including employees of the latter.

Secularism is not synonymous with atheism. And she's not hunting religious phenomenon as some voices suggest, even asking the complete ban on the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in public.

Returning back to back fundamentalisms

we are facing today to religious fundamentalism and secular fundamentalism.

We must oppose both.

Religious fundamentalists of all faiths want to impose their religion (because their religion is the only truth) of all of us to turn our democracy into a kind of theocracy whose power would not be in the hands of the people, but in the hands of the interpreters of God (priests, imams, pastors, rabbis, etc.).

Secular fundamentalists want to expel any manifestation of religion in the public space and therefore depriving us of the personal, moral and spiritual result.

refuses that I lock myself in one of those boxes.

advocate of separation of church and state, I do not want to chase the religious voices of our society. Believer, I do not think the state should promote any belief whatsoever -. Nor unbelief

not wearing any ostentatious religious sign (outside the synagogue during religious holidays), I oppose that those who are to be excluded from the public service to my state.

Democratic and tied to fundamental freedoms, advocate of respect for the diversity of our society, I hope that these aspects of Quebec are reflected in any legislation that may be adopted by the National Assembly.

Richard Marceau

September 2, 2013

Alain LapriseSeptember 13 2014

http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/richard-marceau/fondamentalisme-religieux-laic_b_3832283.html