We must reject religious fundamentalism in Quebec and Canada

We must reject religious fundamentalism

in Quebec and Canada

Jewish holidays of RoshHashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot approchent- they are celebrated here for more than 250 years - and with them for hours with family and friends, with shared nice meal . As long hours in the synagogue. In fact, for the majority of Jews, these holidays are the only time of year when they set foot in a synagogue.

Richard Marceau

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

In other words, these religious festivals take place in full 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 by employees the public and broader public sector. In addition, some votes went to suggest that we squarely hunting any religious manifestation of public space. (!) Thank you God, Quebec does not seem to go in that directionreligion:.

Freedom of  A fundamental freedom

Beyond the ridiculous to the establishment of a police ostentatious religious symbols in government departments ("Excuseme madam, your crucifix is a quarter of an inch too big, you must remove it or buy a smaller, otherwise you will be reprimanded"),this debate affects the question morefundamentalof the place of religion in a society.In other words, take a moment to reflect on the broader issue than the wearing of religious symbols.

Not only freedom of religion, it is considered one of the most important freedoms in Quebec, Canada and the World - 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., it is thus considered because religion can and should be a positiveme.?:

Wars religions for thousands of years

not misunderstand  I do not say that a person agnostic or atheist is worse, less moral than religious person. Or that religion, when perverted, can not become a problem.

But this is true for any idea. Nationalism is in itself something good. But excessive nationalism that becomes exclusive, xenophobic or racist, is also bad.

Liberalism is also positive. But pushed to its extreme, to the point that the company is not interested collectively the poor and the have-account, it becomes unhealthy

religion.A force for good

we seem to forget that religion can be a force for good -. if 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 of the Jewish prophets and of Jesus' message of love? Its main white allies were young Jewish supporters of the principle of"TikouneOlam"(obligation to repair the world), withJoshua Abraham  Heschel Rabbi in mind?

A do we forget that the South African Anglican Church led the struggle against apartheid?

A do we forget that the Catholic Church, with John Paul II at 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 the priests, abbots, etc. who have taught generations of Quebecers? At these sisters who have spent their lives in service to others in schools and hospitals?

What about thetoday, father Pops dedicated to the most eras of Montreal Street and serves them, help without judgment but with compassion ( Latin for "to suffer with") and love?

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

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

I think of my  - Secular Franciscan.- Who has spent years volunteering to help Haiti and there has even stayed for more than one year

As for the assertion that religions are to origin of the major conflicts in the world, it is important to remember that the most murderous 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 recently several young accused and convicted of terrorism. Or with the reports Fatrice  of Pierrebourg LaPresse on the Independence Conference to be held soon 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 run society.

Secularism means the state and religion should be separated. Not that the State should promote atheism, or makes of it the basis of any public policy whatsoever.

State Secularism does not mean absence of religion in society. Mean neutrality of theState.;

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

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

Return back to back fundamentalism

we face today to religious fundamentalism and secular fundamentalism.

We must oppose both.

Religious fundamentalists of all faiths would impose their religion (because their religion is the only truth) to all of us to transform 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.).

The secular fundamentalists want to drive any manifestation of religion in the public space and therefore deprive us of the personal, moral and spiritual values ​​that result.

I refuse that lock myself in one of these boxes.

Partisan of the separation of religion and state, I do not want to chase the religious voice of our society. Believer, I do not think the state should promote any belief whatsoever. - Or unbelief

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

Democrat and tied to fundamental freedoms, advocate of respect for the diversity of our society, I want 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