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There have been two recent Canadian MPs who have made comments regarding the so called 'charter of rights and freedoms' and Canadian values by Canadian MPs that have me a bit concerned. First was by Chong (who is a Christian Conservative). On twitter he has said, "This was an attack on real Canadian values enshrined in the Charter." He has also made similar comments in debates indicating that the Charter essentially defines Canadian values (although he has made additional comments indicating that supporting an entirely public health care system is a Canadian value). Second was by Omar Alghabra (Muslim Liberal), who tweeted: Both have a clear message. Canadian values = Charter. The implication is pretty clear. Those that do not agree with our charter are unCanadian. There are many problems with this, but the one I wanted to highlight in this thread is the preamble to the Charter: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God." So if the charter defines Canadian values, and the charter contains recognition of the supremacy (and implicitly existence) of God, then recognition of the supremacy of God is a Canadian value. And given that atheists do not recognize the supremacy of god, they do not agree with this Canadian value and are therefore unCanadian. So what message does that send (from Chong and Alghabra)? That atheists don't belong here? That atheists are unwelcome? Because it clearly sends the message that atheists are unCanadian. We already have so many violations of secularism in Canada, from God in our national anthem (cross in the French version), to God in the preamble, to Catholic School Systems like in Ontario, to the crucifix in the Quebec national assembly, to funding of mosques using infrastructure spending, to funding of religious Champlains. Yet now we are adding this kind of rhetoric from theist MPs from our two largest parties? In addition we have M103, which condemns islamophobia, a term which arguably includes the victims of the Charlie Hebdo massacre (where atheists like Stephane Charbonnier where killed for drawing cartoons), or the actions of Bill Maher (also an atheist). And also given that Alexandre Bissonette liked Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens on facebook, there is a good change that he is an atheist, and thus there is the potential for the LPC to push an anti-islamophobia motion that targets atheists in a form of a backlash against the actions of Bissonette. Thoughts?
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This weekend I had the opportunity to attend an atheism/skepticism/reason conference in the Southern US. I attend many work related conferences as both an exhibitor and delegate, so I expected a similar experience. However, this event felt more like a family reunion than a meeting of strangers. The most diverse group of people I have ever witnessed in one place, (in terms of age, race, sexual orientation, employment and gender) freely mingled and chatted openly, honestly and in an incredibly congenial manner on all topics both personal and public. The conference was full of outstanding speakers on a wide range of topics but that aspect almost paled in comparison to the countless conversations I had. From these talks I learned how easy it is for me to be an atheist and how painfully hard it can be for those from strong religious families or in the US South in general. I spoke with countless Americans that have lost their jobs solely because they were not Christian. I listened to other heart wrenching stories of people that were ostracized by their family and social groups for simply stating that something is wrong with their belief system. Being an open atheist can be such a painful process for so many, especially in the South, that hotlines and groups of trained listeners exist to help provide support, prevent suicides and really just let people know they are not alone. http://recoveringfromreligion.org/It's amazing how many atheists are posing as believers just to avoid the pain of starting over socially. The biggest opposition I have ever experienced as an atheist was the fact that my wife didn't want her parents' hardcore Baptist friends to know the nature of the conference I was attending. Coming out as an atheist is often more contentious than any other declaration. Though it can be far more difficult to proclaim one's homosexuality, nobody considers that to be a value judgement on heterosexuals. However, stating that I am an atheist is an automatic, unspoken declaration that I think theistic beliefs are fake and ridiculous. Has anyone had or known someone that has had a noteworthy experience when leaving religion behind? Or would anyone have a problem if a son, daughter, spouse or any other family member or friend decided to tell you that they have lost faith in faith?
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