cmotherofpirl Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Religions Must Conform to Canadian 'Charter Values' or Lose Charitable Status says Influential Prof Condemns Catholic Church discrimination of refusing to ordain women as priestesses By Hilary White TORONTO, February 1, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A political scientist at the University of Toronto has argued that as Canadian “Charter values” and Christian values drift further apart, churches should either adhere to and promote the state ideology, or lose the financial support they enjoy through their tax-free status. In her article, “Living Better Multiculturally: Whose values should prevail?” published in the Fall 2006 edition of the Literary Review of Canada, Janice Gross Stein equates “Canadian values” with “Charter values,” in other words, those formulated and championed by the Liberal party of Canada after Pierre Trudeau’s leftist revolution. Stein is a prominent political scientist and director of the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Affairs, a member of the Order of Canada and a recognized expert in Middle Eastern conflicts. Deborah Gyapong reported in Canadian Catholic News that Stein proposed traditional religious groups essentially must either abandon any religious beliefs that conflict with the ideologies of the state, notably that of radical feminism, or cease to make any claims to special financial considerations for their charitable, non-profit works for the community. “If religious institutions are able to raise funds more easily because governments give a tax benefit to those who contribute, are religious practices against women a matter only for religious law, as is currently the case under Canadian law, which protects freedom of religion, or should the values of the Charter and of human rights commissions across Canada have some application when religious institutions are officially recognized and advantaged in fundraising?” Stein writes of what she calls a “resurgence of orthodoxy in Christianity, Islam and Judaism,” as a threat to the peaceful coexistence of various cultures in Canada’s urban centres. This orthodoxy, she claims, “is sharpening lines of division between ‘them’ and ‘us’.” “Where we are reluctant to go,” she writes, “is the conflict between the universal human rights that we treasure and different religious and cultural traditions. One obvious fault line – one that we tiptoe around – is the rights of women in different religious and cultural traditions in our midst.” “These religious institutions that systemically discriminate against women are recognized, at least implicitly, by governments. They enjoy special tax privileges given to them by governments.” Stein, a Jew who practices her faith at an “egalitarian” congregation in Toronto, gives the example of the Catholic Church’s teaching that only men have vocations to the priesthood. “Does it matter that the Catholic Church, which has special entitlements given to it by the state and benefits from its charitable tax status, refuses to ordain women as priests?” “How can we in Canada, in the name of religious freedom, continue furtively and silently to sanction discriminatory practices?” Gwen Landoldt, a lawyer and vice president of REAL Women of Canada responded that Stein’s case falls apart at her assumption that all Canadians adhere to the “Charter values” of the extreme left. “Religious practices discriminate against women? What women?” Landoldt said. “It’s only radical feminists who feel that Christian practices are against women. That doesn’t represent all Canadian women’s views because we don’t share her common point of ideology.” “And as for charitable tax status, who does more charitable work in this country than the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army?” Landolt continued that the Stein article represented a serious escalation in the anti-religious rhetoric prevalent in Canada and promoted as an ideology through Human Rights Tribunal cases. “We are right at the periphery of perhaps the most serious issue we have faced. All the things that we have had in the past, abortion and same sex marriage, are closing in around the freedom of the Churches. This is a gauntlet that has been thrown down,” Landoldt said. Landoldt said it speaks directly to the role of religion in public life. “The role of religion is the advancement of religious faith, so that the goodness and graces of belief can be brought to everyone... Religion’s role in the public sphere is to teach people good public behavior." Stein’s point is not shared by all in academia either. Gyapong quotes Daniel Cere, head of McGill University’s Institute for the Study of Marriage, Law and Culture, who says Stein’s line of thought is “troubling” for it implications for religious freedom. He says this is the first time a public intellectual has openly advocated forcing religious bodies to conform their inner principles to the ideology of the state. Constitutional lawyer Peter Lauwers said that Stein’s assumption is that all citizens will eventually conform internally to a uniform state ideology, “a brave new world in the future where we all think the same.” Although the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of religion in its second section, Lauwers says adherence to Stein’s portrait of a future Canada, would essentially abrogate the Charter-guaranteed right of religious bodies freely to believe and act according to their beliefs. Read a shortened version of Stein’s essay: [url="http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/07winter/stein.asp"]http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/07winter/stein.asp[/url] Cotler Revealingly Praises “Constitutional Revolution” Caused by the Canadian Charter of Rights [url="http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05020113.html"]http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05020113.html[/url] Lawyer Says Canada’s Charter to Blame for Today’s Social Liberalism [url="http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06033101.html"]http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06033101.html[/url] Winnipeg’s Museum For Human Rights: Canada’s $300 Million Temple of Ideology [url="http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/050701a.html"]http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/050701a.html[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prose Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 My country is falling apart around me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Remind me never to take one of Dr. Stein's courses. Seriously. This professor can expect her comments to be forwarded to ALL religious groups on campus within the next couple of days. I'm already on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mroger Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 I'm sorry for that. You can always move to Texas where it's warm and cozy. We have things "like" beaches and "like" mountains. But we also have "near" deserts and "almost" plains. There is nearly something like the Grand Canyon, they're just smaller canyons and lots of them. Many, many caves and underground dwellings for whoever I guess. The caves go all the way to Arizona. The Texas Hill Country is absolutely beautiful. Austin is weird. Houston is HUGE. Dallas is big city, and Fort Worth is big country. The Cajuns live in SE Texas near Louisiana. Don't forget we have the Alamo and San Jac!! The biggest party beach in the US is in South Padre Island. Mexico is barely a hop, skip and a jump away! And there are Casinos in every bordering state! Best of all - you'll be a Texian and a Catholic in peace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groo the Wanderer Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 [quote name='geistesswiesenschaften' post='1183341' date='Feb 2 2007, 05:23 PM'] I'm sorry for that. You can always move to Texas where it's warm and cozy. We have things "like" beaches and "like" mountains. But we also have "near" deserts and "almost" plains. There is nearly something like the Grand Canyon, they're just smaller canyons and lots of them. Many, many caves and underground dwellings for whoever I guess. The caves go all the way to Arizona. The Texas Hill Country is absolutely beautiful. Austin is weird. Houston is HUGE. Dallas is big city, and Fort Worth is big country. The Cajuns live in SE Texas near Louisiana. Don't forget we have the Alamo and San Jac!! The biggest party beach in the US is in South Padre Island. Mexico is barely a hop, skip and a jump away! And there are Casinos in every bordering state! Best of all - you'll be a Texian and a Catholic in peace! [/quote] true dat! ^^ c'mon down prose - I'll save you some nachos and a tequila-based adult beverage, if you are of age...21+ here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissScripture Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 [quote name='prose' post='1183325' date='Feb 2 2007, 05:05 PM'] My country is falling apart around me. [/quote] Prayers for Canada... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prose Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 [quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1183360' date='Feb 2 2007, 04:38 PM'] true dat! ^^ c'mon down prose - I'll save you some nachos and a tequila-based adult beverage, if you are of age...21+ here [/quote] Yeah, I definitely think that I am 21+ Sounds great!! Pack the bags kids!! We're heading south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thy Geekdom Come Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 A signpost to help Canada along the way: Everything you could ever hope for ---------> <---------Total Apostasy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJRod55 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 We see 'Government' imposing 'their' values all around the world. The rationale is to be 'politically correct', to 'offend no one' yet in so doing we move rapidly from our root values and what 'made us' as a country 'who we are today.' Governments should stick to administering the country and leave individual values and beliefs alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Punk Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Just like the patient who refuses treatment. The Church is not the poison but the antidode. These people piss me off so much, there seems to be an over abundance of this mentallity among the so called learned in Canadian universities today. They are those who have been poisoned spreading their poison to others. The only antidode to this is that we must love them in return. Just as the early Church was persecuted and martyred we too much go through this persecution and martyrdom. Only ours isnt of physical means, but spiritual martyrdom. We must die daily to the evils that surround us in our society. If they chose to deny any funding so be it. Perhaps it will shake things us and wake up some of the sleeping Catholics here. God is pruning his Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starets Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I have some financial matters to attend to first. Once I do that then I too plan to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akalyte Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I smell Commie-ism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 [quote name='Church Punk' post='1183691' date='Feb 3 2007, 08:59 AM'] The only antidode to this is that we must love them in return. Just as the early Church was persecuted and martyred we too much go through this persecution and martyrdom. Only ours isnt of physical means, but spiritual martyrdom. We must die daily to the evils that surround us in our society. If they chose to deny any funding so be it. Perhaps it will shake things us and wake up some of the sleeping Catholics here. God is pruning his Church. [/quote] Wow. Well said! Although I wouldn't rule out direct persecution and martyrdom. I predict that within the next 100 years in Canada and in Europe (and possibily the United States), we will be seeing faithful Christians going to prison and worse for their beliefs. The golden age of Christendom is well over. The time is beginning now when we will see who the true Christians are, because it isn't easy anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted February 3, 2007 Author Share Posted February 3, 2007 [quote name='Nathan' post='1183726' date='Feb 3 2007, 10:35 AM'] Wow. Well said! Although I wouldn't rule out direct persecution and martyrdom. I predict that within the next 100 years in Canada and in Europe (and possibily the United States), we will be seeing faithful Christians going to prison and worse for their beliefs. The golden age of Christendom is well over. The time is beginning now when we will see who the true Christians are, because it isn't easy anymore. [/quote] I doubt it will take 100 years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 (edited) You're probably right. In our times -- what Marshall McLuhan called the "global village" -- history moves much quicker than it used to. Edited February 3, 2007 by Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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