Stoddard Online

Stoddard Online:
There is no doubt about it, Canada is sliding downhill in an accelerated fashion. Why do I say this, you may ask? I say it, because once again, we are allowing special interest groups to feather their own nests.

A prime example is the story which appeared in the April 04, 2006, British Columbia edition of the Globe and Mail newspaper dealing with the distribution of Bibles in public schools.

For more than 60 years, The Gideons have been providing Bibles for students in grade 5 throughout Canada. In more recent years, certain school boards, including Richmond, B.C . send a form home to parents advising them that Bibles are available, and that if they so choose, they may sign the form and return it to the school. The Gideons will then deliver the required amount of Bibles to the school. In my way of thinking, this would appear to be a workable arrangement, between any school board and parent groups. The same offer would apply to other groups who may not want to accept Bibles, but perhaps, offer their own religious teachings or guide books. In this way, the school boards are not promoting any particular belief, but guaranteeing freedom of expression and choice.

There are those who publicly state there is no place in any school system for reference to religious beliefs. Who are these people anyway? Are they being listened to? Are they creating an impact on us by exerting an influence on children at an early age, and thus by doing so, removing any interest that children may have? More importantly, are they supressing freedom of choice?

True, there are many folks out there who have no personal interest in any type of religious beliefs or teachings. It is also true that some folks who were born in Canada make up this number, combined with some new Canadians who have adopted Canada as their new home through immigration.

We should not lose sight of the fact that the Constitution of Canada, and that of the United States as well, were both founded on christian principles. Having said that, and taking it one step further, our Charter Of Rights And Freedoms guarantees all Canadians the right to freedom of expression and choice, and to free speech in general. In other words, we are free to choose and worship whatever our interests dictate, as long as it is of a legal movement.

For those who are advocating the banning of all religious material from our public schools, I suggest it would be worthwhile to obtain a copy of our Charter Of Rights and Freedoms in this country. Over the years, I have personally done exhaustive research on the Charter, and I can find absolutely nothing that would preclude a citizen of this country from actively pursuing their beliefs of choice.

Personally, I applaud those school boards across the country who have attempted to find common ground on this issue by extending the invitation to any religious movement to make their material available to students with parental consent. In my opinion, this decision most definitely falls within the parameters of the right to free speech and expression, as guaranteed by the Charter. Over the years, and having taken part in several forums on this subject, I have heard many new Canadians speak to the fact that they came from a regime where the mere thought of religion was taboo, punishable by the extreme, especially, if they dared speak out against what was dictated to them. Our Charter was a most welcome alternative.

For a few to have the power to dictate the banning of the availability of religious material, it weighs very heavily upon my personal Charter rights. If you choose to not partake of this material, that is your business, but when you advocate the banning of available material, that becomes my business. At that point, you are encroaching upon my Charter Of Rights, and never would I sit idly by and simply watch it happen.

You have heard me speak out on a variety of topics and you have heard me wield criticism, but one thing is certain. True, there are areas where we do not score well, but compared to most other regimes of the planet, on our worst day, we are better off than most others on their best day.

I stress the fact, I am not suggesting that your beliefs should parallel mine. As you are, I am protected by my Charter Of Rights And Freedoms, and thus, it bothers me not, to speak out regarding my beliefs. If I attend a sports facility and make a little noise for a hockey team, I am called a "fan." Is it right that if I choose to attend a place of worship and speak out publicly that I be labelled a "fanatic?"

Lew Stoddard
Posted to site, Friday, April 07, 2006