Apparently I need to move back to Ontario…
… just to slap argue some sense into some people.
Look at this:
Creationism raised as Ont. election issue
TORONTO — Publicly-funded religious schools would be allowed to teach creationism and other theories, says Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory.
Speaking to reporters at the a Jewish day school in Thornhill, Ont., on Wednesday, Mr. Tory defended his plan to bring Jewish, Islamic and other religious schools into the public education system.
“They teach evolution in the Ontario curriculum, but they also could teach the fact to the children that there are other theories that people have out there that are part of some Christian beliefs,” Mr. Tory said at the Kamin Education Centre.
(the article goes on)
Three paragraphs into the article and already there is so much, so wrong.
First of all, there is the underlying basic question of whether or not religiously-based schools should receive government funding at all. This is a sore point in Canada going back to the founding of the country, and in Ontario especially because Bill Davis tossed full public funding to the Catholic schools in the 80s. Since then Supreme Court of Canada and the United Nations Human Rights Committee have found this discriminatory, since it places one religion under the aegis of the government, apparently favouring it over all others. (You can read some of the history here.)
So, you can see where the Conservatives in Ontario are pandering to the other religious groups by promising to provide full public funding to other religious schools, apparently correcting this discrimination.
This is, of course, a ridiculous solution to a real problem. The proper solution to this is to separate religion from government and have NO PUBLIC funding for any religious schools. That’s right, I said it: the separate school system has to go. If religion is important to you, do it at home, don’t expect the government to do it for you.
Now, I’m obviously saying that primarily because I think organized religions are inherently harmful, but even if I weren’t a cocky atheist, there are both philosophical reasons (“separation of church and state” and all the philosophical underpinnings thereof) and pragmatic ones (how do you fairly decide which religions to fund, and where to place the schools? It’s a quagmire) to avoid getting into this business.
Then, there’s Tory’s statement that public funding of religious schools would mean it’s A-OK to put creationism on the curriculum. That’s actually borderline insane: even the Catholic board under the current system is required to teach actual science in science class, and only talk about the creation myths of nomadic desert tribes during “religion class”. If we have to have religious schools under the public aegis (and it should be clear I don’t think we do) there should still be a mandate that the religious aspects don’t get to damage the actual education.
And then, on top of all this, it’s just embarrassing that someone thinks getting the devout onboard with public money, while presumably losing the liberals and the fiscal conservatives, is a successful election strategy in Canada. I mean this isn’t Jesusland, right?
Onyx
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Kevin
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September 6th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Yup, that sums it up nicely. The best part is, as you pointed out above, it is basically legally impossible for us to NOT fund Chatholic schools. I think it would have been preferable to just let Quebec walk.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Note that historical considerations aside, Quebec got rid of religious schools and moved to a single secular board something like ten years ago.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
I agree with you completely. The only fair solution is to eliminate Catholic school funding. Other than that, I can live with the status quo for now. I made some more points about this on my blog. Check it out.
November 29th, 2007 at 12:48 am
[...] expect this kind of stuff in Jesusland, but not here. Just another argument for getting rid of the Separate School board, I’d [...]
March 9th, 2010 at 1:29 am
This is Jesus’ land you big dope! Bacteria mutates but it’s still bacteria. Ape’s have baby apes, but their still apes. Humans reproduce…but believe it or not their still human! If you want to live your life believing in something because it’s the only thing you’ve found that slighty comforts you, go right ahead. A heart problem can’t be solved with your head. Science totally contradicts itself and one day you will hear the truth to all these theory’s. I’m sorry people have hurt you, but look around at Jesus’s land…how can there not be a God? There is. He’s been only good to me. You should let Him be your friend. It’s strange that there’s people like me that believe in something so un-proved. BUT, His evidence is all around us. Im not some religious freak (’cause i know that’s what your thinking), but I have experienced a love deeper than most exerience in a life time. Like you, I’ve been hurt by people and the crappy stuff in this world, but unlike you, i haven’t searched the world for meaningless answers. I know the Truth, and the Truth has set me free…from all hurt. “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth…” The book of Genesis goes on to talk about God’s greatest creation-man. He didn’t make monkeys ’til later on
Why complicate things? Why live in defence when there’s a whole other game that’s a lot more fun? GOD IS ONLY GOOD. You make him suck in your mind. I’m sick of defending my faith in Jesus Christ, so i’ve decided to stop. I will not walk around ashamed with my tail in between my legs, but people need to know the TRUTH! You need to know the Truth. You too can be set free. People think God is unforgiving and condeming, but what He offers is free. He wants to GIVE you His love. Right now, today, without any cost. All it takes is saying yes. Saying yes to a life that’s full of adventure, laughter, and radical love.