Opinion: With the values charter, religion would go public

"Religion as a private component of life is a modern phenomenon. It is a repercussion of the 18th-century movement referred to as the Enlightenment that championed the radical freedom of individual thought: each person was encouraged to judge for himself or herself how to behave. This led to the development of a political philosophy that encouraged the separation of church and state.
And the state ought to be neutral in matters of religion.
But the approach that the Quebec government proposes to use to enforce state neutrality, through the implementation of the values charter, is not progressive. Rather than forcing the removal of religious symbols from the buildings in which governmental business is done, the charter would undermine the freedom of individuals. This is a regressive approach: individuals would be forced to conform to a set of governmental stipulations as a test of loyalty."

Read the entire column from the Montreal Gazette by clicking on the link below: 



Opinion: With the values charter, religion would go public