Posted on 07/20/2004 10:19:38 AM PDT by Grig
Less than one month after their somewhat tattered return to Ottawa, the minority Liberal Government has banned the Canadian Bible Society’s 50-year tradition of distributing the New Testament to new Canadians at citizenship ceremonies.
Gifting new citizens with copies of the Bible is out of sync with Canada’s promotion of multiculturalism.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada claims to be in receipt of complaints from participants at citizenship ceremonies, who feel the Christian sciptures, are being imposed upon them.
The society, already sidelined to setting up tables stacked with commemorative gold Maple-Leaf-embossed Bibles at citizenship ceremonies, deny the charge.
"They say this is about freedom of religion, but the government is actually curtailing freedom of religion," laments Reverend Phyllis Nesbitt, the society’s national director.
In a politically correct environment where the Holy Book is going the way of the unwelcome Cross and Ten Commandments, the society will appeal Ottawa’s Bible ban.
Dating back to the days when Bible-bearing society members welcomed immigrants landing at Halifax Harbor in the 1950s, volunteers have been giving away about 60,000 of the small bibles each year.
Rev. Nesbitt said she received a government-stamped letter last month from Michael Simard, a senior citizenship judge, stating that Canada is a "multicultural nation" in which freedom of religion is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Permitting one type of holy book to be made available at citizenship ceremonies apparently waters down the government’s official message.
No one, least of all the society, knows how many complaints were registered to Ottawa. Privacy rules prevent the government from disclosing to the public at large how many people expressed concerns.
For the Canadian Bible Society, the long road to perdition began in 1998 when it was forbidden to mingle with ceremony participants. Until then, volunteers were able to make presentations during ceremonies and walk freely into crowds of families and well wishers while handing out the books. Next came a government-imposed "agreement" that the society could only give away bibles upon request.
Some 150,000 immigrants, who take the oath of citizenship each year, often attend ceremonies with guests in tow. With crowds like that, Ottawa says it can hardly ensure all faith groups to be present and offer their holy books.
Besides, the citizenship ceremony should not be a venue for promoting specific religious beliefs, says Ottawa.
"Given all the strife in the world, we want to ensure that our citizenship ceremonies are as inclusive as possible," said Maria Iadinardi.
The federal department cannot be seen as supporting one religion over another. "Unlike other countries, our oath does not make people pledge allegiance to any god."
Nor does the Canadian government pledge allegiance to any god.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien refused to allow any reference to the Christian God at commemoration services for the first anniversary of 9/11.
Current Prime Minister Paul Martin, whose mentor and senior advisor Maurice Strong, wants to replace the Ten Commandments with the Earth Charter, was sworn into office Dec. 12 with an Indian smudging ceremony. ---------------------------- Canada Free Press founding editor Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the media. A former Toronto Sun and Kingston Whig Standard columnist, she has also appeared on Newsmax.com, the Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, and World Net Daily. Judi can be reached at: cfp@canadafreepress.com.
I've no doubt there are plenty of moral people out there, just not enough that want to stand up and do something about the rights we've already lost. The meek may inherit the earth, but this country will one day belong to those who are loudest and pushiest and it won't be us.
"Canada = France"
Is that the best you can do? I've asked this in more than one thread, so here it is again ... what will you do if Kerry gets in?
Certainly NOT go to Canada.
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