“What does it profit a man to gain the world and loose his soul”
While it is difficult to confirm the loss of one’s soul, it is somewhat easier to verify the loss of one’s nation— or rather, to verify the demise of a nation’s defining characteristics. Like all countries, Canada was built upon a foundation of political principles—for example, democratic process, civil rights, and our judicial system.
A commonality among these nation-building principles is that they are rooted in western political ideology—for example, our democratic process has its roots in Britain’s parliamentary system, and going much further back, in Greek and Roman political philosophy.
The same can be said for Canada’s religious traditions. From an historical perspective, Christianity has been our country’s primary religious institution, as well as the religious faith which has most influenced Canadian society.
In 1988, Multicultural policy was entrenched in the Canadian constitution. Since that time, it is reasonable to state that Christian tradition has been on a downward trajectory. To be even more forthright, it is arguable that official multiculturalism has been used as a tool for the marginalization of Christian religion in Canada. Indeed, the proponents of this development may not have “gained the world,” but they are well on their way to gaining the “soul of our nation.”
Take the curious topic of religion within our public school system. Recently, the Supreme Court of Canada passed a motion to ban the Lord’s Prayer— a cornerstone of Christianity— from our public schools. Presumably, this was not implemented for punitive reasons, but rather to create a scholastic environment devoid of any form of religious influence. In light of Canada’s adherence to the separation of “church and state,” this appears reasonable— yet what is not reasonable is that at present, dozens of Canadian schools are accommodating the wishes of Muslim parents by offering Islamic religious services on school premises.
What conclusion can we draw from this? One thought is that the situation reveals an incredible double-standard—one which is rationalized by way of Canada’s official policy of multiculturalism.
Nothing exemplifies Canada’s religious celebrations more than the holiday of Christmas. Here again, we find an example of an impediment toward the Christian faith. In politically correct fashion, Canadians have been instructed that wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” is no longer in fashion— “Happy Holidays” only, please.
These developments are all the more questionable when considering that Canada is presently experiencing exponential growth in the area of “non-traditional” religion. The Islamic festival of Ramadan is making headway throughout our society, so much so that our Prime Minister recently held Ramadan celebrations at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. New mosques, some of which receive government funding, are appearing at a rapid pace throughout our urban centres, as well as in smaller rural communities.
Presently, Canada’s Muslim community comprises 3.2% of our overall population. Canadians of Christian heritage comprise approximately 82% of our population. One does not have to be Stephen Hawking to recognize that something is not adding up here—namely, that the religious affiliation of the majority of Canadians is becoming marginalized, while the religious rights of a small fragment of Canadian society are being upheld as a symbol of multicultural righteousness. Interestingly, it is not Muslim community leaders who are necessarily the most influential parties in these developments.
Rather, it is a loose affiliation of organizations— non-profit multicultural groups, “identity” politicians, as well as university professors and civil rights lawyers, who are leading the charge. Collectively known as “Multicult Canada”— these forces are every bit as influential as the Muslim communities themselves. In fact, their influence is so profound they are transforming our society in a manner unprecedented in the history of our nation.
Armed with the Multicultural Act of Canada(1988), as well as the Pierre Trudeau-penned Charter of Rights and Freedoms(1982), “Multicult” Canada are influencing— perhaps one should say eroding— traditional Canadian identity right before our eyes. To make matters worse, Canadians thus far have been unaware of what is actually occurring.
As usual, it is money—or funding— which is playing a vital role. Multicultural policy mandates that our tax payer dollars be given to so-called “minority” communities for the promotion of their culture, language and holidays. This funding, estimated to be over a billion dollars within the past two decades, enables these communities to fund their religious institutions— Islamic mosques, Sikh temples, as well as related religious holidays and events.
An interesting example is the $50 million dollar mosque currently being built in Fort MacMurray, Alberta. Just how many of our tax payer dollars are being provided for grooming the mosque’s expansive lawns and gardens, we do not know. What we do know is that according to the mosque’s own public messaging, the project is also being funded by the Kuwaiti government.
Let’s get this straight. If Canadian tax payer dollars are being provided for the project, this means that Canadians, together with the government of Kuwait, are funding the Fort MacMurray mosque. Naturally, Fort MacMurray City Council deny that tax payer dollars are involved. In this particular instance, maybe yes, and maybe no, however this does not circumvent the fact that Canadian tax payers are footing the bill for many projects of this nature.
Up to this point, the funding has been justified by the idea that Canada’s “minority communities” deserve this money to gain a measure of equality with Canada’s dominant community- the white community. Frankly, this is one of the biggest fallacies in the history of ethnic relations in Canada.
If a Moslem community in a northern Canadian town can afford to build a $50 million dollar mosque, complete with lavish landscaping funded by oil-rich Kuwait, why on earth are Canadians providing additional funding through our tax dollars? Furthermore, when taking into account Canada’s history of immigration over the past four decades, these so-called “minorities” are no longer minorities at all. Yet, they continue to receive millions our tax dollars for their cultural and religious promotions.
Meanwhile, a condemnation of Christian religious symbols continues— for example, the removal of crosses from a number of our government institutions. Fair? Equitable? Not on your life. Our courts, legal industry, civil libertarians and other Charter of Rights activists continue to call for the impediment of Christian traditions within our society, while at the same time fighting for the rights of religious fundamentalists who want to hide their identity during their citizenship oath.
Indeed, this is where multiculturalism has brought our society since its inception a mere twenty-six years ago. These hypocrisies and double-standards— justified by way of a multicultural policy never endorsed or approved of by the Canadian public—are contributing to the erosion our national identity, culture, and religious traditions. Clearly, the time has come to level the playing field, and repeal the Multicultural Act of Canada. — Brad Salzberg, June 2015