In my nearly three years at The Mississauga News, I have never received as much mail as I have this weekend, about a story that was published Friday. The story was about the fair representation of Christianity in public schools.
I'm afraid I can't find the article on our website, but it was in the newspaper on Friday, back on page six. I'll paste it here:
Trustee wants more Christianity in schools
Peel District School Board trustee Don Stephens wants to know why Christianity isn't getting fair play at local public schools.
Stephens, who represents Mississauga's Ward 2, asked staff at a recent Board meeting to look into what he believes is a lack of representation of the Christian faith during Christian holidays.
"Although this Board has taken significant steps to recognize the various faiths of students in this regin, there is a gap across numerous schools in regard to the major religion of Canada, which is the Chrsitian faith," said Stephens.
He added that in the lead-up to this past Christmas, there was little evidence of the holiday beyond the secular interpretation, featuring Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.
"At a number of schools there was minimal, or a total neglect, in representing the Christian faith," he said.
Stephens then asked what steps the administration had taken "to ensure that schools understand and represent Christianity in a balanced and fair manner in the schools."
Following the meeting, Stephens told The News that he had received calls from half-a-dozen concerned parents. He also saw evidence of a trend during his own visits to schools in his ward, and at his son's school.
While the schools celebrate Diwali and Hanukkah and teach all students about the holidays of other faiths, Christianity gets little push from teachers, said Stephens.
Staff is looking into the matter and will respond at an upcoming board meeting.
All the emails I've received on this story are sane. That might not seem surprising, but, trust me, it is. When a reporter writes about religion, the nutcases come out of the woodwork, many of them blatantly racist.
Not this week, though.
It might have something to do with the tone Stephens has taken in explaining his concern. He's not blaming anyone, and he's not saying that there is a plot to suppress Christianity. He's just saying that there isn't enough representation of the Christian faith in schools.
I don't know if what he says is right or not, but I appreciate how he's saying it, and I appreciate the sanity of the emails.
There is only one thing I don't like about the argument.
When Stephens presented his concern at a school board meeting earlier this month, he said, "...there is a gap across numerous schools in regard to the major religion of Canada, which is the Christian faith."
He is correct; the main religion across the country remains Christianity. But he didn't need to mention it. The fact that it is a religion is enough of an argument. The numbers supporting the religion shouldn't matter.
One reader wrote: "This country was founded on the principals (sic) of the Christian Faith (sic) and I believe we are doing all our children a great disservice by not including this teaching in our schools."
The reader is correct. Christian principles were part of the country when Canada became Canada. Countries evolve, though, as they should. Canada is no longer a Christian country, though more citizens self-identify as Christians than they do as followers of any other religion. Today it is a country based on the tenets of common sense and enlightened self-interest. I'm not a religious scholar, but it's also worth noting that the rules of all religions I know of appear to be based on common sense and enlightened self-interest. The world would be a better place if religious leaders and their followers would follow those rules (has anyone ever mentioned to George W. Bush that 'thou shalt not kill' is a commandment?).
The debate initiated by Stephens is a fair debate to have, and if the Christian faith isn't getting the respect other faiths are getting, the problem should be remedied. But there's no need to talk about Christianity being the dominant faith in Canada, and there's definitely no need to talk about Canada as a Christian country.
Comments (3)
Mr. MacBride,
I take great exception to your last sentence in this article...There is TO, DEFINITELY a need to talk about Canada as a Christian country and founded on those principles, as it should INDEED continue to be. In letting in so many immigrants over the years, they need to adopt to OUR land - NOT the other way around Mr. Macbride.
Give you head a shake man!
D. Rowlison
Posted by D. Rowlison | January 23, 2008 9:27 AM
Posted on January 23, 2008 09:27
Every time I talk to a Scottish toolmaker or skills trades person, they 're usually home ward bound to Scotland because they were misled by migrants controlling our civil service.
They've misused the religion factor to exploit cheap labor that only back fired on John Tory, who thought I was an immigrant because I'm from Mississauga.
The irony is that Colin Powell origonally came up with the misleading strategy to jam the Iraqi radar while Mike Harris had adopted it to cover over our vital statistics that killed his own Progressives dropped from the Conservative party.
Posted by Wayne Nagy | January 24, 2008 9:36 AM
Posted on January 24, 2008 09:36
I have to agree with most of what is said in how Canada WAS brought up on christian values, but that is just the thing it WAS, I'm not saying that christian values are a bad thing to live by. The thing is in almost every single religion the base lines are all the same. Imaigrants are not scapegoats and by blaming them for our country not being as "christian" is rediculous.
No matter what faith you are it comes out to the same thing. As well as we have evolved past what we were. we have grown to ACCEPT anybody no matter what ethnicity, sex, hight, or anything especially religion.
We are known now have a MULTI CULTURAL identity, and by putting religion in our public schools we are alienating the majority of our country. I have been doing a reseach papers and upon one of my finds from a recent article it says around 44% of canada is chrisian. so if we put this into our public schools we are alienating the other 56% of Canada.
Not only that but if People really do have as big of a problem that the "Chrisian Values" should be taught in schools, there is something important to remember. There are schools based upon religions, private schools that still do the lords prayer in the morning. So all in all the public schools should be left as are if people really do have problems with public shcools not being "christian" enough, go to a private school, if not stop complaining.
Religion is not as big of a deal for public shchools right now there are much much more important things. Like school funding, if children are getting food, have a place to sleep, are learning, want to do good in school, violence. These are only a few things that are much more important that if the Values are good enough or not. The Values are basically the EXACT SAME as they were before. The differince is that instead fo them being called "Christian Values" they are only known as "Values". With it being brought down to the bear basics and us not deciding whos values they are becuse they are EVERYBODIES VALUES. No matter who you may be your values should be the same.
Keep in mind the more important things that are going on, perhaps the well being of ALL students and not just your own becuase the students ARE OUR future, the big thing is students not just one but all of them, plural. No matter how they come out or no matter what they may become they are the future and by letting them fight over somethign like their Beliefs is somethign that shoudl not be brought up. Our Beliefs may be different, but our Values are all the same. Now waht is more important, we can all agree you beliefs are important, but our beliefs are based upon our Values. Stop thinking of it as your values, be it Christian Values, Jewish Values, Native Values, or whatever YOUR value may be, and start thinking of it as OUR VALUES, the values of everybody, the values of living, and those values, OUR VALUES, are already being taught in our schools.
I'm Sorry if I offended anyone but lets think of the more important issues at hand. Also i know there will be alot of typos, I am not a writer. Thank you.
Tyler MMMMM
Posted by Tyler MMMMM | March 3, 2008 7:08 PM
Posted on March 3, 2008 19:08