by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com
November 15, 2004
american atheists on the run high-tailing it to Canada, escaping Bush country will find the land of the Maple Leaf atheist heaven.
a group of secular humanists trying to give voice to Canada’s "great, Godless masses" last February won precedent-setting government recognition of humanism’s value to Canadians.
In short, that’s when Revenue Canada expedited a constitutional challenge on the issue to grant the Humanist association of Toronto charitable status as an organization "beneficial to the community as a whole."
This is bound to come as good news for Jeff archer, president of the atheists Coalition of San Diego, who said after Nov. 2, "atheists are now at the bottom of the barrel in a --- society. at least that’s how we feel." (Union Tribune, Nov. 11).
Even better news for San Diego oceanographer and avowed atheist Norman Hall, who told the Tribune: "among our community, a lot of people are saying it’s time to think about moving to Canada."
atheists always recognize a godless society when they see one.
With two successive Liberal Prime Ministers, who disallow the God-word at gatherings like ceremonies marking the anniversary of September 11, Christians are an undeclared minority in multicultural Canada.
For the uninitiated, humanism rejects all notions of God and is the leading alternative to organized religion everywhere.
Revenue Canada and the Canadian government put humanism on the map. Humanists themselves readily admit that their movement was going nowhere without the government because humanism has not always garnered such respect. Originally, the Canadian government had rejected a request for charity designation by the Toronto Humanist group, whose mandate includes performing at weddings and funerals without references to God. Or as humanists put it, "free of supernatural implications".
Humanists don’t view their recent success as random, or as a success brought courtesy of slipping through the cracks. "To us, it’s now quite clear: The promotion of humanism is of benefit to society in the eyes of the federal government," said association spokesman Sheena Sharp.
"For a long time, we’ve felt that we were not at the table, so to speak, when it comes to ethical concerns…We think if people are going to be making decisions on this basis, someone should be standing up and speaking for the great, Godless masses."
although originally Revenue Canada officials ruled that the association failed to qualify as a religion because its members did not "pray to a deity or supreme being", it reversed itself and settled out of court when the association appealed to the Federal court of Canada.
about 18 percent of Canadians list themselves as atheists, according to the last census.
Meanwhile, the stampede of atheists wanting out of Bush country, may find socialist-driven Canada Godless, but dull.
Maybe they can try the United Nations.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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