O Canada - I wish I lived there

[_Panopticon]

http://www.theofrak.com/2012/05/o-canada-i-wish-i-lived-there.html

I am a big fan of Canada. Vancouver, BC is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and don't get me started about PEI.

Here is another reason to love Canada - their currency. While U.S. currency touts its belief in the racist, totalitarian God of Christianity, the Canadian $100 bill puts its faith the the innovation of medicine.

[_Darth J]

Panopticon, in your opinion, is it a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to name a city in California "Pomona"?

[_Darth J]

Panopticon, in your opinion, is it a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to name a city in California "Pomona"?

In case anyone is not understanding the nature of my question, let us lazily go to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomona

Pomona was a goddess of fruitful abundance in ancient Roman religion and myth.

So, is it a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to name a city in California "Pomona"?

[_Darth J]

Another reason to love Canada, as opposed to the theism-imposing United States, is Canada's national anthem.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

[_Darth J]

http://www.religioustolerance.org/sep_cs_can.htm

Canada has no equivalent to the establishment clause in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Huh. How about that? Maybe that's because, in contrast to the United States, the sovereign of Canada is also the ultimate head of a state-sponsored church: the Church of England. Unlike the United States, Canada's history is in fact that of an officially Christian nation.

Nevertheless, as an example of how Canada has liberated itself from government-imposed ritual theism, let us contemplate the current procedures of the House of Commons:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/House/compe ... yers-e.htm

Before the doors of the Chamber are opened to the public at the beginning of each sitting of the House, the Speaker takes the Chair and reads the prayer before any business is considered. While the prayer is being read, the Speaker, the Members and the Table Officers all stand.

The text of the prayer is as follows:

Almighty God, we give thanks for the great blessings which have been bestowed on Canada and its citizens, including the gifts of freedom, opportunity and peace that we enjoy. We pray for our Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, and the Governor General. Guide us in our deliberations as Members of Parliament, and strengthen us in our awareness of our duties and responsibilities as Members. Grant us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to preserve the blessings of this country for the benefit of all and to make good laws and wise decisions. Amen.

The prayer is followed by a moment of silence for private reflection and meditation.

At the end of the moment of silence, the Speaker orders the doors opened, and the proceedings of the House begin. At this point, television coverage of the proceedings commences and Members' guests and the public enter the visitors' galleries.

[_LDSToronto]

I am not sure what the point of this thread is - Panopticon, Canada has a rich Catholic heritage that we don't deny. Darth, Canada is largely a secular nation with little religious influence in our daily lives or in our government. Arguably, Canada's social policies reflect a political system that does not fear religion. Yet we are comfortable supporting tradition, as shown by our publicly funded Catholic education system.

And yes, we have a monarch. Big deal. It makes our history and our heritage different.

Oh, and we don't let our poor go without good healthcare.

H.

[_Darth J]

Darth, Canada is largely a secular nation with little religious influence in our daily lives or in our government.

And you didn't even need to have the same tradition of "separation of church and state" that the U.S. has to accomplish that.

Sweden has a state-sponsored church (now independent but still getting government funding), and somehow Sweden also manages to be an almost entirely secular nation with little religious influence in its government or its people's lives.

And Denmark.

And Finland.

Et cetera.

But for some reason, the U.S., which does have a very strong tradition against state-sponsored religion, is imposing religion on its people by a vague reference to "God" on its currency.

My point is that a reference to God in a national anthem, on currency, or in a prayer in a legislative body, does not equate to state-mandated theism. In several European countries, not even a tradition of a real state-sponsored church prevented those countries from being essentially secular.

And yes, we have a monarch. Big deal. It makes our history and our heritage different.

Look, all I'm saying is that since your country really did commingle religion and government, I think it's only fair that you take the Tea Party.

Oh, and we don't let our poor go without good healthcare.

Neither do we. We let our middle class go without good healthcare.

[_DrW]

I am not sure what the point of this thread is - Panopticon, Canada has a rich Catholic heritage that we don't deny. Darth, Canada is largely a secular nation with little religious influence in our daily lives or in our government. Arguably, Canada's social policies reflect a political system that does not fear religion. Yet we are comfortable supporting tradition, as shown by our publicly funded Catholic education system.

And yes, we have a monarch. Big deal. It makes our history and our heritage different.

Oh, and we don't let our poor go without good healthcare.

H.

LDST,

Canada is a great place to vacation and to do business. I greatly enjoy it (even Montreal) every time I have the opportunity go there. Winters are really cold, though, and while it is great for skiing, winter in Canada can be miserable for doing business (forget to plug in your block heater in wintertime Alberta and you could be riding to your hotel in a tow truck).

Now if Canada could some how acquire a nice warm Caribbean Island, start up a low cost airline shuttle service, and do a better job of extending its form of government and social values than America did with the AVI, Canadian citizenship would be one of the most desirable on Earth.

(Okay, now you can remind me that Canada does have a "special relationship' with arguably the nicest islands in the Caribbean (the British Virgin Islands) because both are British Commonwealth nations.)

[_krose]

We let our middle class go without good healthcare.

Hey, we're taking care of that problem by shrinking the middle class to the point where it will soon be small enough to "drown in the bathtub."

[_Panopticon]

Canada has the highest atheism rate in North America - 30% by some polls.

No, DarthJ, I don't believe that naming a city "Pomona" is a violation of the Establishment Clause. I didn't say anything about the Establishment Clause. My point was that, while U.S. currency promotes "In God We Trust," Canadian currency promotes something that actually does some good -- medical research.

LDSToronto, I believe you have had an atheist Prime Minister, if I am not mistaken. That is not possible (yet) in the U.S. Your point about Canada being a more secular nation, however, was exactly what I was getting at. As I have traveled around the world, it is easy to see whether a country "fears religion," as you say. I didn't get that vibe anywhere I have been in Canada. By the way, I really love Toronto also.

Here is another example of Canada's more secular bent (from the Canadian Museum of Civilization). Note the last sentence: