FPTP vs MMP

[Evan Leibovitch]

CLIFFORD ILKAY wrote:
> I used to be very much opposed to funding of any parochial schools,
> including the Catholic system, a few years ago but have since changed
> my mind. It seems to me that the most ardent opponents of funding of
> parochial schools profess a faith, though they don't call it as such,
> of secular humanism. Quite often, these same people are the ones who
> argue that Christmas should be called "Winter Festival", or some such
> ridiculous euphemism, and Christmas trees should be removed from
> public buildings. More often than not, the people who promote these
> views are not Jews, Hindus, or Muslims but rather people who a
> generation ago would have been called "Christians" and now consider
> themselves to be agnostics or atheists.
POV from a sample size of one.

When we were raising the kids in Brampton, the school was a living
breathing Benetton ad. All faiths, all colours, at least a dozen or two
first languages.

That school indeed had a Winter Festival. At the concert you had Jewish
kids singing Christmas carols, Hindu kids lighting Kwanzaa candles,
Muslim kids playing dreidel, and the Christian kids explaining Diwali.

Yes, there were Christmas trees, I think there was even a nativity
scene. But the trappings of all faith's winter festivals were also
welcome for everyone to see.

I couldn' t have been prouder. The school system could not have served
all those kids better, in demonstrating that everyone has something that
is important to them but not everyone shares the same 'something' --
diversity as a strength, not a weakness. My kids would never have
received this kind of exposure has they spent their time in a school
(literally) preaching one faith as the Only One That Matters.

With few exceptions (Buddhism notably among them), religions tend to be
mutually exclusive. And almost by definition, they must define their
particular faith-based ethics as superior -- more divine, if you would
-- than those of other religions.

What you call Secular Humanism is a religion only to the extent that it
has a core ethic, and its own view of human nature. Unlike most
religions, it is not mutually exclusive. Even without government
funding, many faiths manage to do quite well offering Sunday school
which augments the public "core ethic" with those specific to the
parents' wishes. The key word is "augment", not " replace".

To this extent I am quite happy to promote and defend "secular humanism"
as a core ethic which represents the values of this particular society.
Religions are welcome to augment this, and even challenge it when they
wish, but I don' t believe that children should be brought up in
religious ghettos and only introduced into the mainstream near
adulthood. Anyone who considers themselves "non religious" will at least
have their kids in an environment that promotes a minimally useful
ethical code.

Like it or not, the Charter of Rights essentially defines Canada as a
secular humanist country rather than one based on the dogma of any of
the mutually exclusive faiths. It accepts religions within its midst up
to and until the values of those religions adversely affect
non-believers. This characteristic is not shared by many countries but
it is ours.

If I had my way, there would be a single public board, but school boards
would be encouraged to fund optional faith-based _supplemental_ programs
(not far different from the 'heritage language' programs funded by many
school boards right now).

> I found the arguments put forth by all political parties wanting on
> this issue but in particular, I found the position of the Liberals
> most indefensible. McGuinty's use of such divisive language as
> "segregation" with respect to funding parochial schools was just
> reprehensible and offensive.
If the shoe fits... It may  be offensive but it's still accurate.
> His claim that stopping funding of Catholic schools was not possible
> due to constitutional obligations was just political cowardice. If he
> were truly concerned about "inclusiveness" and against "segregation",
> he would pledge to stop funding Catholic schools but of course that
> would be politically suicidal.
Eventually we can hope someone will have the courage. Certainly the NDP,
were it to be in a majority position, would consider the move...

- Evan
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