Saskatchewan Wants a Secular Government
REGINA—Saskatchewan residents are calling on Premier Brad Wall to lead a secular government that respects Saskatchewan’s diverse population. The government must not give one religion priority over other religions or no religion. Through letters and an online petition coordinated by the Centre for Inquiry Canada, they are calling for an end to two practices:
1. Opening prayer in the legislature.
2. Christmas messages delivered by Premier Brad Wall or other government officials which favour one religious perspective over other perspectives or creeds.
Saskatchewan members of the Centre for Inquiry Canada will make a statement at Saskatchewan’s first Shift to Reason conference at 12:45 p.m. on April 30 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (1975 S Broad Street, Regina). Media are invited to attend this or any other portion of the conference. Dusti Hennenfent will also be speaking at ~12:30 p.m. regarding her petition to support Saskatchewan students’ right to a secular education by repealing the law that allows public schools to recite the Lord’s Prayer.
The petition will then be delivered at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building following a statement on the steps at 9:30 a.m. on May 1.
The Centre for Inquiry Canada’s stance is that tradition cannot be used as an excuse to potentially violate human rights. It is an established principle that minorities require protection from the will of the majority. Protection of all people begins with favouring none; therefore, any action by government that excludes a part of the community must be rejected.
SUMMARY
Who: Centre for Inquiry Canada
What: Calling upon Saskatchewan government to cease its Christian bias in the legislature and in its Christmas messages
When: April 30 – Petition announcement at Shift to Reason conference at 12:45 p.m.
May 1 – Petition delivered to Legislative Building at 9:30 a.m.
Where: April 30 – Shift to Reason conference at DoubleTree Hilton (1975 S Broad St., Regina)
May 1 – Legislative Building
Why: To urge the government to equally represent all citizens instead of favouring a select group
How: Delivering a petition to the Saskatchewan government
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Regarding Christian prayer in the legislature, on April 15, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that the City of Saguenay (QC) must stop reciting a prayer at the start of its Council meetings. In response to the Supreme Court decision, Premier Brad Wall said that the Saskatchewan legislature would continue to hold prayers and that:
I have not had one complaint. Not one concern registered. We’re very fortunate in Saskatchewan to have seen unprecedented population growth and we’re attracting people from all over the world. (Canadian Press, April 18, 2015)
Saskatchewan residents are now submitting this complaint and requesting that the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly acknowledge the spirit of this human rights affirming decision and end prayers in the legislature. Key points of the decision include that the state has a duty to be neutral on matters of religion and that non-belief is recognized as requiring the same protection as any specific religious belief:
A neutral public space free from coercion, pressure and judgment on the part of public authorities in matters of spirituality is intended to protect every person’s freedom and dignity, and it helps preserve and promote the multicultural nature of Canadian society. The state’s duty to protect every person’s freedom of conscience and religion means that it may not use its powers in such a way as to promote the participation of certain believers or non-believers in public life to the detriment of others. If the state adheres to a form of religious expression under the guise of cultural or historical reality or heritage, it breaches its duty of neutrality. (Mouvement laïque québécois v. Saguenay (City), [2015] 2 SCR 3, 2015 SCC 16)
The Supreme Court ruling applies across Canada and provides a clear and strong secular direction on the matter of prayers in public spaces. All individuals, including Members of the Legislative Assembly, are free to pray, but these should not be government-led prayers.
Regarding Premier Wall’s annual Christmas messages, those who have sent letters and signed the online petition are not taking issue with the Premier providing year-end reflection and good wishes or even calling this address a “Christmas” message. In these messages, Premier Wall is using his government position to promote his Christian religion as superior to all others or no religion. For example, the 2015 address identifies Jesus as “the divinest heart that ever walked the earth.” Government exclusion of minority groups is certainly not the right thing to do and also not aligned with the duty of neutrality described above. Saskatchewan needs our government to represent the interests of the entire population and to protect the rights of minorities. Residents of Saskatchewan are calling upon the premier to cease these messages or make any such messages religiously neutral.
“Canadian secularists and the non-religious should not forget that human rights precedents in one region are very often cited in other regions,” said Eric Adriaans, National Executive Director of Centre for Inquiry Canada. “Brad Wall’s comments should be of significance to any Canadian concerned with secular human rights.”
REFERENCES
CFIC Secular SK Change.org petition
https://www.change.org/p/the-saskatchewan-government-must-stop-promoting-christianity
Supreme Court ruling on prayer at city council meetings
http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/2015/2015scc16/2015scc16.html
Canadian Press: Supreme court rules prayers can’t continue at Quebec council meeting
Canadian Press: Saskatchewan Premier says prayer will remain a part of legislature sittings:
Brad Wall’s 2015 Christmas message
Saskatchewan’s first Shift to Reason conference
Secular Education Change.org petition
Further Inquiry
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/prayer-in-saskatchewan-legislature-will-continue-premier-brad-wall-says-1.3562743
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/prayer-provincial-goverment-saskatchewan-1.3560937
- http://www.620ckrm.com/2016/05/02/group-wants-saskatchewan-to-have-a-secular-government/
- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/opening-prayer-legislature-saskatchewan-secularism-petition-1.3561634
I agree with CFI. We do not need prayer in our leg, we need to accept all beliefs, including those with no belief.
Here’s the deal! – Canada was founded on Christian beliefs. We have God in a number of our ceremonies.
Why can’t you folks just get along, and accept that our country and governments are based on Christianity. Honestly, I think you just like to find something to bitch about, and run counter to the norm, so you can get some attention.
Pick a serious, real cause!
Tom
Here is the deal: “our country” was “founded” by First Nations people (or natives, or however they prefer to be called) for over 12 thousand years ago.
“Yesterday”(some 300, 400 years ago) our ancestors came from Europe killed an enormous amount of the original peoples, and we are now way on our way to destroy the land as well.
So the culture, religion and opinions of natives as well as all other non-Christians do not count but whatever the ‘white Europeans’ (like me and my ancestors) say goes ?!??
Give us a break and let’s respect everyone’s beliefs & non-believers and leave prayers for you own home &/or inside religious orgs.. Let’s all be more humble (humm…there was a Christian guy who used to preach and practice that thousands of years ago.. sad he left such a huge amount of arrogant followers behind).
Canada was not founded on Christian beliefs, those beliefs were shoved down the throats who lived here.
Canada was a country long before Europeans arrived and that needs to be remembered.
That aside. I would never force my faith on another and don’t appreciate a duly elected official of the country I live in to tell me that he represents me but doesn’t listen when I disagree.
Prayer is personal, those who truly believe don’t believe in grandstanding. It’s between you and your Creator, no need for an audience.
“Canada was a country long before Europeans arrived…” No, Canada did not exist as a country until 1867 after Europeans landed and discoverd the land on expoditions for the Crown. This country was founded on Christian beliefs and was built on those beliefs brought here by Europeans. The First Nations that inhabited the land, now known as North America, did not discover Canada; nore did they create or build this great Country. They simply lived here. Without European influence and ingenuity we would not have this amazing country.
Just heard your interview on CKOM. I want you to know that I am totally in favor of prayer in the legislature and the Premier’s Christmas message. Our country has founded on Christianity, and I believe it should stay that way.
It will be a sad day for our society and our country when God gets removed from picture, as we already see our society rapidly eroding. The bible has been preserved throughout the years as a instruction manual for mankind. Obviously the “Secular Society” haven’t read it. Live your life in what you believe and let everyone else live in what we believe and we’ll get along fine.
Let me guess youre a white, hetero male, so never had to truly confromt the bigotry, discrimination and oporession perpetuated by the church? Or maybe we should talk about those values that allowed for the molestation and rape of children or the torture and genocide of First Nations.
Or are you refering to the values that prompt parents to alienate and cast out their childrdn and teens is if they identify as LGBTQ? Are you saying that bc I do not subscribe to your ideology that I am morally deficient or corrupt?
How many Saskatchewan residents? Not the majority I’m sure. Brad Wall won another election in a landslide.
I agree completely with Premier Brad Wall. The majority rules.
Who exactly wants prayer eliminated? Why so secretive?
I have my thoughts and I bet I’m right.
If you don’t like the status quo then pack up and leave.
How dare we hope for something better and more inclusive?. Its 2016 time to move past magical, oppressive thinking. “Status quo” – no wonder this place seems uninspired and bland.
Stop the bickering and allow yourselves to be touched by the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s noodly appendage. His sauce is yum!