Sandra Dunham
Change takes time, but it does happen.
Sometimes we see how much work there is to do and throw up our hands in defeat. However, it is important to remember that change takes time and that Canadian society has moved closer to secularism every year. CFIC has been part of this change and with your help, we will continue to inch this mandate forward.
In December 2016, CFIC (alongside Humanist Canada and Canadian Secular Alliance) met with senior officials of the Justice Department to advocate for the repeal of Canada’s blasphemous libel law. Six months later, the federal government introduced legislation that would do just that. It took another year and a half, but on December 13, 2018, blasphemous libel was officially removed from the Canadian Criminal Code. Change requires patience and persistence, and CFIC is making a difference.
In April 2021, CFIC published the first of its Cost of Religion reports, which highlighted the billions of taxpayer dollars directly supporting “advancement of religion.” Nearly four years later, after several media mentions, many public talks hosted by humanist organizations across Canada, and an episode of Podcast for Inquiry dedicated to the subject, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance included in its 2025 Pre-Budget Consultation Recommendation 430: “Amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose.”
CFIC is working to change the misleading census question on religion in partnership with several humanist organizations across Canada. Politicians having an accurate view of the declining religiosity of Canadians will expedite our progress toward becoming a nation governed by genuinely secular principles.
None of this would be possible without you. Please ensure CFIC has the resources required to create change. Make your tax-deductible donation today. As an added incentive, the federal government has announced that the deadline for 2024 charitable donations has been extended until the end of February 2025. You can claim today’s donation on your 2024 income tax return. (If you wonder what that charitable tax deduction will be worth, here’s a quick summary.) Churches have been benefiting from preferential tax treatment for decades. Help CFIC fight back!