Canadian human rights report claims that Christmas, Easter are examples of 'systemic religious discrimination'

Christian Post ^ | 11/27/2023 | Ian M. Giatti

[SeekAndFind]

A Canadian government panel in charge of human rights law says celebrating Christmas and Easter holidays could be seen as a form of “religious intolerance.”

In a paper released last month, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) cited Christianity’s two biggest holy days as examples of “present-day systemic religious discrimination” because they are statutory holidays in Canada.

According to the “Discussion Paper on Religious Intolerance” paper published on Oct. 23, “discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is grounded in Canada’s history of colonialism,” which, the paper states, finds its most “obvious example” in Canadian statutory holidays “related to Christianity.”

Because Christmas and Easter are the only Canadian statutory holidays linked to religious holy days, the report argues that “as a result, non-Christians may need to request special accommodations to observe their holy days and other times of the year where their religion requires them to abstain from work.”

Describing Canada’s history with “religious intolerance [as] deeply rooted in our identity as a settler colonial state,” the report appears to associate Christian churches with 20th century efforts to teach 150,000 Canadian Indigenous children through “compulsory boarding schools” funded by the Canadian government.

“At these schools, Indigenous children were subjected to forceful conversion to Christianity as their spirituality was framed as being superstitious or a form of witchcraft,” the report states. “They were depicted as inferior beings to justify the violence and discrimination brought against them by colonizers.”

The paper goes on to highlight what it describes as Canadian social preferences, which are “constructed in a way that places value on certain traits or identities to the exclusion of others — for example, white, male, Christian, English-speaking, thin/fit, not having a disability, heterosexual, gender conforming.”

While religion is not defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is listed as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination, along with race, age, gender identity, and others.

Some of the most common forms of religious intolerance, according to the report, include the use of physical or verbal attacks on religious symbols “such as hijabs, turbans, and kippahs.”

“When these symbols are attacked — whether physically or verbally — the violence and trauma is the same,” the paper states. “It is a compounded trauma resulting from the attack itself that is in addition to the fear of being able to openly practice and represent one’s religion.”

The report also lists what it describes as “everyday manifestations of religious tolerance,” including “microaggressions” that can range from the verbal to the “behavioral.” Some examples listed in the report include “scheduling team meetings on Jewish or Muslim holy days” and “assuming that a Muslim person is new to Canada.”

In order to combat religious intolerance, the paper recommends Canadians familiarize themselves with “diverse religious days or cultural days of significance that go beyond those linked to statutory holidays,” such as Christmas or Easter.

Pointing to “both domestic and international obligations to protect Canadians” from religious intolerance, the report concludes by stating “all Canadians must first acknowledge Canada’s history of religious intolerance, and more importantly, its existence today” in order to make Canada “more inclusive and accepting.”

Despite the rhetorical calls for religious inclusion, Canada controversially adopted a law in January known as the “anti-conversion therapy law,” which essentially condemns the biblical view on human sexuality.

Bill C-4, which was passed unanimously, states that the biblical view on sexuality “propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.”

[Freeleesy]

I clicked on the link under the word paper.... and saw a Hijab wearing person....

[Jonty30]

Liberals make words mean whatever they want them to.

[frank ballenger]

The loss of respect for organized religion in America since the 1950s has been replaced by drug addiction (oxycontin, fentanyl, heroin, smoking crack....), millions of abortions instead of adoption, sex change promoted in school, widespread father absent childrearing, teen and adult crime including carjacking, rape, assaults and organized shoplifting.
No one has a sense of shame or takes personal responsibility for their actions.

That’s the rich reward of America abandoning religion.

[Vendome]

the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) cited Christianity’s two biggest holy days as examples of “present-day systemic religious discrimination” because they are statutory holidays in Canada.

Go ahead eliminate the "Holidays" and work on those days....

 

Every thing that pisses other people off, makes me laugh.

That's why I'm happier than most...

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[No name given]

The Canadians need to cut back on whatever drugs they are imbibing these days, it’s rotting their brains!

[chajin]

Keep poking Him in the eye, God will get the message and go away, no longer keeping your land glorious and free.

[Wdempsey]

Via Christo Rey!

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Did that surprise you? It shouldn't. We are talking about PRC (Politically Repressive Canaduh). We are talking about tin pot, would be dictator Justin(e) Castreau's Canaduh!

Here are a couple of pictures from years ago. The first is mother Margaret True-dolt and (former) wife Sophie wearing hijabs in a visit to Africa. The second shows the Crime Minister visiting and praying at a mosque a number of years ago.

In this May 2019 article, Pastor Steve Long, who met with Crime Minister True-dolt stated,"Sadly my last meeting with him (True-dolt) in his office was very disappointing. He told me that evangelical Christians were the worst part of Canadian society.” (emphasis mine)

True-dolt is certainly 'anti-Christ', though not necessarily THE anti-Christ of the Book of Revelation. I certainly do hope he soon meets HIS allah!

[Enterprise]

"A Canadian government panel in charge of human rights law says celebrating Christmas and Easter holidays could be seen as a form of “religious intolerance.”

The Canadian government panel can be seen as a form of human turds.

[P.O.E.]

Dec 26 they can celebrate Mao’s birthday.

[Gnome1949]

This is exactly what communists do. They want to attack and destroy the faith of Christians.

[ASOC]

Culture is downstream from Religion. Politics is downstream from Culture.

Any society without a belief system is doomed.

[jonrick46]

No! It is the Marxists effort to destroy the family. Without religion, the family is destroyed.

[Reverend Wright]

No chance of that.

Trudeau la Tapette just legalized all narcotics on a “trial basis” in British Columbia.

Soon to be the entire country.

The joke is, the minorities are not calling for this.

This anti Christmas, anti Easter stuff is coming from the woke, white elite as a power play against the Christians they hate.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Singling out Christmas and Easter is evidence of “systemic religious discrimination.”

[Peter ODonnell]

I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions about how many people in Canada agree with this oddball report, probably about 10% would express mild agreement and 80% strongly disagree, 10% don’t know sort of a poll result (they won’t poll because they know this).

Nor does it have any actual significance to current or likely future laws about statutory holidays.

So it’s basically just lefties being lefties. Who really gives a crap what they think? I don’t.

[FES0844]

How long Lord? I wish He wasn’t so patient. 🙏

[DeplorablePaul]

Historically, religious holidays recognize the beliefs of a large majority of the population. Not to mention the redeeming message of the holidays. The woke Canadian HRC are anti Christian bigots who hate that Christians believe homosexual behavior is a sin. Not complicated.