This story appeared yesterday at the (rather Conservative) news talk radio station CJAD's News section:
Quebec wants foreign aid cash
My Google filter on secular picked it up and I thought this was strange. The title definitely didn't seem to reflect anything particularly religious. If anything it looked like Quebec was starting to curry favour with foreign governments somehow to win their funding. Well, not so.
It turns out that the Quebec government has come to the same opinion I and many other secularists have. The Harper Government is thoroughly bent on promoting their own vision of Christian values across the globe.
It would be one thing if secular groups also saw a 40% increase, but that's not the case here. So I believe there really is a point to be made here.
I for one agree with the Quebec government on this point. I've been railing about this new Office of Religious Freedom and the apparent Creeping Theocracy in government - mainly brought in by Conservative governments.
That said, I'm not 100% certain the PQ government should be trusted with the money either. But there exists many great secular organizations to donate to, like Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). The money would go 100% to aid and not a dime would go to pushing the Jesus agenda.
But all that said, I'm glad there are governments noticing this as well now. The more light shone on this the better. Speaking of press... It's unfortunate I can only find this on the news section of a single Montreal radio station.
Edit 2012-01-15 8:18: More (better) press is appearing about this story and backing it up.
La Press (French): Harper et le virage religieux de l'ACDI
With Google Translated English Version: Harper and religious turn of CIDA
Montreal Simon (blog): Why is Stephen Harper Promoting Christian Values?
As usual, press outside of Quebec seems either oblivious to this or simply doesn't see it as a concern.
It turns out that the Quebec government has come to the same opinion I and many other secularists have. The Harper Government is thoroughly bent on promoting their own vision of Christian values across the globe.
Quebec says the Harper government is using humanitarian aid to promote Christian values.
It's prompting the PQ government to push for control over its portion of the funds.
A study published in the Canadian Journal of Development Studies says federal funding for religious aid groups, including Christian ones, is up 42% between 2005 and 2010, while secular aid groups saw their funding stagnate.
It would be one thing if secular groups also saw a 40% increase, but that's not the case here. So I believe there really is a point to be made here.
I for one agree with the Quebec government on this point. I've been railing about this new Office of Religious Freedom and the apparent Creeping Theocracy in government - mainly brought in by Conservative governments.
That said, I'm not 100% certain the PQ government should be trusted with the money either. But there exists many great secular organizations to donate to, like Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). The money would go 100% to aid and not a dime would go to pushing the Jesus agenda.
Kyle Matthews, senior deputy director with the Montreal institute for genocide and human rights studies, says Quebec could also use the money to promote its own policies and agenda, like the promoting sovereignty.Yes, I get that. Is this a legitimate protest from a provincial government that is at the same time trying to pass a (mostly) secular charter modeled after French secularism or is this merely a staged ploy to grab Federal funds for political ends. Definitely yes and probably yes.
But all that said, I'm glad there are governments noticing this as well now. The more light shone on this the better. Speaking of press... It's unfortunate I can only find this on the news section of a single Montreal radio station.
Edit 2012-01-15 8:18: More (better) press is appearing about this story and backing it up.
La Press (French): Harper et le virage religieux de l'ACDI
With Google Translated English Version: Harper and religious turn of CIDA
Montreal Simon (blog): Why is Stephen Harper Promoting Christian Values?
As usual, press outside of Quebec seems either oblivious to this or simply doesn't see it as a concern.
There should be no surprises here. The religious reich has never shied from anything to force their sick beliefs upon every one. There is no law that cannot be broken, no lie that cannot be told, no action too heinous that it cannot be used to promote the falsehood of religion.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, it is even worse in the USA.
Thanks for the comment James. Check out my latest post on the proposed Office of Religious Freedom up here.
ReplyDeleteUsually what a name like that means is one religion is free to do anything it wants, use any public funds, and suppress any other religion it pleases.
ReplyDelete