Getting Over Our Fear of Religion will Enrich City's Diversity

City Hall came close to the divine a couple of times last week. Last Monday, the Toronto Area Interfaith Council hosted a mayoral debate, where the candidates proposed ways to increase faith in the life of our city.

A few days later, we were debating whether to allow shopping on statuary holidays. Someone suggested we keep Christian holidays sacred, and controversy seemed to break out immediately.  We have to stop panicking every time we talk about faith, especially Christianity, and start embracing it as part of our diversity.

We can start with George Smitherman's suggestion of calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. We are supposed to now call it a holiday tree so we don't offend anybody or make them feel left out, but it has the opposite effect on me!  As a Christian who enjoys celebrating Christmas, I don't feel welcome to publicly acknowledge and celebrate my beliefs in this culture of political correctness. I  (and I'm sure many others) would enjoy seeing other symbols like menorahs in public spaces as well. 

There was also a suggestion of having an interfaith day or week. Rob Ford and Joe Pantalone said they wouldn't know how to be fair in acknowledging all belief systems, but I think this misses the spirit of the idea. Our faith is an important part of who we are as individuals, and we should use it as an opportunity to learn about and celebrate with each other. 

This sounds so elementary, and yet we won't do this because we're too afraid to offend someone.  We talk about tolerance, but that has a connotation of reluctance.  We really need to start talking (and thinking) in terms of acceptance  - maybe even enjoyment!

At the mayoral debate, Smitherman proposed bringing together faith groups to help the city's less fortunate, such as the homeless and those struggling with addiction.  I think this is an excellent idea that brings out the best of what many beliefs have to offer.  Many faith groups (and their smaller study groups)  volunteer to help others. 

A great example of what can be done when people work together is the Out of the Cold program. For this program, different venues, including places of worship, take turns offering homeless people safe shelter and a warm meal.

If the city were to develop and co-ordinate more of these initiatives, our help could be spread around and it would cut down on administrative issues for organizations.  We would also be creating services for the countless individuals who currently fall between the cracks.

Many people acknowledge a spiritual side of themselves, and the sooner we stop being afraid to talk about it, the sooner we will be able to see the best in each other and enrich our diversity.

About Sarah Evans

Comments

[Mrs. H. Dwyer]

Religion or Faith is not the fault here. The Fault here are the negative and narrow mindedness of those who twist and make it the main concern in an issue.
Fairness and Equality has to be the main concern on all issues, individually.
Religion and Faith cannot put an individual by gender into a small box and be scrutinized under this thin and slim line of thought.
Therefore, Open Minded, Human Rights along side of Fair and Equal approach has to be the concrete of all Rules and Regulations, within our Laws in Canada.
When we as TRUE CANADIANS lose this train of reasoning, we are left with the same type of Third World Country with Religious Conflict and Fighting we see on the world sage. Therefore, when immigrants come into Canada, they must be aware of these facts and come to understand that Canada will welcome them, as it has welcome my family, to have their beliefs but only under the Laws of Canada. And, after more than forty years as immigrants to Canada, my family have a wonderful and safe living for our generations to come.

[Sonny Yeung]

I believe the event you mentioned happened on May 10 in the morning. I think it would be good to read more articles about Buddists & Hindus to develop a new understanding of some who hail from Asia. Our media is dominated with stories from Christianity & Judaism.
BTW, I am of the Christian Faith

[Pat Capponi]

Think I messed up with that last thing I tried to post, so let me try again. Charity hurts those to whom its given. Charity holds back from people making progress. For instance, the out of the cold programs enable governments to avoid their responsibility for homelessness, for creating new supportive housing.it makes the church volunteers feel good, and thats nice, but it doesn't feel so good taking a thin cot and placing it on a hard floor and breathing in the exhalations of a strangers a few inches from your face. It doesn't help find you a job, or a home where there is one bed just for you that doesn't need to be rolled up at dawn, it doesn't make you feel good about yourself or your potential. Charity burns, opportunity beacons to a better place. Churches need to move away from out of the cold and into supporting locally run social enterprises where the victims of poverty can work and start to feel the good that the church goers feel, and work in partnership to create real opportunities and not overnight flophouses.

[Crab Apple Annie]

Why are the names of trees and the creation of an "interface day or week" such priorities for this particular collection of religious people? I was baptized a Catholic in my youth. If my parish could host a debate, we would ask candidates what they would do to increase affordable housing. We would ask them to speak out about laws like the Safe Streets Act, which essentially criminalize homelessness. We would ask them about the need for more affordable child care spaces. We would not talk about Christmas trees and opportunities for self-promotion. I agree with Pat - short-term relief from poverty is important, but the Church has a huge responsibility to challenge systemic shortfalls that cause poverty. Ultimately, the responsibility of eliminating poverty and marginalization belongs to the City. That's where my taxes go, and that's where policy decisions are made. Faith groups should focus more on these policies, and less on opportunities to promote themselves.