Strohschein: It’s time we listened

Details

Published on Thursday, April 10, 2014

By: Neil Strohschein

As I write these words, final results of the Quebec provincial election are trickling in. In what observers have called a “stunning upset” the Parti Quebecois government lead by Pauline Marois has been defeated and the people of Quebec have given the Liberals, under new leader Philippe Couillard a majority government.

A stunning upset? Perhaps. But not totally unexpected. Signs of voter discontent with the PQ had surfaced early in the campaign and Marois’ decision to campaign on identity issues did not sit well with voters. They seemed, as Couillard noted, “to be more concerned about jobs and the economy” and they voted accordingly.

In calling this election less than two years into her mandate, Marois took a huge gamble. She knew that her minority government did not have the necessary votes to pass her recently introduced budget. But she was hoping that the popularity of Bill 60, commonly known as Quebec’s secular charter, would swing the vote in her favour and give her a majority of seats in Quebec’s National Assembly. She gambled — and she lost.

Had it been passed, Bill 60 would have barred Quebec’s public servants from wearing veils, kippas, turbans and even crucifixes while at work. This law would have applied to anyone who drew a salary from the public purse such as bureaucrats, lawyers, police officers, teachers and even doctors and nurses.

Those who favour this legislation argue that public servants are to treat all citizens equally and that that the wearing of overtly religious symbols could create the impression of partiality. In other words, they feared that someone wearing a crucifix might not give a client wearing a turban the same quality of service as would be given to one wearing another crucifix or no symbol at all.

Now before you dismiss these arguments as being totally preposterous, remember this — even a stopped clock is right twice a day! The mere idea that such things could happen should give us all cause for concern. But do we need laws like Bill 60 to address that concern? The people of Quebec didn’t seem to think so.

However, I believe we owe Pauline Marois a huge vote of thanks. Without realizing it, she has been a voice from God to people of all faith traditions. She has sent us a powerful message; and it’s time we listened to it.

On Tuesday morning, media outlets were loudly proclaiming that “Quebec’s secular charter is dead.” For now, maybe. But those who promote these so called values will be back. They will not stop campaigning until they get the secular charter they want — but not just in Quebec — in all of Canada.

Once that goal is achieved, it will not be long before others start the campaign to achieve the ultimate goal of freedom from religion. These people envision a world in which there are no churches, mosques, synagogues or temples; no ministers, priests, rabbis, imams or gurus; no Korans, Bibles, Torahs or other sacred books.

But even as they call for these measures, their proponents admit that they will never be able to abolish personal faith or keep people’s beliefs from dictating how they think, speak or act. That should encourage all of us.

True faith isn’t measured by the clothing or jewelry we wear, by the holy books we revere, by the buildings in which we worship or by the litanies we use while there. True faith is measured by what we are — by the way our beliefs influence our lives. That’s the message we heard this week. It’s time we listened to it.