Canadian public school wants to distribute bibles to fifth graders (with parents' permission)

[alp227]

CBC News reports "McGuinty should weigh in on Bible debate: critics" (referring to the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty; in Canada, the premier of the province is analogous to the American state governor. McGuinty is a member of the Liberal Party.)

The Waterloo Region public school board is seeking a legal opinion on its policy of allowing Gideons International, an evangelical Christian group, to give Bibles to students in Grade 5 whose parents have signed a permission slip.

The policy has raised concerns about distributing religious materials through the public school system. The Little Red Answer Book distributed by Gideons includes the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible books of proverbs and psalms, which critics say include proselytizing statements in violation of the board's policy.

However, Premier McGuinty would rather leave it up to the school boards.

Despite the ongoing debate, the premier refused to take a stand on the issue.

"This is the kind of thing that I would encourage the trustees who presumably were involved in this decision to make sure they're listening to parents, and not just parents, but folks in the broader community," said McGuinty. "Is this a practice with which they are comfortable? I leave that to them."

This wouldn't fly in the US, with the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." And although the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms prohibit government from advocating or banning religious belief, Section Two says: "Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion." So that means that distributing religious texts to nonbelievers is unconstitutional.

In 2008, a survey found that 23% of Canadians are nonreligious in contrast with a survey in 2009 finding 15% of Americans to be nonreligious.

[saras]

1. As long as an atheist group can hand out a reading guide...

[frebrd]

2. Apparently the fundie plague has extended to Canada.....

Pity - I thought Canada was smarter/more sophisticated than that.

:cry:

[applegrove]

3. I got one of those bibles when I was in Canadian public school - 35 years ago.

So I'm guessing it is a longstanding policy. I'm kinda surprised it is still done because the face of the public has changed considerably what with high immigration and all.