Freedom of Religion

In Canada, in 2015, pretty well any crazy religious idea trumps civil laws. Parents can deny their children medical care, they can refuse to vaccinate them, they can viciously beat them, they can deny them education, they can take weapons where no one else can, they can insist on special food, they may cover their heads wherever they please, they can ignore requirements for a uniform. They can refuse to wear safety gear.

Canadians are firmly for freedom of religion, so they make all manner of special exemptions to civil law for religious reasons. About the only thing the religious can no longer do is kill homosexuals, though they may harass them and call for them to be killed.

The percentage of people associating themselves with these religions is dropping precipitously. I suspect, over time, the Canadian interest in humouring them will drop, and the interest in protecting children will rise. This will be seen as erosion of freedom of religion. I would counter that freedom of religion is not supposed to give you a licence to harm others, just to do odd harmless things.

~ Roedy (1948-02-04 age:70)