Facts, reasoning should be basis of education system

LETTERS

Mr. Penninga (Sept. 29 letter to the editor) asserts that the Alberta government’s support of human rights, requiring inclusive school policies, is simply the ideology of secularism trying to trump the ideology of religion, but that’s a false equivalency. Secularism simply evolved as a solution to the intractable problem of religion, after centuries of religious wars. It was based on a common understanding of human rights that flowed from our broad, shared humanity rather than the clearly fractious, competing “belief systems” of religion. Because obviously we are all human, but not all “believers.”

And although religious freedom is indeed one of the rights in our Charter, it’s no longer a salient issue, with publicly subsidized places of worship in abundance. It’s now more about Canadian pride in offering refuge for those persecuted elsewhere. Our liberal, secular state remains a beacon in the world, and the discerning recognize that it’s the way of the future. Mr. Penninga’s insistence that it is impossible to separate religion or faith from politics is a chilling reminder of “those who do not learn from history…”, especially since current conservatism has clearly been hijacked by religion. Look south for where that goes. The word “progressive” has been dropped disdainfully, but tell me, do you ever hear the phrase “conservative democracy”?

Personally, we are atheists, but that does not mean, as Mr. Penninga states, that we also have “beliefs,” just different ones from him and his ilk. Another false equivalency. We pride ourselves on not harbouring any beliefs, preferring the mental activity of “thinking” to that of “believing.” And our perspective on reality, unlike that of “believers,” is wholly defensible, grounded as it is in objective facts and reasoning. That should also be the basis of our education system. All children should have the right to a relevant and contemporary education based on current societal realities, including, in 2018, considering and accommodating LGBTQ people as equally human, with accompanying protection.

Mr. Penninga mentions ARPA’s website. I strongly encourage people to check it out. I was struck by one quote: “There is not one square inch of the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry ‘mine’.” This reminded me of the quote from Orwell’s book “1984”: “Imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever.”

Patricia and Tony Pargeter

Lethbridge