May we never go down that path, yalbmer. Suppress the deviants at what cost? What is deviant, and what is merely different? Where do we draw the line?
Canadian Atheists: Religious-freedom Office, WTF!?
by aposta-Z 13 Replies latest social current
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Chaserious
I'm not Canadian, but this doesn't seem like a big deal. Protecting freedom of religion seems like a legitimate role for government, although I understand the concern with whether it will be administered to favor only certain religions. Compare the $5M to the billions that the U.S. Office of Faith-Based Initiatives has spent. Even though it's for humanitarian efforts, it's all funneled through religious groups.
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jgnat
Which reminds me, Chaserious. I read an article, which frustratingly, I can't find now, where our conservative government is approving more grants to faith-based charities (at the expense of some long-standing secular ones). Some of these charities have not accounted for the funds as reliably as others.
Chas, you got me curious, so I tried to find the budget for the Office of Faith Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships. Based on the size of the council alone, I don't think this office can at all be effective. Their budget is less clear. From their report,
For example, one of eight people living in poverty received services and support from Catholic Charities. The United Way has 1,279 offices located in every State and virtually every congressional district and works with 37,300 partner agencies across the country. The Jewish Federations of North America represent 157 Jewish Federations, which raise and distribute nearly $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services, and educational needs, through a network of agencies that also receive over $10 billion in governmental funds annually. Lutheran Services in America reports that its member agencies across the country worked with a budget of more than $16 billion last year. Nonprofit networks, like Feeding America, serve more than 37 million people..."
But the office is not distributing these funds. They have been distributed through a combination of donations and grants for some time.
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jgnat
By comparison, Canadian charities spent about $8 billion in 2012.