{"id":15184,"date":"2013-09-03T08:08:31","date_gmt":"2013-09-03T12:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/?p=15184"},"modified":"2021-10-07T12:14:05","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T16:14:05","slug":"atheists-deserve-protection-too-says-human-rights-tribunal-of-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2013\/09\/03\/atheists-deserve-protection-too-says-human-rights-tribunal-of-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"Atheists Deserve Protection Too Says Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rene Chouinard is an atheist.  As a parent he teaches his child that she need not fear the gods of religion.  In fact, he advocates that every child be given the opportunity to read Just Pretend:  A Freethought Book for Children.  <\/i>God is compared in the book to Santa Claus as something that is \u201cjust pretend.\u201d[1]<\/a>  When his child came home from school with a permission document to be signed by him to allow her to receive a Gideons New Testament he asked school board that the book Just Pretend <\/i>also be distributed.  It was refused.  Further advocacy by Mr. Chouinard led the board to change its policy to be more inclusive.  It read:<\/p>\n

Any requests for the distribution of religious publications in schools must be approved by the Director or designate and subsequently by the Principal, in consultation with the School Council and with pre-approved parental consent.<\/p>\n

Again he made a request to distribute Just Pretend.  <\/i>However the District School Board of Niagara refused the request for two reasons:  first, while the Board is entitled to sponsor the study of all religions without imposing the view of any particular religion \u2013 atheism is not a religion.  Second, the book Just Pretend <\/i>is not a \u201cglobally recognized sacred text or authoritative source of any religion.  Rather it was a \u201csecondary publication.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Mr. Chouinard commenced a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal that the Board policy discriminated against him and his child with respect to services because of \u201ccreed,\u201d contrary to s. 1 of the Human Rights Code.[3]<\/b><\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

The tribunal was of the view that \u201c\u2018creed\u2019 in the Code<\/i> includes a prohibition on discrimination because a person is atheist\u2026. The purpose of prohibiting discrimination in employment, services and the other social areas in the Code<\/i> because one rejects one, many or all religions\u2019 beliefs and practices or believes there is no deity.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

The tribunal correctly noted that within the Charter <\/i>concept of \u201cFreedom of Religion\u201d is the protection of \u201cexpressions and manifestations of religious non-belief and refusals to participate in religious practice.\u201d[5]<\/a>  The Board argued that atheism did not fit the definition of religion as defined by the Supreme Court in the \u201cAmselem\u201d<\/i>[6]<\/a>decision which said that the person claiming a religious protection must show that:<\/p>\n

he or she has a practice or belief, having a nexus with religion, which calls for a particular line of conduct, either by being objectively or subjectively obligatory or customary, or by, in general, subjectively engendering a personal connection with the divine or with the subject or object of an individual\u2019s spiritual faith, irrespective of whether a particular practice or belief is required by official religious dogma or is in conformity with the position of religious officials.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

The tribunal rejected the Board\u2019s interpretation of the law by noting a long line of Canadian case law and international legal norms that specifically protect those who have no religious beliefs as part of the concept of \u201cfreedom of religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The confusion, it appears to me, arises from a number of factors:  first, the Human Rights Code uses the term \u201ccreed\u201d as opposed to \u201creligion.\u201d  Query whether \u201creligion\u201d and \u201ccreed\u201d are one in the same?  Second, section 2(a) Charter jurisprudence, while relevant, nevertheless comes from a slightly different perspective than the Code.  The Charter is concerned with the \u201cstate action toward citizen\u201d (or public) context whereas the Code is concerned with the \u201ccitizen toward citizen\u201d (or private) context. Third, the Charter also has the word \u201cconscience\u201d which the Code does not have.  Thus, the Charter protection includes both \u201creligion\u201d and \u201cconscience.\u201d  Therefore, the issue of protecting atheists should never be a problem in Charter litigation, because Charter language and the jurisprudence is broader in allowing for protection of non-belief.<\/p>\n

While the Code uses the term \u201ccreed,\u201d this decision makes it clear that the word \u201ccreed\u201d goes beyond the concept of religion (having to do with a system of belief dealing with the divine) to believing that there is no divine.<\/p>\n

Mr. Chouinard and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association argued that there should be no religious activities at the school, even after regular classroom time, because by doing so the school was indoctrinating children and that those children who were not permitted by their parents to participate would be singled out.  The tribunal rejected that argument and did not see any discrimination arising from the practise of sending home parental consent forms.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo find that there can be no promotion of religious ideas or practices in public schools for those who want to participate in them would be to prohibit activities like optional religious clubs in high schools or the provision of prayer rooms,\u201d the Tribunal noted and then continued,<\/p>\n

In my view, the Code<\/i> ensures equality because of creed, but does not ban creed from all public spaces.  Indeed, such a policy could be contrary to Code<\/i> values of diversity and inclusion.  Creed-based activities outside the classroom need not be eliminated, so long as participation is optional, no pressure is applied on students to participate, the school is neutral and it makes clear that it is facilitating such optional activities for all creeds, not promoting any particular creed.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

In the end the Tribunal found the Board policy did not ensure neutrality.  Its lack of clarity led to inconsistency.  If the Board is to have a policy of handing out religious material it must make an effort to encourage a diversity of literature and awareness of the policy. The Code<\/i> requires that all creeds be permitted to distribute material with parental consent to the student.  The material cannot be limited by \u201crecognized sacred texts.\u201d  \u201cThe restriction to sacred or foundational texts excludes some creeds and is therefore discriminatory.  The requirement that there be \u201cglobal recognition\u201d may also have the effect of excluding emerging or non-traditional creeds.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/p>\n

The Tribunal has given the Board six months to develop a new policy that meets the Code <\/i>requirements.<\/p>\n

This decision, correctly in my view, ensures that atheists are protected from discrimination.  Most students of philosophy and history would agree that the concept of \u201cfreedom of religion\u201d has long held to that position.  Indeed the title of United Nations Special Rapporteur of \u201cFreedom of Religion or Belief\u201d \u2013 is indicative that there are belief\u2019s that may not fit the definition of \u201creligion\u201d but are nevertheless protected.<\/p>\n

To the extent that this tribunal decision recognizes the protection of atheists from discrimination is laudable.  However, it would be troubling to view this decision as suggesting \u201catheism\u201d is a \u201creligion.\u201d  The Supreme Court of Canada, as noted above, recognizes \u201creligion\u201d as a system of worship or veneration toward a divine or spiritual object.  There are many \u201creligions\u201d of course; some even suggest that hockey is a religion for some.[10]<\/a>  However, I suggest that if we constantly widen the definition of \u201creligion\u201d then we lose our ability to understand what we mean by the term.<\/p>\n

There is a distinct difference between saying, \u201cMy non-religious belief ought to be protected under the legal concept known as \u2018freedom of religion,\u2019\u201d and saying \u201cMy non-religious belief is my \u2018religion.\u2019\u201d  That may be acceptable in a personal context \u2013 using the term \u201creligion\u201d as one\u2019s worldview.  However, in law we need to be more precise \u2013 \u201creligion\u201d must not be a catchall for everything we want it to be.  It must be distinct.  That is what the SCC in Amselem <\/i>tried to do.  It is helpful to have such distinctions because it allows us to see the difference when another claim comes around.<\/p>\n

Atheists need the same protection as religionists do \u2013 no question about that.  But to say that Atheism is a “religion” as understood in Charter jurisprudence \u2013 I beg to differ.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> R.C. v. District School Board of Niagara<\/i> 2013 HRTO 1382 at para. 14.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

[2]<\/a> R.C. v. District School Board of Niagara<\/i> 2013 HRTO 1382 at para. 20.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/a> Human Rights Code<\/i>, R.S.O. 1990, c. H. 19.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[4]<\/a> R.C. v. District School Board of Niagara<\/i> 2013 HRTO 1382 at para. 30.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[5]<\/a> R.C. v. District School Board of Niagara<\/i> 2013 HRTO 1382 at para. 33, quoting R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., <\/i>[1985] 1 SCR 295 at para. 123.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[6]<\/a> Syndicat Northwest v. Amselem, <\/i>[2004] 2 S.C.R. 551.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[7]<\/a> Syndicat Northwest v. Amselem, <\/i>[2004] 2 S.C.R. 551 at para. 56.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[8]<\/a> R.C. v. District School Board of Niagara<\/i> 2013 HRTO 1382 at para. 60.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[9]<\/a> R.C. v. District School Board of Niagara<\/i> 2013 HRTO 1382 at para. 68.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[10]<\/a> http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2010\/01\/29\/us-olympics-ice-hockey-canada-idUSTRE60S00G20100129<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rene Chouinard is an atheist. As a parent he teaches his child that she need not fear the gods of religion. In fact, he advocates that every child be given the opportunity to read Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children. 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English garden with many paths leading to a number of \u201crooms\u201d where one may sit down and stay awhile admiring the unique characteristics of the setting.\u00a0 Each \u201croom\u201d allows for reflection on a specific characteristic of the law and religion\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"law and religion\"","block_context":{"text":"law and religion","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/law-and-religion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Old English Garden,GreenbankParkLiverpool","src":"\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/800px-Old_English_Garden_Greenbank_Park_Liverpool-300x225.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24674,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2017\/01\/23\/the-legal-revolution-against-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":15184,"position":2},"title":"The Legal Revolution Against Religion","author":"cccc","date":"January 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For centuries the law in western countries has accommodated religious 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There are many examples, such as the law allowing a Sikh boy to wear a kirpan when he attends school despite the rule that says no knife can be taken to school; or a Hutterite who does\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"law and religion\"","block_context":{"text":"law and religion","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/law-and-religion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix_-_La_libert%C3%A9_guidant_le_peuple-300x237.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15482,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2013\/09\/12\/revisiting-the-role-of-religion-in-canadian-society\/","url_meta":{"origin":15184,"position":3},"title":"Revisiting the Role of Religion In Canadian Society","author":"cccc","date":"September 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The recent discussion about the Quebec government\u2019s proposal to force religious minorities working in the Quebec civil service to remove their religious symbols has generated an avalanche of anti-religious comments to the news articles.\u00a0 Religion clearly is a sensitive subject \u2013 one ought to walk carefully, it seems, about expressing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Law and Religion"","block_context":{"text":"Law and Religion","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/law-and-religion-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15030,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2013\/08\/05\/law-and-religion-study-centres-from-around-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":15184,"position":4},"title":"Law and Religion Study Centres From Around the World","author":"cccc","date":"August 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Law and Religion Study Centres From Around the World Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (Georgetown University) Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life\u00a0(Boston College) Center for Law and Religion (St. John\u2019s University School of Law) Center for the Study of Law and Religion\u00a0(Emory University School of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"law and religion\"","block_context":{"text":"law and religion","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/law-and-religion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14931,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2013\/08\/28\/bussey-attends-law-and-religion-studies-conference-in-richmond-virginia\/","url_meta":{"origin":15184,"position":5},"title":"Bussey Attends Law and Religion Studies Conference in Richmond, Virginia","author":"cccc","date":"August 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I had the privilege of attending the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ICLARS) conference held on the campus of The College of William and Mary and on the campus of the University of Virginia.\u00a0Legal scholars from around the world gathered to present papers on their research,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Law and Religion"","block_context":{"text":"Law and Religion","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/category\/law-and-religion-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_2571 (960x1280)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/IMG_2571-960x1280-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p30X8p-3WU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15184\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15184"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=15184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}