I have no wish to insert myself into the back and forth between Kenneth Kully and Doris Wrench Eisler, but I do want to correct a couple of mistakes and false assertions in Mr Kully’s letter, “Real Morality – Loving Your Enemies And Helping Them – Is A Radical Concept,” Aug. 22 – including the lazy and tiresome trope of conflating secularism and atheism with the atrocities of communist and totalitarian regimes, and the actual meanings of “atheism” and “secularism.”
“Atheism” is a position that there are no gods. That’s it. Atheism does not speak to whether religion is good or bad. Whether we should have religion or not have religion. There is no dogma. No call to action. No behaviours that must be adhered to. It is simply a position that there are no gods.
“Secularism” is the assertion that the state should be neutral on matters of religion. Not for religion. Not against religion. Simply that “the true neutrality of the state presupposes abstention in the matter of spirituality.” That isn’t just my opinion. That is the opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada in its 2015 Saguenay ruling – and it’s exactly this position on secularism that PROTECTS religious freedom.
The SCOC goes on to say, “The pursuit of the ideal of a free and democratic society requires the state to encourage everyone to participate freely in public life regardless of their beliefs. A neutral public space free from coercion, pressure and judgment on the part of public authorities in matters of spirituality is intended to protect every person’s freedom and dignity, and it helps preserve and promote the multicultural nature of Canadian society.” That is “secularism.”
At which point one may be moved to ask, “How does believing that the state should be neutral in the matter of religion, and not believing in gods, cause communist states to murder millions of human beings?” The answer to which is, of course — it doesn't.
Despite attempts by some of those of faith to claim moral superiority, study after study shows atheists are just as moral.
There is a correlation that Mr. Kully may be interested in though. And that is study after study showing that the more secular/less religious a country is, the better a place it is to live.
Luke Fevin, St. Albert
