Banning Religious Freedom

Over the years church members and others who know me have approached me with real concern when I was wearing a clerical collar. "Who died?"  they want to know. I rarely wear the distinctive white-tabbed collar, and it is usually for funerals, so it is a tip-off. At this time of year I wear a short-sleeved clerical shirt and my forearm with the Celtic cross tattoo is plainly visible. Well, what if the time came when it was illegal to wear a symbol of  my role or to display the religious symbol which is my tattoo in public?

It will never happen? I wonder. In Quebec the move is afoot to ban the wearing of any religious symbols by government employees in the workplace. Why is this ban necessary? If they are discreet and appropriate, what is the problem? If these symbols are deemed offensive to the public, why not a universal ban in public places? It  is rather bizarre that crosses and crucifixes are still common in public buildings in Quebec,  they just can't be on a human being. I wonder if this is more about prohibiting the symbols of other religions such as Islam than it is about  symbols in general, but Christianity comes under the legislation.

In the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms we find:

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

• (a) freedom of conscience and religion;
• (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
• (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
• (d) freedom of association.

I listened to a startled and unnerved woman who emigrated to Quebec from Egypt. She said she came here in part for freedom of religion and now wonders if she can stay in the province.

What are your thoughts, good readers? Does this make much sense to you? Will a day come when religious symbols are banned in all places? Would you be willing to stand up for the right to wear your religious symbol?