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Freedom Party of Ontario

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For immediate release


Prayer in the Ontario Legislature

Ontario's Tower of Babble
Multiple Prayers in the Legislature a Threat to Reason and Freedom


June 12, 2008, Toronto
- Freedom Party leader Paul McKeever today condemned Ontario MPPs' decision today to say more prayers as part of the daily law-making proceedings in the Ontario Legislature.

"The correct decision would have been to take all prayers out of the proceedings", said McKeever.  "Prayer is a personal matter, and has no business being inserted into the law-making process.

"The issue here is not about whether people say prayers before engaging in the legislative process. Outside of the official proceedings of the Legislature, MPPs can do that, themselves or in groups, if they choose to do so.  The real issue is that some people want prayers said aloud, and as part of the official ceremony of legislating.

"Given that such people are not prevented from praying, the only plausible motivation for having everyone say a prayer aloud and in unison is: for the state to declare that it officially reveres an alleged supernatural being, and that it is guided by - or obedient to - the ethical commandments allegedly made by said being.

"Adding more prayers, from different faiths, will have the effect of having the provincial government continue to declare that it reveres several/all supernatural beings, and that it is guided by/obedient to the ethical commandments allegedly being made by all of those beings. But it is impossible actually to set one moral compass simultaneously in accordance with the conflicting dogma offered by differing religions, and even those who today voted for multiple prayers to be said know this. The only possible and achievable goal of saying multiple prayers from different religions is: to declare that, in making law-making decisions, the legislature will consider supernatural commandments to be a source of authority about what policies should and should not be adopted.  What the MPP's did today, was to pander to those who want government to be subservient to, and answerable to, an alleged god. 

"Perhaps owing to most Christians’ allowance that one should render only unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, rational investigation of the facts of reality has been possible in the west, and knowledge and wealth have grown relatively well. However, the possibility of rational thought and free action arose despite, not because of, religious beliefs and public chanting of the Lord’s Prayer. In the many countries, where religions have been less tolerant of rational, independent thought, the growth of knowledge and wealth has been relatively slowed or completely stunted. As proponents of a growing number of religions move to Ontario, it is more important than ever that Ontario’s government declare that it is not under, accountable to, or obedient to, anyone’s alleged supernatural being. By adding more prayers from more religions, we are now officially sanctioning the notion that our government must comply with the whims even of alleged supernatural beings who forbid rationality, who condemn knowledge as a forbidden fruit, or who condemn wealth creation while praising self-sacrifice.

"This issue is not over.  The problem of mixing supernaturalism with law-making has been made worse.  If we want Ontario to remain a place in which everyone is free to think as they wish, and to engage in consensual activities of their choice; to dress and eat and express themselves as they wish; to think for themselves, and to question aloud both alleged authority and dogma; to engage in rational efforts to discover knowledge and develop technologies; to pursue their own happiness; if that is the sort of Ontario we wish to retain, then we must make it clear to people of all faiths that our legislature’s “moral compass” is not set or determined by anyone’s religious beliefs. We cannot simultaneously make such a declaration and maintain the practice of praying aloud to one or more allegedly supernatural beings.  We must remove prayer from the official proceedings of the Legislature.

"It seems reasonable, instead, for those who are about to regulate our lives to take a moment to reflect on the gravity of what they are doing. A minute or two of silence would facilitate that purpose quite well, and should replace the saying of any prayer or any public recognition of the allegedly supernatural.


For further details, contact Freedom Party leader, Paul McKeever:

Office: 905-721-9772
e-mail: pmckeever@freedomparty.on.ca
website: freedomparty.on.ca


This media release distributed to all major news media.


Freedom Party of Ontario
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Tel: 1-800-830-3301
web: https://freedomparty.on.ca