JÄGER: Preserving 'Christian values' is our best hope of keeping Canada strong, free, and secular

The co-chair of the Vancouver Police Board was recently asked to resign over posts she shared making the case for the upholding of "Christian values" in Canada. Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba, a Nigerian-Canadian with a background in diversity, equity, and inclusion, went off on those trying to erode this country's culture, and questioned why everyone was just letting it happen.."I don't recognize my country anymore," she lamented. "The friendly smiles, courteous service, and even the simple 'sorry' when someone bumps into you — traits that used to define our culture — are now fading away."To highlight her point, Sakoma-Fadugba explained that her son had been invited to participate in a Diwali celebration at school, and argued that this was simply the first step on a slippery slope towards Hinduism becoming "the dominant cultural influence" in Canada. She noted that she had "nothing against Hinduism," but that, "if I want an Indian experience, I'll go to India.""What I want for Canada is to remain true to its own roots — rooted in its unique values and identity, which is what has always made us who we are," she continued, making the case that Christianity should remain "dominant."While I disagree with the claim that others should leave their celebrations at home and assimilate entirely into the dominant culture, she is otherwise spot on. The fact that she ended up resigning as a result of this is outrageous, and should concern anyone with even the slightest desire to see this country continue existing.I'm an atheist. While I yearn for a secular world, we're not there yet, and religion still influences many aspects of society. So long as this is the case, holding on to what have been deemed Christian values is our best bet for achieving a civilization in which everyone, regardless of their beliefs, can thrive.Respect, humility, loyalty, responsibility; these are just some of the values Sakoma-Fadugba was referring to. They have long underpinned Canadian society, and came to do so in large part due to the fact that many of those who built this country were Christian. Those values have withstood the test of time, as have Christian cultural events on our calendars, together helping create the society we enjoy living in today. Christianity has done a better job than most other religions in keeping up with the times, and that is exemplified in the fact that the most progressive societies exist in places where Christianity was, and is, the dominant belief system. Of course there are exceptions, where hardline Christian fundamentalists have based their policies on interpretations of the faith from hundreds of years ago, but that's not the point. Anyone arguing for a return to that has no place in modern society and should go live out their archaic fantasies on a remote island with their fellow believers.Many of the good values in question have had their ties to religion severed over the years, and simply became secular staples of Canadian life. Sadly, they have been exploited by those for whom equal footing is not enough. For a number of reasons, including guilt, perhaps, we have watched the inclusion of other celebrations and beliefs in our society — which have undoubtedly enriched our cultural fabric — come at the expense of those that were long dominant.It's silly to me that openly celebrating Christmas as a Christian occasion is seen as potentially problematic while all other religion's special days are fêted sans problème. We should all be sharing our cultural heritage with others, not hiding it to avoid being viewed as oppressive or other such nonsense.As a cultural Christian, I go to church and read the Bible on December 24, and while I may not believe in God or the stories in the book, I appreciate what they represent. I don't expect non-Christians to do so, but I at least want them to understand the holiday. I try to do the same.My Persian fiancé and her family have all embraced Christmas while at the same time holding on to their culturally significant events. Just days before Christmas, for example, we all get together to celebrate Yalda, and I take great pleasure in learning about and participating in all the rich traditions it entails. At the end of the day, however, everyone accepts the fact that only one of the two holidays is included on the national calendar.In pretty much every other pluralistic nation in the world, there is a dominant culture that provides the foundation of society which is then built upon and improved by those who come after. Why we have insisted on destroying that foundation here in Canada, I will never understand. If we keep trying to add more to our current crumbling cultural substrate, it will no doubt fall apart. Who knows what may be left standing when the dust settles…

JÄGER: Preserving 'Christian values' is our best hope of keeping Canada strong, free, and secular

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