Canada: Human rights case seeks equal billing for religion and atheism in schools

[Lucy Goosey]

http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/08/29/human-rights-case-seeks-equal-billing-for-religion-and-atheism-in-schools/

Arguing that it is “biased” for his children to be given free Gideon Bibles in class but not free atheist literature, an Ontario father is launching a human rights case that aims to drive the Gideons out of the province’s public schools.
(snip)
Since 1964, the Gideons have offered free red Bibles to Grade 5 students across Canada — provided the students have parental consent. In the Niagara Region, where Mr. Chouinard lives, this takes the form of permission slips distributed by the student’s teacher.

In a protest move in 2010, Mr. Chouinard offered to match the Gideons’ offer with a selection of two non-religious texts. He said it was never his intention to distribute truckloads of atheist literature. Rather, he just wanted the school board to “show its hand,” he said. “It was just so we would have some evidence that [the school board] is not being neutral,” he said. Indeed, when school officials rejected his offer, Mr. Chouinard took his case to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

As a resident of Ontario, I'm definitely interested in the outcome of this Human Rights Tribunal casa. I honestly think, like the plaintiff here, that one of the literature should be distributed, but if the Tribunal decides that they can't ban the Gideons, I hope some atheist group can step up and distribute some literature - the Chouinards obviously aren't going to be able to do it all themselves.

[Kyawaters]

1. children need the Atheist views to stay SANE!

It would do so much for children to learn that it is OK to not believe in God, and actually very intelligent. I think it negatively impacts the brains of children to believe in any God. Believing in God just takes their minds away from rationality, logic, and really away from comfort in their own minds and makes them uncomfortable with their desires. I would love it too if there was atheist schools. I really want to start one up, and plan to, but it will take time.

[hlthe2b]

2. I think what they REALLY need to learn is TOLERANCE for all...

I'd be willing to bet that there are a lot more true agnostics than believers or atheists. And attacking either side as "stupid" hardly helps influence attitudes or beliefs on either side of the spectrum.