Tópico: Skepticism in Canada

[Poindexter]

I'm not the real author of this message and of the topic. The real author is Fernando, but his text was in portuguese and he asked me to translate it and post here.

Here we go...

"Galileo, how canadians deal with skepticism? Are there skeptical organizations in Canada? Are people encouraged to develop their critical sense? Do you know canadian skeptics? Do you also have skeptical forums or websites?

The brazilian people is not encouraged to develop critical sense, and most of it believe in unproved or even proved to be false “popular knowledge” without questioning. In spite of that, some still stand with their critical sense."

[Unbedeutend_F_Organisch]

and Catholic Church or Gospel TV

(Oh shit! Brazil will never a good country for skeptics and rationalists)

[Unbedeutend_F_Organisch]

I never believe in promises...

There is good reasons for rationalists/atheists get(correct use?) the weapons now(according The Atheist Militia)

[Unbedeutend_F_Organisch]

Ele non eccziste !

Translate:

He don not ezzist!

[Buckaroo Banzai]

While Galileo doesn't answer that, I'll pass the link to this humanist-atheist canadian organization I've seen just other day:
http://bchumanist.ca/

I know nothing about them, I was just wandering through nearly random links

[Galileo]

I think Canada is probably much like Brazil in this regard.

We do have a Canadian Skeptics organization, but it's not very big. There is also a Canadian Skeptics Forum.

It is not a high priority of our education system to produce "critical thinkers". Politicians are naturally afraid of critical thinkers. The public education system does teach science, and not creationism, but there are many private schools and a publicly-financed   Catholic school system where creationist ideas are taught.

At the university level, most of our institutions have excellent science programs.

Our provincial governments are also much too friendly to pseudoscience. In some cases they recognize and license practitioners of scientifically-unproven treatments such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, and herbalism. These treatments are popular particularly with our large immigrant population.

[Südenbauer]

I am made an impression!  I always am astonished with the educative system of Canada, always I admire in as the people obtains, to be liberal and at the same time being an exemplary citizen.

It is not a high priority of our education system to produce "critical thinkers". Politicians are naturally afraid of critical thinkers. The public education system does teach science, and not creationism

This is a big conquist! In Brazil the evolucionism is teach. But,  state in our country exists that teaches the creationism.  The governor (Rosinha Mateus) of this state affirms that its grandmother was not a monkey and that the creationism is a better option.  

Obs: I don't know speak english, sorry...

[Südenbauer]

The Stade of Canada is separate of the Church?

[Poindexter]

The Stade of Canada is separate of the Church?

Well... Elizabeth II is the leader of the Anglican Church, (as prince Charles may be when he gets the crown, William after him...)

[Poindexter]

Note for Galileo: I don't know if you already know it, but the main religion in Brazil is the Roman Catolicism. More than half of the brazilian people follow this religion (but a lot of them mix their catholic  beliefs with other religions' ones...)

[n/a]

And the number of alternative Christian Churches is growing. And, is some of them, there are accusations of appropriation of the members' money for the leaders of them.

PS: Sorry for my bad english.  

[Südenbauer]

Exists a significant amount of atheists in Canada? How the atheists are considered in the Canada? Here it has much preconception.

[Südenbauer]

And the number of alternative Christian Churches is growing. And, is some of them, there are accusations of appropriation of the members' money for the leaders of them.

PS: Sorry for my bad english.  

 

[n/a]

Don't laugh, this is very lamentable.  

[Galileo]

Here are some interesting statistics about Canadians:

61 % believe in God
28 % say religion is very important to them
21 % attend a religious service weekly
58 % are in favour of same-sex marriage
20 % believe that extraterrestrials visit Earth on a regular basis.
76 % approve using human embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization for stem-cell research into improved treatment of diseases.
70 % of Canadians doubt their country will exist as an independent state 25 years from now.
9 % trust their daily horoscope.
85 % say they've never had sex in a public place.

There is no formal, constitutional, separation of Church and State in Canada (unlike the USA). There are explicit references to "God" in our constitution and our national anthem.

But religious organizations have far less influence on government here than in the USA. Our political leaders are mostly Roman Catholics, but they seem to be sensitive to the many Canadians who are not Catholic or are not religious at all, because they do not generally try to force their Church's morality on everyone.

For example, when our old law against abortion was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, the government did not pass a new law, but rather was content to leave the issue of abortion up to the individual conscience.

[Alenônimo]

Here are some interesting statistics about Canadians:

61 % believe in God
28 % say religion is very important to them
21 % attend a religious service weekly
58 % are in favour of same-sex marriage
20 % believe that extraterrestrials visit Earth on a regular basis.
76 % approve using human embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization for stem-cell research into improved treatment of diseases.
70 % of Canadians doubt their country will exist as an independent state 25 years from now.
9 % trust their daily horoscope.
85 % say they've never had sex in a public place.

There is no formal, constitutional, separation of Church and State in Canada (unlike the USA). There are explicit references to "God" in our constitution and our national anthem.

But religious organizations have far less influence on government here than in the USA. Our political leaders are mostly Roman Catholics, but they seem to be sensitive to the many Canadians who are not Catholic or are not religious at all, because they do not generally try to force their Church's morality on everyone.

For example, when our old law against abortion was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, the government did not pass a new law, but rather was content to leave the issue of abortion up to the individual conscience.

I guess the french influence of laicism must have a work on Canada.

PS: I was awful in english now?

[Südenbauer]

French is a country with more atheists in world. I think.

[Osias]

70 % of Canadians doubt their country will exist as an independent state 25 years from now.

I am entirely on the dark, here. I never heard of such a thing! Why they think so?

[Galileo]

70 % of Canadians doubt their country will exist as an independent state 25 years from now.

I am entirely on the dark, here. I never heard of such a thing! Why they think so?

They believe Canada will become the 51st state of the USA!  

More trivia about Canada:

Between 1970 and 2000 the number of Catholic priests declined from 21,191 to 9,832.

Among Roman Catholics, attendance at church has been declining. In Quebec province, which used to be the most Catholic of all, church attendance dropped from 88% to 20% between 1950 and 2000. In the rest of Canada, it dropped from 75% to 32% in the same period.

[Alenônimo]

Whoa! I'm going to Canada!

[Südenbauer]

Whoa! I'm going to Canada!

And the French?  

[Alenônimo]

Canada has an nice french influence...

[Osias]

70 % of Canadians doubt their country will exist as an independent state 25 years from now.

I am entirely on the dark, here. I never heard of such a thing! Why they think so?

They believe Canada will become the 51st state of the USA!  

Uh... is it just an urban legend, right?

[Rodion]

well, i don't think it would get that far. really, galileo? that's something i didn't know.

[Galileo]

well, i don't think it would get that far. really, galileo? that's something i didn't know.

I hope you are right! Most Canadians don't want to be part of the USA, but there is a minority who would be happier to be Americans than Canadians - they are mostly on the extreme right of politics.

More worrisome, however, is the fact that there are constant pressures on our government to give up our sovereignty bit by bit to the USA. Some of these pressures are external, coming from the USA and their very undiplomatic ambassadors. They want us to do things like "harmonize" our immigration policy with theirs, and adopt the kind of fascistic attacks on civil liberties that they have implemented in the name of "anti-terrorism." They want us to join their "missile defence" program, to make us pay billions of dollars for weapons technology that doesn't work, in order to combat a threat that doesn't exist. They want us to open our borders to their multinational corporations' investments in the name of "globalization" and "free trade." Our government long ago agreed to surrender its right to control the flow of foreign capital into the country, when we signed on to the disastrous NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement.

At the same time there are pressures from within. Some economists argue that we should get rid of our own currency and use the US dollar (nobody listens to them at present because the US dollar has fallen in comparison to our dollar). That would remove our ability to make our own monetary policy. Others want to dismantle important cultural institutions or privatize valuable public institutions, leaving the door wide open for major American corporations to control and dominate our publishing, music, and television industries, as well as transportation, electricity, and resource industries. And of course there are those who believe the USA is the saviour of the world and that Canada should join in their military adventures wherever they decide to invade next.

The fact that so many Canadians doubt that we can remain independent is a reflection of the very real concern we feel towards the powerful forces that want to draw us into the web of the USA.