lenaitch
Army.ca Veteran
- Reaction score
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- Points
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Interesting discussion. I can add little more since I am not nor have ever been in the military tent. It is often difficult to isolate culture from religion in some ceremonies or observances, and I agree that it can be a little awkward or uncomfortable if one is not familiar with the drill. I have attended a couple of Hindu weddings and Catholic services and just try to do what everybody else is doing.
Probably because I don't really think about it much, I'm never quite clear on the concept of 'freedom of religion' vs. 'freedom from religion', and have no clue where Canadian jurisprudence falls on it. The issue seems much more alive in the US. It may be that I'm simply tolerant, or just don't care that much one way or the other. I was raised in the United Church (long since fallen) which has to be one of the blandest, believe-pretty-much-anything-you want' churches.
As Canadian society evolves, it seems like a good thing public body practices evolve along with them, and it sounds like the military is evolving, even though it sounds like the message hasn't reached into all corners yet.. In bygone days in my memory, in the Ontario public service, being a Mason was a good career thing and being Catholic was not and it is a good thing that has long since been eradicated. I suppose the challenge is to not throw out all history and tradition with the bath water. No doubt there is some SJW waiting to demand that all crosses be removed from Commonwealth War Cemeteries. Tradition can often be the sea anchor that keeps an organization from flopping around in the present, but it shouldn't be a boat anchor that drags it down either (poetic huh?). Being from Ontario, I've had fairly minimal involvement with the RCMP, but the one thing I have always admired them for is the place that their history and traditions play.
Probably because I don't really think about it much, I'm never quite clear on the concept of 'freedom of religion' vs. 'freedom from religion', and have no clue where Canadian jurisprudence falls on it. The issue seems much more alive in the US. It may be that I'm simply tolerant, or just don't care that much one way or the other. I was raised in the United Church (long since fallen) which has to be one of the blandest, believe-pretty-much-anything-you want' churches.
As Canadian society evolves, it seems like a good thing public body practices evolve along with them, and it sounds like the military is evolving, even though it sounds like the message hasn't reached into all corners yet.. In bygone days in my memory, in the Ontario public service, being a Mason was a good career thing and being Catholic was not and it is a good thing that has long since been eradicated. I suppose the challenge is to not throw out all history and tradition with the bath water. No doubt there is some SJW waiting to demand that all crosses be removed from Commonwealth War Cemeteries. Tradition can often be the sea anchor that keeps an organization from flopping around in the present, but it shouldn't be a boat anchor that drags it down either (poetic huh?). Being from Ontario, I've had fairly minimal involvement with the RCMP, but the one thing I have always admired them for is the place that their history and traditions play.