Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Bill 60 - Post mortem

The aftermath of Quebec's April 7 election has included all manner of strange and quixotic excuses by the PQ as to the reasons for their resounding loss. Among the items of which we have seen the last is their Charter of Values law, which would have imposed an unconstitutional and illiberal combination of measures that would have been among one of the most extreme regimes of official 'laicite'. Peter Berger has written that this indicates the death of secularism here in Quebec. While I think that is an oversimplification, I agree with his assessment that secularism thrives on an anti-democratic impulse in culture and society. 

I will be discussing this and related matters on Monday in St. John's Newfoundland at St. Bonaventure College's annual Arrupe lecture.

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