Canadian Secular Alliance (CSA) Meeting
The Canadian Secular Alliance is interested in political issues touching on church-state separation, the integrity of science in government and education, equality rights for non-believers and freedom of speech, the press and free inquiry.
Meetings are held every first and third Monday at 8:30 pm via skype/phone or contact jtrottier@cficanada.ca if you wish to join in person at our CFI office. Visit www.secularalliance.ca for more information To find out how you can be added to our discussion e-mail list or attend our meetings, please contact us at:research@secularalliance.ca
The Canadian Secular Alliance is a non-profit, public policy think-tank advancing church-state separation and the neutrality of government in matters of religion. The CSA believes in church-state separation - the idea that the government of Canada should not favour one religion over others, or religious belief over non-belief. Our goal is not to promote atheism - rather, our commitment is to liberal-democratic principles of equality, fairness, and justice for all under the law, regardless of religious belief or lack thereof. The CSA is always actively seeking the involvement of more Canadians who support our objective of church-state separation.
Who We Are
The CSA is a voluntary organization of Canadian citizens that holds the position that religions (belief systems allegedly derived from celestial and invisible and scientifically undetectable supernatural entities) are not essential to morality, good social organization and the rule of law, or political will. CSA supports the proposition that humans are born with the innate capacity to develop a conscience and to govern themselves accordingly, and that such conscience does not derive from adoption of religious dogma. With respect to religious beliefs and government, CSA advocates government free from religious dogma, upholding equality to all, regardless of religious belief or lack thereof.
Mission Statement
CSA is dedicated to the promulgation, through media, through political action and through public discourse of the propositions that reason and skeptical inquiry are the guiding principles by which humanity should govern itself, that the scientific method is the best basis on which reality can be measured and understood, and that moral order in society is obtained through the appropriate application of these propositions.
CSA is opposed to the preferential treatment that society accords to religion and works to expose the falsity of this preference and redress it with secular concepts of fairness.
CSA will primarily focus on issues of interest to the non-religious, including atheists, agnostics, and humanists, as there exists no other organization to oppose prejudice and indifference displayed towards individuals, groups, associations and organizations holding these non-religious views; however, CSA will advocate equal and fair treatment on behalf of others who do not share its world view.
CSA will form alliances with religious organizations to bring about social or legal change where common interests prevail.
CSA Objectives for Public Policy change
Substantive objectives:
1) equality in the marketplace of ideas, by eliminating the public subsidy to organized religion (via the granting of charitable status for the purpose of “advancing religion”)
2) a single, publicly funded, secular school system, by eliminating public financing of religious schools
3) freedom of expression for all, by removing the power of “Human Rights” agencies to censor speech (either the expression of religious opinions, or the criticism of religious opinions)
4) equality for all under the law, by not granting exemptions, special privileges and extraordinary religious accommodation based on religious belief
Symbolic objectives:
1) secularization of government operations, by eliminating the recitation of prayers as official business in legislatures and city council meetings
2) freedom of religion, by removing “blasphemous libel” from the criminal code of Canada
3) secularization of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, by removing the reference to God from its preamble
4) secularization of Canada’s national anthem, by removing its reference to God