Canada's army bans prayers and mentions of God
A new directive recommends that Canadian military personnel use neutral «spiritual reflections» instead of religious addresses, in order to accommodate the beliefs of atheists.
The Canadian Armed Forces have approved a new directive for official events, under which military chaplains are recommended to refrain from mentioning God during public ceremonies. Instead of traditional prayers, they are encouraged to use so-called «spiritual reflections». This is reported by the National Post.
According to the document, such addresses must be free of religious terminology and are ostensibly to focus on universal human values, life experience, gratitude, hope, and mutual support. The new rules apply to military parades, award ceremonies, changes of command, graduation events, and other official occasions where the attendance of military personnel is mandatory.
The acting Chief Chaplain of the Canadian Armed Forces, Sean Yaskiw, stated that the purpose of the new measure is «to ensure that everyone present feels that their beliefs are respected, including atheists».
The new directive has already drawn criticism from representatives of the Conservative Party of Canada. Shadow Minister of Defence James Bezan called it yet another instance of government interference in matters of freedom of religion, while MP Andrew Lawton described the document as «absolutely outrageous».
As the National Post notes, the leadership of the Canadian military explains the changes by the need to maintain the state's religious neutrality and to create an inclusive environment for service members with diverse worldviews. At the same time, according to the 2021 review of the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service, 61% of Canadian military personnel identify as believers.
As the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported, Canada is set to exclude religious beliefs from its hate speech law.
