Canada’s commitment to upholding religious freedom is the second-most important thing the country can do for religious liberty, according to a new study.
The report, commissioned by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and conducted by the University of Toronto’s Schulich Institute for Religion, Politics and Policy, shows Canada ranks sixth out of 10 nations in its ability to provide a fair and open exchange of ideas about religious matters, and is the only country to achieve that goal with greater than 60 per cent of its citizens agreeing.
The report also finds that the average Canadian believes religion should be protected from government interference in public life, as well as from government discrimination against religion.
The research is based on data collected in 2013 by the Schulichi Institute for Religious and Ethical Studies, an organization that promotes freedom of expression, thought and belief in Canada.
The findings were released on Wednesday during the second day of the National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa, hosted by the prime minister and other leaders.
The Schulieich Institute’s study found Canadians have a very strong sense of personal faith, and that their religion should remain protected from interference by the state.
“Our country is in a state of religious freedom.
But, we must continue to fight for the freedom of our religion to flourish and thrive and flourish in a democratic and secular society,” said Andrew MacDougall, the president of the Schuley Institute.
The study found more than two-thirds of Canadians support religious freedom, and nearly half think their government should allow people to hold their own religious beliefs, including the right to express them privately.
That’s in line with recent polling that found support for religious freedom has increased in Canada in recent years, with the number of Canadians who believe that religion should not be allowed to influence public policy more than doubling in the past decade.
“We have a strong commitment to religious freedom in this country.
But we also believe we need to be careful about what we do about the state and what we allow it to do to religious freedoms,” MacDougal said.
“We want to make sure that we’re not allowing the state to impose its religious beliefs on the public.”
The report shows that Canadian Muslims have the highest rate of religious tolerance in the country, and the most faithfulness in their lives.
They also hold the highest levels of religious observance.
“I believe we have a good chance to reach this consensus in Canada and we need each other,” said Mohamed Hussen, a senior fellow at the Schuleman Institute at the University, of Canada, and one of the authors of the study.
Hussen said religious tolerance is a core value of Canada’s democracy, and a major reason that the country has a robust religious community.
“Canada has one of most tolerant societies in the world, and it has become increasingly tolerant, and Canadians have an important role to play in that,” Hussen said.
“There are a lot of Canadians with very different religious views, but the vast majority of them share the same values and they all believe in the same fundamental principles.
And so I think that is very important for us to build a society that is tolerant, that is not hostile to the idea of different religious beliefs.”
