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2 - Canada
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2014
Summary
Historically, Christianity has enjoyed a privileged position in shaping Canadian social values through the work of churches and shared Christian ideals. Today, Canada is experiencing the tension between a historical legacy of constitutionally established Christian traditions and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ guarantee of protection and endorsement of religious diversity and freedom. This tension is heightened with increasing secularization, greater religious pluralism as a result of increased immigration, and highly individualized and subjective ways of interpreting meaning. In fact, numerous influences apart from established religious authorities now affect the way Canadians find meaning and form their values. For many people, religious identity, personal values, and one’s sense of purpose in the world are largely diffuse and unrefined notions.
For institutions such as the Canadian Forces (CF), where group cohesion and shared purpose are paramount, differences in values or uncertain values can be problematic on a number of levels. Although military socialization is important for teaching values, some scholars argue that the values people bring with them to the military are far more significant for determining how fully they will embrace the military ethos. As a result, while individuals must commit themselves to upholding “Canadian values” embedded in the Canadian Forces’ codes of conduct and statements of military ethos, they may not always be certain about what this entails and how to do so appropriately.
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- Religion in the Military Worldwide , pp. 45 - 67Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013
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