Abstract Pierre E. Trudeau observed a ‘golden thread of faith’ was ‘woven throughout the history of Canada’. Indeed, religion has long been part of the public life of Canada; many schools, universities, hospitals and humanitarian aid organizations were founded by religious institutions. In addition, religion is a head of charity because religious institutions by their nature and practice contribute to the common good. Religious institutions fulfil three functions: (1) connect seekers and adherents to the transcendent; (2) provide rites of passage – birth, marriage, death and community; (3) provide care and service to their own and the broader community.

Yet, secular policymakers and academics argue that religious freedom does not apply when religious organizations engage in ‘public’ activities such as education. The logical extension of this position is that religion must remain in the private sphere and that religious freedom only guarantees freedom of worship. This view violates religious protection of the Canadian Charter and international human rights standards; it restricts the positive societal impact of religious institutions; and it brings into question whether religious organisations should have charitable status. This is illustrated in the recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions which permitted a regulatory body to deny accreditation of a Christian law school (Trinity Western University) because of its religious beliefs and practices on marriage. Similar tensions were highlighted when the federal government required religious organisations to agree with its ideology on abortion, marriage and ‘Charter values’ in order to receive student summer job grants. In short, this approach denies religious freedom to adherents in the ‘commons’. That is the very point of religious freedom to begin with. There is collective amnesia on the part of academics and government concerning the ‘golden thread’ running through Canadian society.

Introduction

Religion has long been part of the fabric of Canadian life. Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, in a speech to thousands of believers participating in David Mainse's ‘Salute to Canada’ on Parliament Hill in 1981, acknowledged that the ‘golden thread of faith is woven throughout the history of Canada from its earliest beginnings up to the present time’.

This history has been all but forgotten in today's secular Canada. Several recent examples show that secular policymakers and academics recommend restricting religious activity in order to achieve other secular goals.