Editor,
On Friday last week, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against a Christian law school starting, due to Trinity Western University’s community covenant that upholds, among many other things, traditional marriage.
As an immigrant and now resident of this wonderful nation of diversity, I am deeply saddened by this decision.
On Friday, Canada became a little less diverse, a little less free, a little less pluralistic and a little less tolerant. As a parent, I teach my children to respect diversity of thought, and to learn from other views related to life, marriage, and liberty. This not only develops their critical thinking but this is how civility is cultivated.
We all need frequent engagements with people who hold different views on life because compassion and tolerance depends on the existence of difference and disagreement. Intolerance and incivility shut us down and move us to the margins of society. Consequently, the public space becomes stagnant and we all lose the opportunity to thrive as human beings.
So, although I am saddened by Friday’s Supreme Court decision, I am also optimistic that diversity will ultimately reign and all people will be invited and welcomed to the table of dialog and decision making.
Matt Etherington,
Langley, B.C.
