50 min
Episode 8 On Belief
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- Religion & Spirituality
Episode 8
Religious accommodations – the request for specific considerations on the basis of faith – prove, again and again, to be a source of controversy and, often, hostility. Requesting accommodation in the public school system is the right of every student but as the number of students from religiously observant households increases, there is a growing tension between those who advocate for a “neutral” public space and those who say practicing one’s faith is a fundamental right.
The issue comes up each school year…whether it’s the sex ed curriculum or accommodation for prayers or opting out of Halloween costume parades. A seemingly small request can turn into a public fight about values, fairness, and what it means to be Canadian.
This episode of on belief brings together two people asking similar questions but in different settings.
Suzanne Muir is an equity consultant in Ontario and has worked with public schools for the last two decades. She deals with the day-to-day task of figuring out how people sharing space in public schools can learn to get along despite their differences.
Anver Emon, from the University of Toronto, is also asking this question but he wonders if the answers, perhaps, lie in a complete reimagining of that relationship. What does it mean to be religious? And what does it mean to be public?
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On Belief is a home for conversations about the place of faith in the public sphere. What happens when God meets public life and shapes our culture and politics?
We explore the challenging questions about the role of religion in the 21st century and whether it can exist harmoniously alongside the modern ideals of a secular society.
Episode 8
Religious accommodations – the request for specific considerations on the basis of faith – prove, again and again, to be a source of controversy and, often, hostility. Requesting accommodation in the public school system is the right of every student but as the number of students from religiously observant households increases, there is a growing tension between those who advocate for a “neutral” public space and those who say practicing one’s faith is a fundamental right.
The issue comes up each school year…whether it’s the sex ed curriculum or accommodation for prayers or opting out of Halloween costume parades. A seemingly small request can turn into a public fight about values, fairness, and what it means to be Canadian.
This episode of on belief brings together two people asking similar questions but in different settings.
Suzanne Muir is an equity consultant in Ontario and has worked with public schools for the last two decades. She deals with the day-to-day task of figuring out how people sharing space in public schools can learn to get along despite their differences.
Anver Emon, from the University of Toronto, is also asking this question but he wonders if the answers, perhaps, lie in a complete reimagining of that relationship. What does it mean to be religious? And what does it mean to be public?
--------
On Belief is a home for conversations about the place of faith in the public sphere. What happens when God meets public life and shapes our culture and politics?
We explore the challenging questions about the role of religion in the 21st century and whether it can exist harmoniously alongside the modern ideals of a secular society.
50 min