麻豆AV

A sign placed in downtown 麻豆AV caused a stir ahead of the holiday season this December. 

Each year, the Knights of Columbus put up a nativity scene display as part of the downtown Christmas decorations. The Knights go through a permitting process to do this, according to the City of 麻豆AV. 

This year, a sign saying 鈥淜eep Christ in Christmas鈥� was part of the display, causing concern among some people in the community, including the 麻豆AV Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists Association (KASHA). 

According to the city, the sign wasn鈥檛 part of the permit. It was taken down on Tuesday, Dec. 10. 

On Monday, Dec. 9, (KASHA) expressed in a letter that it understands the nativity scene is part of Christmas symbols like 鈥渓ights, festive trees, and other decorative displays.鈥� But KASHA had concerns with the 鈥淜eep Christ in Christmas鈥� sign. 

鈥淭his message is not merely festive 鈥� it is political, advocating for a specific religious interpretation of the holiday,鈥� said KASHA in its letter to Black Press Media. 

鈥淚t may appear inoffensive and inconsequential for the city to endorse one religion so overtly. But it is important to understand that this does impact people of other faiths, and people who have no religious beliefs. It makes them feel less Canadian.鈥� 

The Knights of Columbus has no comment regarding the matter. 

Two days later, on Dec. 12, the conversation around the sign continued, as 麻豆AV-Centre MLA Kristina Loewen went to social media to express her opinion. 

鈥淲e believe that it鈥檚 an important detail that Christmas is a Christian holiday,鈥� said Loewen in her video, referring to 鈥榳e鈥� as all of the MLAs for the Central Okanagan. 

鈥淲e will be standing united and defending all British Columbians rights to religion and freedom of expression, speech, thought, belief,鈥� she added. 

鈥淐anada is an incredible country full of diverse cultures and religions, and a wide variety of views, and I think that鈥檚 one of the things that makes us so incredible.鈥� 

麻豆AV-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong agreed with her fellow Conservative, quote-tweeting the video and saying 鈥渁 great message from a colleague and friend. I鈥檓 proud to be part of a team that stands for what鈥檚 right.鈥� 

Macklin McCall, MLA for West 麻豆AV, also quote-tweeted Loewen鈥檚 post. 麻豆AV-Mission MLA Gavin Dew appears to not have commented on social media but reached out to Capital News. 

鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be divisive to say that Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday marking the rededication of the Second Temple. Vaisakhi is a Sikh holiday commemorating the creation of the Khalsa. These are simply factual statements. While we鈥檙e at it, Labour Day recognizes the contributions of workers, and Remembrance Day honours those who gave their lives in services,鈥� said Dew. 

鈥淲hether you light advent candles or incense or diyas or a menorah 鈥� or none of the above 鈥� the great thing about religious freedom in Canada is that we can acknowledge and respect and join in each other鈥檚 traditions if we choose to do so.鈥� 

Capital News reached out to Loewen for further comment but was met with an automatic e-mail reply. Additionally, the City of 麻豆AV stated it had no comment on Loewen鈥檚 video. 

However, Ian Bushfield the executive director of the B.C. Humanist Association did have a comment. 

鈥淔reedom of religion in Canada includes freedom from religion,鈥� said Bushfield in an e-mailed statement. 鈥淢s. Loewen and all Christians are obviously free to celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday but our governments have a clear duty of religious neutrality. That means neither endorsing nor prohibiting any religion over any other. That sign, and arguably even the nativity scene, being on public property breaches that duty. She can put the sign up at her church or at her own house but we do not live in a theocracy.鈥� 

Bushfield has previously stated that BCHA is an organization committed to secular values. 

鈥淧art of that is the separation of religion and government,鈥� said Bushfield. 

The City of 麻豆AV also said it received five letters on the matter when the sign was up but none after the taken down. 

This was 麻豆AV most read story of the year.