Any time when religious expression or communities come up against the secular authority, I cringe inwardly. The level of undeserved respect we’ve granted religion often comes at the expense of both the principles of our country and what is best for society as a whole. So when I read this story, I was very happy:
The B.C. Supreme Court has cancelled the proposed November elections at the Ross Street Gurdwara and has cancelled all temple memberships issued since the last election two years ago. The oral decision by Justice Paul Walker was given earlier this week following an action launched by Sikh Youth Vancouver, which claimed the registration process by which members are allowed to vote was neither fair nor transparent.
This is how all organizations should work – they can set their rules, but when those rules violate the law they are held accountable to the courts. The courts should implement a ruling based on the law, without making any concessions for the oh-so-sensitive feelings of believers (nor being biased against them because they are believers). Now if only we could export a bit of this jurisprudence to the Quebec Supreme Court, we’d all be better off for it.