It’s time once again for The Future American’s FAIL OF THE WEEK! Every Saturday, I name a person or group who has spent the past seven days behaving in a particularly idiotic way. Since it’s my belief that idiocy knows no politics, nobody is safe.
This week’s fail was brought to you by MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre), generally considered one of Parliament’s biggest loudmouths and, by my dad, an “idiot.” Martin appears very upset with the idea of spending federal money on a centre for disadvantaged youth that has been expected to receive funding from both the municipal and federal levels of government, assuming the city ponies up its share, which it will vote on later. His problem with the centre is that it will be run by Youth For Christ.
YFC Canada states that it “exists to impact every young person in Canada with the person, work and teachings of Jesus Christ and discipling them into the Church.” That does smack of the “fundamentalism” that Martin is afraid of, but it’s hardly as if they’re clubbing anyone over the head and dragging them into their facilities. And I hate to say it, but based on the odds, it’s unlikely that any of the teens who would use this centre are Jewish or Hindu.
There are legitimate concerns with the project, mostly regarding government discussion and funding. Several city councillors have complained that there should have been a bidding process for the land where the YFC centre would sit. I agree. They also claim they haven’t been given enough information. That ought to be rectified if they are demonstrably unaware of everything the project entails. Martin has brought those up as well, but he has been most vocal about the religious aspect.
This is where the building would go. See that building shaped like a bird? That’s Thunderbird House, a “gathering place” where Aboriginal religious activities have been known to take place, including sweat lodges, medicine wheel ceremonies, and consultation with elders. It has also received significant funding from the city. My expectation is that it gives less non-religious help to young people than the YFC centre would, as the latter is expected to include a job training centre and athletic space.
The staff at YFC may attempt to convert its young visitors, but that doesn’t mean their words will take. They will use the services they want and no more. Martin obviously doesn’t have as much trust in their stubbornness as the rest of us.
Interesting. In the US, public funding could never go to a religious group for anything that involved any kind of proselytizing. The only way a group like YFC could get funds would be to demonstrate that the funding would only go to the charitable aspects of what they do and that the services would be provided to anyone regardless of their beliefs.
It would seem to me to be preferable to sponsor no religions than to have to fund any “faith” that comes along including atheists, Satanists, Scientologists, and people who worship the machine that goes “Ping!”