Pubdate: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2004 Calgary Herald Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 Author: Robert Saint Amour Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1029/a07.html KEEP IT SEPERATE Re: "Faith is personal," Editorial, and "Canada called minor pot player," July 20. Bibles and pot were both in the news recently; one being welcomed, the other being asked to leave. Canada is a strange political beast and every once in a while shows its ability to think on its own; newly sworn-in Canadian citizens will no longer be insulted by being handed a Bible by some Bible thumpers who may very well symbolize some of the reasons these people left their homes in the first place and came here. Religion working with the state is ridiculous. Every major conflict was based upon whose God is better or stronger; the last words of the Sept. 11 hijackers were to praise Allah and plow into history at 581 km/h. We do not need any religious overtone in our government. I was born in Quebec where the Catholic church ruled and I saw the social isolation it can cause. Common sense is far better at dictating your lifestyle than some self-serving, dogma-spewing, religious zealot. Maybe the government should treat religion the same way it intends to deal with pot; tax anything over five Hail Marys or perhaps limit the amount of self-righteousness you can walk around with at any given time. Robert Saint Amour Surge Narrows, B.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh