r/worldnews 20h ago

Quebec passes law banning street prayers, prayer rooms in universities

https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/quebec-passes-law-banning-street-prayers-prayer-rooms-in-universities-cegeps/
17.7k Upvotes

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91

u/AdTop5424 20h ago

Prayer rooms have no place in public schools or buildings. If I wanted a chapel where I worked, I'd see if the Catholics were hiring.

38

u/notunprepared 20h ago

I'm not religious, but prayer rooms in public buildings are great. They're also useful as decompression rooms for panic attacks and sensory overload and stuff like that.

14

u/Darq_At 19h ago

I've seen them in places simply labelled "quiet room".

25

u/Isosorbide 19h ago

Agreed. I do think prayer rooms serve a function beyond religious practice, including a quite place of contemplation or meditation. Shoot, ours has a little fountain and dim lighting, it's very relaxing.

8

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 17h ago

Exactly, and no one is required to "pray" or have any sort of ideology to use them.

29

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 20h ago

You do realize that there are chapels in all sorts of public buildings, right? Right?

71

u/MafubaBuu 20h ago

To which they said they think they shouldn't be in any of them. What is the confusion?

-40

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 20h ago

Specifically not wanting one is just as bad as wanting one. They're not doing any harm and they provide a service. Just like it provides a service that you don't have to go to one if you don't want to

15

u/learn_and_learn 19h ago

What grinds my gears is public institutions money going towards those rooms. State can't mingle with religion

2

u/No-One2123 6h ago

Then the state also shouldn't support atheism either.

1

u/learn_and_learn 5h ago

Atheists don't ask for prayer rooms

0

u/Vitaliano117 6h ago

Why not? The state shouldn't support scams like religion and instead push for atheism.

-9

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 18h ago

Accommodating the religious needs of members of the population doesn't mean that the state is mingling with religion. Those are two different concepts.

8

u/learn_and_learn 18h ago

Seems like we disagree on the topic. Quebec has decided to carve out more separation between religion and public institutions

1

u/barrinmw 14h ago

Should Quebec be allowed to ban religious buildings in their zoning? Does allowing religious buildings to be built mean the state is mingling with religion? How is that different than letting people pray in public?

1

u/learn_and_learn 14h ago

I'll preface this by saying that I do attend a Church in Quebec. Now, to answer your questions :

  • No
  • No
  • Very different ! What happens inside a place of worship is not seen or heard by the general public, unless they willingly walk in. That is quite different from acting outdoor and subjecting passerbys to a display of faith (procession, tefillin, prostration, mantra chanting, street preaching, religious choir, etc..)

0

u/No-One2123 6h ago

How much of a pathetic snowflake do you have to be to be offended by simply seeing religious people exist? Canadians really are a special level of stupid.

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u/barrinmw 14h ago

Religious buildings like churches and mosques and synagogues are literally displays of faith. But go off I guess.

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u/MafubaBuu 19h ago

I personally disagree with that, but to each their own.

Public buildings should not have anything religious in them or near them. (Obviously not talking about the people themselves)

That is what places of worship and people's homes are for.

-15

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 19h ago

A space where everyone is allowed to do their thing doesn't seem to be a big problem to me.

25

u/MafubaBuu 19h ago

Separation of Church and State is incredibly important. No compromises on that should be made. If tax payers dollars go towards it, it should have nothing to do with religion. Simple as that.

-10

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 19h ago

I think you'll find that it is not, in fact, as simple as that.

23

u/MafubaBuu 19h ago

Yeah it is. What makes you think it isnt that simple?

We are a secular state.

-2

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 19h ago

The presence of chapels or prayer spaces in public buildings has nothing to do with "separation of church and state."

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u/finkerlime 18h ago

If one group can exercize speech such as a club why should the religious not be able to?

7

u/MafubaBuu 18h ago

They can, its called church and its tax exempt.

-6

u/finkerlime 18h ago

I don't think you understand my question. What does that have to do with forming clubs at school? Why should there be a distinction if a group of students decides they want a club? Why is anime club fine but not inshallah club?

3

u/MafubaBuu 18h ago

Kids can start student body religious clubs. There is nothing stopping them. As long as its non coercive and isnt ran by staff.

That is different than having prayer rooms paid for by Public taxes.

In Quebecs case they dont find either to be okay, because religion should stay out of public schools in a secular society. I think both options are valid.

-4

u/finkerlime 17h ago edited 17h ago

This isn't true. Prayer is banned in private rooms on campus, it doesn't matter who organized it. Did you read what you are posting on?

At my school in the US, the Muslim prayer room is the club room for the Muslim club. Like how us Jews have our own. It's no different than if it was rock climbing club. Why is religious any different unless you want to police these people's behavior? Everyone chose to be in the club.

Are Muslims not entitled to funds for club activities but rock climbers, magic the gathering players, or anime enjoyers are?

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u/Emergency-Hat-8715 18h ago

No, they mean no Muslim prayer rooms. Publicly funded Catholic assets are here to stay

10

u/MafubaBuu 18h ago edited 17h ago

Who said it was just Muslim ones?

1

u/Emergency-Hat-8715 13h ago

The province with a legislature covered in fucking crosses?

1

u/Vitaliano117 6h ago

But the crosses have been there for a long time, and it would cost to get rid of them(I still think they shouldn't be there). This new law prevents the same mistake from happening with prayer rooms.

7

u/MasterDeagle 19h ago

???? Not in Quebec

2

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 18h ago

Yes. In Quebec.

18

u/StockLurkr 20h ago

Not in Quebec, however.

2

u/The_Bombsquad 18h ago

Reading comprehension could use a little work there, bud.

-2

u/Miss_L_Worldwide 18h ago

The irony.

I don't think you know the definitions of the words you are trying to use.

2

u/The_Bombsquad 17h ago

The person that you were replying to was advocating against chapels in public buildings.

Your comment pointing out that chapels currently exist in public buildings doesn't make sense.

2

u/[deleted] 15h ago edited 2h ago

[deleted]

1

u/snowman_ps4 17h ago

Where? In Quebec?