Humanist Groups Condemn Religious Obstruction of Healthcare; Call for Protection of MAID Rights

The British Columbia Humanist Association (BCHA), Humanist Canada, and Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) are calling on the federal government to uphold the state’s duty of religious neutrality in response to renewed efforts by the Catholic Church to influence medical assistance in dying (MAID) policy.

As New Brunswick residents prepare for the upcoming municipal elections on May 11, a new report from the BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is putting religious neutrality at the center of the democratic debate. The study, titled Godless Serenity: Unconstitutional prayers in New Brunswick municipal council meetings, reveals that a decade after the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark Saguenay ruling, several New Brunswick local governments are still opening meetings with religious rituals or "stealth prayers" designed to circumvent the law.

In its brief to the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying, the BC Humanist Association is calling on Senators and Members of Parliament to end the categorical exclusion of people with mental disorders from MAID eligibility.

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To mark Religious Neutrality Day, the BC Humanist Association has released a report offering a critical analysis of the state of laicity in Quebec.

The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is back in court defending something fundamental: your right to access public healthcare free from religious interference.

Opposition Members of the Legislative Assembly echoed concerns of the BC Humanist Association (BCHA) during debates over the government's proposed church bubble zone law.

The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is calling for an immediate and unconditional retraction of a massive planned provincial expansion of faith-based healthcare partnerships.

The leaked memorandum for "Divine Diversity Healthcare Expansion Framework," suggests the government is looking to solve the healthcare crisis by partnering with groups that refuse to provide standard medical care, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and anti-vaccination organizations.

The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) is welcoming the end of the religious hate speech defence, though it remains concerned about the impacts of Bill C-9 on freedom of expression, as the bill passed the House of Commons last week.

This week, the BC Humanist Association was among dozens of groups presenting arguments at the Supreme Court of Canada in one of the largest cases of the year.