Paul McKeever, leader of the Freedom Party of Ontario, joins the discussion to explore a fundamental question facing Western society: should public policy rest on faith, consensus, or reason?
The West has long thrived by keeping religious belief separate from lawmaking. Historical figures like Jesus, with “render unto Caesar,” and Lord Acton drew clear lines between earthly governance and spiritual matters. Yet today, faith increasingly influences political decisions, from openly religious parties to policies inspired by unquestioned convictions rather than evidence.
Global warming illustrates this danger vividly. Graphs spanning millennia show temperature rises preceding CO2 increases by centuries, driven by natural solar and oceanic cycles—yet political narratives reverse this causality to push agendas. Environmentalism often adopts apocalyptic tones reminiscent of religious prophecy, while socialism echoes faith-based redistribution without regard for individual rights or reality.
In Ontario, proposals for faith-based school funding highlight the risk. Extending taxpayer dollars to religious education invites government oversight that could erode freedoms on both sides—either indoctrinating irrationality or watering down beliefs under state regulation. True separation demands private funding, leaving parents free to choose while keeping governance grounded in observable facts.
Consensus and appeals to authority fare no better, as they sideline independent thought. Superstitions, whether about crop planting or public policy, lead to fanaticism when elevated to conviction. Reason alone—logic applied to physical evidence—offers a reliable guide for human flourishing and freedom.
Only through reason do we navigate these challenges in a way that is just right.
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