Canadian expat, theoconOntario-born Father Richard John Neuhaus (at right), editor of First Things, spoke with a National Post reporter after his annual summer vacation at the family cottage in Quebec.

It is true to say that, in most aspects of public life [in Canada], Christianity has been not only disestablished but also banished," he wrote in the "The Public Square," the popular column he pens for the magazine.

In a recent phone interview, he linked that state of affairs to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He calls it paradoxical that there are so many anti-Americans here, yet the Charter "is a thoroughly American document" — and he does not mean it as a compliment. "It is riddled through and through with the radically individual notion of the unencumbered self and equality enforced by state power. It is a very American document and I think Canada has suffered from it grievously. All of Canada is a fascinating case study in terms of the meaning of modernity relative to religion generally and Christianity in particular. When I'm up there and I speak with clergy they seem very much in a state of defensiveness and a deep sense of malaise."

That brings to mind a paradox I have noticed before:  Canadian leftists champion the application of the Charter in all areas of Canadian life virtually without compromise, yet they tend to be vehemently anti-American.  They seem unaware of the political philosophical pedigree of their beloved Charter.

I must digress here for a moment.  As I have mentioned before on this blog, my kidneys failed during minor surgery at University Hospital, Vancouver, in January 2005.  For several days, it was uncertain whether and to what extent I would recover.  Needless to say, that was a very distressing and trying time for the StatWife and me.

Nevertheless, we did manage to get a chuckle from the title of a book I had purchased at Regent College Bookstore the day before my surgery: As I Lay Dying by Richard John Neuhaus.  After I had recuperated enough to read it, I found it deeply moving and spiritually enlightening.  It is a treasure. 

h/t: Bourque