Talking about value conflicts, Quebec now wants to impose the values of the majorities as “national values” and set secularism as the national religion. Protesters are now hitting the streets against racism. Let me bring my perspective on this.

The government, Pauline Marois, wants to define a Values Charter that would stand right next to the Charter of Rights and Liberties and serve as the foundation for future policies. They say “the state has to be secular” so all visible religious signs and dresses should be prohibited for all state employees. As for the cross above the judge, let’s leave it because it’s part of our folklore.

First, people get really confused about this because there really are two different intentions. One is to impose the values of the majorities onto the minorities to protect the national identity, the other is to have a proper work dress code. They really should split the project between a Charter of Equality and Conformity and a Work Dress Code. This would make the debate much easier.

Many years ago, I thought like them that Atheism was the absence of religion, until I realized skeptics were people who would put everything into question except their own beliefs. My definition of religion is a “fixed set of beliefs and values”. According to that definition, secularism is as much of a religion as Catholicism or any other religion. Some also argue that Secularism is the most closed-minded of all religions.

Values really are something personal and shouldn’t be defined and fixed by the state. They want to define certain values such as men and women equality into that charter which is great. However, some people value family above equality. Others value freedom above equality. Why wouldn’t you put family and/or freedom instead of equality? Others, like me, value getting out of status-quo and living life by their own rules. Why should anyone be affected by the limitations and constraints of others? I would rather see a charter that supports the full development of each individual rather than a charter that values conformity. Then, some people say this would “unite” Quebec people, but you cannot unite by adding constraints, it just doesn’t work that way.

Looking at it from a more spiritual perspective, your values are part of your ego and false layers of self-identity. Promoting a “national ego” (which sovereignists except immigrants would call national identity) would be a roadblock to the evolution of each individual. You cannot evolve in consciousness without letting go of what you’re holding onto.

Adopting such a Charter of Values would have high costs on psychological, spiritual, emotional, relational and societal levels. While the government wants to impose the beliefs and values of the majority as national values, the majority is also starting to wake up to the reality of some minorities which are starting to get more and more voice. It’s going to be interesting to see how these value conflicts are going to unfold. As I mentioned in previous articles, value conflicts lead to irrational knee-jerk reactions so you can expect to see a lot of those. It will mostly trigger Type 4 Value Conflicts, Unconscious Conflicts: “This is when you only have a partial view of reality because of limiting beliefs or because certain things don’t fit with your schema of reality, and you don’t realize it.”

Ultimately, values are part of your false layers of self-identity and limit your consciousness, growth, freedom and power by creating blind spots. What values are you holding onto?


Etienne Charland, Soul Foundation Architect
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