Beneath the Peak

Via Andrew Sullivan, here’s a survey by a pro-Christian organization that shows that 16- to 29-year-olds in the U.S. “are more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago.”

The growing popularity of Islam has a lot to do with this trend, and not just because Christians are converting. It’s also because Islamic groups’ demands for the abolition of Christian holidays in schools — or the inclusion of Muslim ones such as Ramadan on an equal basis — are making people reconsider the special status that Christian traditions and institutions enjoy in Western society. The debate over state funding for Catholic schools in Ontario is a prime example.

Fair is Fair. So every religious group should be entitled to equal recognition of their festivals and holidays, as well as access to prayer rooms and special facilities like foot baths. Then you need to decide what qualifies as a bona fide religion.

The alternative is to end all special privileges — including tax breaks and government subsidies — for religious groups. Stories like this can only hasten that outcome.