Can a Federal Minister be a Christian?

The Globe and Mail released a front page assault on minister of science and technology, Gary Goodyear this past Tuesday on the basis of his religious beliefs, and his unwillingness to discuss them.

Full Circle asks, "When our religious beliefs determined our qualifications for public office?"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090317.wgoodyear16/BNSto...

Program 8287

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[arshsingh1984]

If he is going to be a leader of Science, then he better know his material. Otherwise he is not qualified for the job

[sweetsweatyfeet]

I don't know who or what blondie here is misquoting, but atheism has no "tenets" and I know of no atheist who would ever claim something so ludicrous. Atheism has no doctrines or ideology---it's not a belief system. It's simply a response to the theist claim for the existence of god(s).

[sweetsweatyfeet]

Enough with the persecution complex. Absolutely no one takes issue with whatever religious belief a politician personally holds. The only question one might have is the ministers thoughts and feelings on 'evolution'---a reasonable question since he is minister of "science and technology" and is responsible for the possible funding of evolutionary scientific research.

[IloveYOUviruses]

If the man turns science to the observable, repeatable and useful, then choose him again!

[1hmm2]

Well said, excellent show.

[AudreyIIETP]

Strawman. I'm not aware of a single person who had argued that the Minister of Science and Technology needs to be a scientist.

The job of the minister is to oversee federal science and technology action. A man that conflates scientific theory with "his religion" and sees the two at odds or maintains positions that are in opposition to particular scientific theories has no place being in a position responsible for managing funding for them. No one cares if Goodyear believes in a god or not.

[CapeandCowl]

are these women unaware of the fact that the views of the science minister about science are totally relevant!???

[seicho1]

Many Scientist are Religious

According to a much-discussed survey reported in the journal Nature in 1997, 40 percent of biologists, physicists and mathematicians said they believed in God - and not just a nonspecific transcendental presence but, as the survey put it, a God to whom one may pray "in expectation of receiving an answer."

I don't feel religion should have anything to do with this. Everyone should have the right to believe whatever they want to free from persecution. BAD POLITICS

[seicho1]

The idea that the Minister of Science and Technology has to be a Scientist would be equal to the Minister of Health being a Doctor, or the Minister of Defense being a soldier. The job of the Minister is not being a Soldier, Doctor or Scientist..

[tgkilgour]

this story is not a religious issue! it is a matter of whether or not Canada's minister of SCIENCE believes in an extremely well established and accepted SCIENTIFIC theory. if he does not, then that is a definite cause for concern!