Protestors of Muslim prayer in secular public schools - don’t be swayed by this false argument

Those who gather to protest the mosqueterias tonight at the Toronto District School Board offices may hear this: “For many years, Christian prayer - and only Christian prayer - was allowed because you were a majority. You only care now because in some districts, another religious grooup is a majority and wants the same thing.”

The people who might say such a thing are appallingly ignorant, but there is no law against that.

The skinny: When Canada was founded in 1867, it had two strong religious cultures at loggerheads, Protestant vs. Catholic. And churches were largely responsible for education back then.

Disunity could have destroyed the country, so a political compromise created “Protestant” schools vs. “Catholic” schools - each supported by its own taxpayers. No, it ain’t pretty, but religious civil war is uglier, and in any event, it worked.

Over 150 years, the Protestant system gradually morphed into the “public,” secular system, with no religious orientation now preferred - both by law and by general preference.

History doesn’t matter in this situation, because a choice has been made against it. Anyone who brings it up is introducing a red herring that might divide people who should work together.