Are courses in ethics and religious culture a thing of the past?
Yes, absolutely, for at least three reasons. An organized knowledge of religions is still essential for understanding the contemporary world, in which religions continue to play an important role—just think of today’s geopolitical conflicts. It should also be borne in mind that over 80 per cent of the world’s population identifies with a religious tradition, whatever their degree of religiosity or religious practice may be. The second reason has to do with understanding Quebec society, in which the influence of Christianity is still strong. We see it in the general vocabulary, in place names, architecture, literature, arts, customs, festivals, dates that are celebrated in the calendar, values that are expressed. At the same time, spiritual beliefs are becoming more diverse. So it is important to understand both our heritage and the challenges of living together. Finally, young people ask existential questions about the meaning of life, to which religions, along with philosophy and literature, can provide the seeds of an answer. It would be a mistake to think that post-modernity has rendered these questions obsolete. And one of the vital functions of school is to broaden students’ horizons, to open them to perspectives wider than themselves, to introduce them to the general culture, of which religious culture is certainly a part.