The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Finance
Department of Finance Canada
90 Elgin Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G5
Dear Minister LeBlanc,
We pray for wisdom for you as you navigate this new role and portfolio.
We are very concerned about the recommendation in the Finance Committee’s pre-budget report to remove advancement of religion as a charitable purpose. Recommendation 430 states, “Amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose.”
Religious charities play a significant role within the charitable sector and the life of our country. Of the more than 73,000 charitable organizations registered with the CRA, more than 30,000 fall under the advancement of religion, roughly 42% of the charitable sector. It is estimated that there are 23,000 Christian congregations in Canada.
The thousands of churches and faith-based organizations across Canada that are religious charities benefit their participants, their communities and Canadian society as a whole. Religious charities foster vibrant social networks, mobilize outreach, spark local volunteerism, and foster community resiliency.
More and more Canadians are grappling with loneliness and social isolation. Polarization and lack of social cohesion are increasing concerns. This is a time to encourage the presence and participation of religious charities, which foster hope, mutual support and belonging, rather than taking steps to destabilize them.
Religious communities foster personal resilience. Religion teaches us that we are not alone. It helps to provide a purpose for living and hope for the future.
Religion also helps to build resilient communities which provide support for one another. Congregations foster social cohesion, as adherents who join together in worship provide a supportive community for one another. This is evident in activities like visitation of seniors and others who are unable to leave their homes. Religious communities also provide practical and emotional support for people undergoing life transitions, such as meals for new parents or for those who have lost a loved one.
Although their core purpose is worship and advancement of religion, many religious communities offer comprehensive help – pastoral, social, physical – and those actions flow from their religious beliefs and identity.
Religious communities’ existence and ministry benefits Canadian society in ways far beyond the religious adherents themselves.
The impetus to reach out in compassionate ways and to care for those who are vulnerable is evident in many religious traditions. As Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders stated in a 2016 Interfaith Statement on Palliative Care, “Our traditions instruct that there is meaning and purpose in supporting people at the end of life. Visiting those who are sick, and caring for those who are dying, are core tenets of our respective faiths and reflect our shared values as Canadians.”
Within Christian communities, biblical teaching emphasizes that followers of Christ are to live in a way that demonstrates love for one’s neighbour, particularly those who are vulnerable. This leads to actions and activities that seek the good of Canadian society, whether we volunteer within faith-based organizations or those that are not faith-based. It orients Christian individuals and their communities outwardly, first toward God and then toward neighbour, in tangible, self-giving ways. Statistics Canada notes that frequent religious service attenders are among the core of volunteers and charitable donors.
We have already communicated our deep concern about politicizing the charitable sector and singling out charities on the basis of belief, in previous correspondence. On this basis, we also oppose the committee’s recommendation 429 to “no longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations.”
We urge you not to follow the recommendation of the Finance Committee, but instead to recognize the relevance and benefits of religion to the charitable sector and Canadian public life.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your staff to discuss these concerns further.
Sincerely,
Julia Beazley
Director, Public Policy
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada