We are created by God to seek Him and to know Him. God intends humanity to be free in this quest to know Him and worship Him in fullness and in truth. God gives us freedom to choose whom we will worship and serve.
Our faith in God gives meaning and purpose to life. It shapes our understanding of the world and our place in it. Our common beliefs and actions bind us together and provide a foundational source of identity.
Living out our religious beliefs includes gathering together to worship God, to teach, to do good works, to share our faith. Religious freedom is the ability to hold religious beliefs and live them out, personally and in community, privately and publicly.
Religious freedom is critical to our quest to know and worship God, and includes the right to change one’s faith.
Canadian law and society recognize the significance of religious belief and practice. The preamble to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms says Canada is founded on principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law. The first fundamental freedoms in the Charter are freedom of conscience and religion.