Árdís - 01.01.1951, Page 21

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
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think of Canada as a very young country not having attained full
maturity nor development. Naturally we see today diverse cultures
marching cordially side by side, cooperating and making allowances.
As they merge ideas they are still preserving ideals. They are
attempting to weave the cultures and institutions of all these people
into an orderly and attractive pattern of our national life. That is
our Canadian nation of today and of the future. During this process
of weaving, it is important that the spirit of tolerance and brotherly
love may prevail, in order that the nation thus formed may pass
all the tests that are facing it.
Then the question arises. What are some of these tests? First
I would mention the tests of Democracy; one of these is the freedom
its people have from dependence on authority. Even if Canadians
appreciate all the improved standards of living; all the social service
work, public health, pensions, unemployment insurance, family
allowances and many other things, they understand fully that these
are merely incidentals on which they have no right to rest their
oars or take undue advantage of. It has been said that
Canadians do not wish to become dependent on their government.
They look for adequate reward for initiative; they ask for the ability
to work and a safeguard for those who cannot work. May that
spirit always predominate as dependance brings fear and then
follows this danger of following the line of least resistance to please
the authorities rather than be cut off from their benefits even if
the demands might go against the consciousness of what is right
or wrong.
Another test is that of freedom. What a challenge the freedom
of our democracy brings to all its people! Canadians reject the
suggestion that men should be made good citizens by compulsion
or coercion. They know that more good is accomplished by inducting
the Golden Rule into Canadian life than by government edicts.
That test of recognizing the rights of our fellowman has been termed
the touchstone of other virtues. May that virtue always stand out
as one of the cardinal principles of Canadian life.
Another phase of that freedom is that of religion. People of
this country worship in many different ways, in many languages.
But their belief in God, their emphasis upon trust, hope and love,
work for the development of good citizenship. In this land of
religious freedom the church, whatever its denomination, is the