People gathered for mass at Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Waterford, Ont. Photo by Brian Thompson/Postmedia files

When Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne introduces his federal budget this fall, there’s at least one item he should leave out: eliminating the “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose. Atheist activists have long sought to eliminate charities’ ability to issue tax receipts to donors if their primary purpose is the advancement of religion. In late 2024, activists finally managed to get their recommendation into the federal finance committee’s pre-budget report. Minister Champagne should reject the idea explicitly.

It is estimated that roughly 38 per cent of charitable organizations are registered under the advancement of religion. As my Cardus

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