Water is critical to life on Earth. It covers over 70% of our planet’s surface and makes up about 60% of the human body. So it’s no surprise that it played important roles in human cultures. Most connected it with its cleansing and life-giving properties, but the ancient Chinese took things a step further. Water is a key part of feng shui, the art of arranging interior spaces to harmonize with the natural world. This quick guide explains water’s place in feng shui and how it’s used to promote positive energy flow.
Feng Shui and the Five Phases
Feng shui incorporates the idea of wuxing. You’ll see it in a lot of traditional Chinese thought, including Taoist principles. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that wuxing translates as “five processes” or “five phases.” Wuxing encompasses cycles of motion or change, instead of static material substances as in ancient Greek thought.
Wuxing’s five elemental phases occur in both creative and destructive cycles. In classical Chinese philosophy, the creative cycle begins with wood fueling fire. Fire produces earth by generating ash. Earth produces metal through geological processes, and metal allows water to condense in vapor form. The cycle begins again when water hydrates wood. The destructive cycle starts with fire melting metal. Metal cuts wood, which in turn breaks up earth by growing through it. Earth can soak up water, which restarts the cycle by quenching fire.
Feng shui uses a map called a bagua to guide the arrangement of interior spaces. The Spruce explains that the bagua divides a space into nine distinct areas, each aligned with one of the five elemental phases. Every area represents an aspect of a person’s life. Creating good energy in those areas requires balance – and that means bringing the right elements into each one.
Water, Wisdom, and Work
Classical Chinese philosophy associates water with the color black and the winter season. You’ll also see it represented with wavy or curvy shapes. Water occupies the Kan area of the bagua – typically the northernmost segment of the map. In most feng shui traditions, this area represents one’s career or life path.
Architect Anjie Cho describes the water phase as flowing and shifting, with connections to wisdom and intuition. Given that it’s in the career area of the bagua, these connotations aren’t surprising. Cho adds that adding more of this element may be helpful if we want to improve social connections and wealth. This also makes sense – social connections may lead to better career prospects, which can help generate more wealth.
Boosting the Water Element in Your Home
Feng shui schools use different approaches to find north. Some use the literal compass direction, while others set the front door as the northern point. Either way, practitioners suggest incorporating the water element in the northern area. Doing so can encourage positive energy flow.
Fortunately, there are tons of ways you can do this. Fountains and aquariums are the most obvious solutions – you’re placing literal water in those spaces. But if these aren’t workable, you can use other things to symbolize the water element. Black, charcoal gray, and navy blue décor objects can work – think vases, art, throw pillows, rugs, or other accessories. Mirrors are another great option thanks to their reflective properties. You could also try artwork with watery imagery. Don’t forget that you can use shapes to bring water into your space. Try objects with wavy, curved, or irregular-shaped patterns and edges.
Water, Water Everywhere
Several cultures believe that there’s a cosmic energy that flows through everything. Feng shui aims to encourage energy flow for better harmony and positive outcomes. As one of five elemental phases, water possesses both creative and destructive energies. With a few simple additions, you can easily introduce and balance this element inside your home.
You may or may not know but feng shui has creation and destructive cycles. Human spirituality often takes its cues from the natural world. Water, for instance, symbolizes purification in many faiths. But even how elements interact with each other can take on metaphysical meanings. Traditional Chinese philosophy speaks of five elemental phases – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. How these phases interact with each other is a core concept in feng shui.
Five Elemental Phases
Derived from Taoist principles, feng shui seeks to achieve balance with nature. It does this by working with qi, a vital life energy that flows through everything in our universe. The goal of feng shui is to get that energy to move in positive ways, creating harmony within one’s interior spaces.
Chinese cosmology recognizes five elemental phases, collectively called “Wuxing.” Every phase has unique energy based on how its element behaves in the natural world. Fire burns, water reflects light, and so forth. And just like water extinguishes fire, these energies can support or oppose each other. Understanding these interactions is an important key in feng shui design.
The Cycles of Creation
The Spruce explains that the five phases exist in a creative cycle known as “shēng.” Written in Hanzi as “生,” it’s a Chinese verb that means “to give birth.” And that’s exactly what this cycle does. Each element helps generate or nourish another.
How does this cycle work? Well, water nourishes wood by carrying nutrients to each of its cells. Wood feeds fire, providing fuel for heat-generating chemical reactions. Fire creates earth with the ash it leaves behind, full of carbon and minerals like calcium and potassium. Earth gives rise to metal through natural phenomena such as pressure, heat, and weathering. Metal collects water by letting air moisture condense into droplets.
You can use this principle in feng shui to strengthen an element’s influence. Adding more of the element itself is helpful, but you could also include more of the phase that nourishes it. If you’re trying to boost earth, for instance, you can also include more of the earth-generating fire element.
The Destructive Cycles
Chinese cosmology’s elemental phases can also form a destructive cycle. Wandering Dao calls this “kè,” written as “克” in Hanzi and translated as “to restrain” or “to overcome.” In this cycle, each element naturally opposes and weakens another one.
Natural principles also govern this cycle. Water extinguishes fire, decreasing heat and depriving it of oxygen. Fire melts metal, breaking down its solid structure as its particles vibrate faster. Metal can cut wood: The blade concentrates force on a small surface area, generating pressure to break wood’s molecular bonds. Wood emerges from earth, breaking through the soil’s surface. Earth can absorb water or contain it, as shores and riverbanks do.
Since this cycle overcomes and restrains, you can use it to balance out other elemental energies within a space. If you have a fireplace in a “metal” area of your home, for example, you could place more water elements to dampen the fire’s energy impact.
Science Meets the Metaphysical
The art of feng shui is a few thousand years old. Inspired by natural phenomena, its objective is to align physical spaces with unseen energies. Older practices emphasized achieving positive outcomes through auspicious building sites and interior design. Today, practitioners often work with interior spaces after they’re already constructed.
Feng shui uses many concepts from traditional Chinese philosophy. Taoism recognizes five elemental phases: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Just as these elements interact with each other in the natural world, these phases can work in both creative and destructive cycles. Both offer insight into strengthening or minimizing an element’s energy impacts. Understanding these principles is key to accomplishing balance within a physical space.
Got a furry feline in your family? According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute, your kitty is one of 8.1 million living in Canadian households. With cats outnumbering dogs, their popularity shows no signs of stopping. Yet in medieval Europe, anti-feline superstitions reigned supreme. What prompted these strange beliefs? Did cats contribute to the plague’s high death tolls across the continent? A quick trip through history provides answers to these intriguing questions.
Medieval Catholicism and Anti-Feline Bias
“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” We laugh at this humorous quip from English author Sir Terry Pratchett. Yet it reflects the status our feline friends held in the ancient world. Even in 17th-century Japan, cats were bringers of good fortune. The legend of Maneki Neko, or “Beckoning Cat,” credits the titular feline with saving a samurai from lightning strikes.
Yet the story was much different in 13th-century Europe. The World History Encyclopedia reveals that medieval Europeans tolerated cats. They provided pest control but were not companions or pets. But distaste for felines later grew into hatred, thanks to the Catholic Church. Museum Hack’s Alex Johnson mentions a papal bull from Pope Gregory IX describing a cat-worshipping cult. Medievalists.net lists more examples, including a quote from Pope Innocent VIII. “The cat was the devil’s favorite animal and idol of all witches,” he wrote in 1484 C.E.
Why did this happen? Historian Desmond Morris says it best. “Religious bigots have often employed the cunning device of converting other people’s heroes into villains to suit their own purpose,” he writes in his 1993 book “Catlore.” Ancient Egypt’s household protectors became medieval Europe’s villains. Peasants and nobles alike tortured and killed cats, sometimes by the thousands.
Mapping the Plague’s Spread
If you know anything about the Middle Ages, then you’ve probably heard about the plague. Multiple outbreaks occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries. The Black Death ravaged most of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. While it’s difficult to figure out exactly how many people died, estimates run as high as 25 million.
The World Health Organization explains that the disease comes from Yersinia pestis bacteria. Rat fleas are a prime carrier, transmitting the bacteria to humans through their bites. Given the domestic feline’s proclivity for killing rats, it’s easy to blame medieval Europeans’ cat massacres for the Black Death. But does this assumption hold up against historical fact?
Alex Johnson takes this myth apart in his Museum Hack piece. The first plague outbreaks occurred in Asia during the 1330s. The disease had spread to Constantinople, now modern-day Istanbul, by 1347 C.E. Yet history reveals no instances of mass cat killing in Asia or Turkey.
Cats were also popular in the Islamic world. But their rat-killing habits couldn’t stop the Black Death. The plague barreled through Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Arabian Peninsula. And even where cat populations declined, they could quickly rebound. The average intact female births 12 kittens per year. A couple of mother cats can have enough litters to save a local colony from dying out.
Myths, Correlation, Causation, and Bias
We now understand that killing felines didn’t lead to the plague’s spread. Yet anti-feline sentiments in medieval Europe show some key things about human nature. When crises arise and knowledge is scarce, it’s easy to scapegoat someone or something. In these unfortunate situations, marginalized groups often become targets.
We aren’t associating cats with evil anymore. But othering – the “us vs. them” dichotomy – can lead to discrimination and scapegoating. The current wave of anti-Asian violence in Canada is just one example. Critical thinking is always vital. And checking our own biases is an important step in combating prejudice and avoiding unjust blame.
Religion has long been a part of the journey of the human race. According to many anthropologists, one of the earliest signs of advanced intelligence in the ancestors of modern humans was the practice of burying the dead. Academics believe the initial burial processes were religious in nature, indicating connections to spiritual beliefs are some of the oldest aspects of the human condition. Still, this doesn’t mean that modern people have the same perceptions when it comes to religious ideologies. In Canada, there have been some very interesting shifts on religious fronts over recent years.
Immigrants Comprise the New Religious Majority
For a long while throughout Canada’s history, a good chunk of the population identified as religious. These individuals typically were influenced in their religious beliefs by their families, meaning that each generation in a group or community tended to reflect the one before. At some point over the last two decades, this began to change. According to statistics compiled from 2001 until 2015, younger individuals coming from families who have Canadian roots dating back centuries are much less religious than those prior.
The same research revealed that immigrants to Canada tend to be much more religious as a whole. With Canada consistently welcoming new residents from across the world, there has been a big uptick in both the number of religious individuals from foreign nations and a shift in what spiritual beliefs are practiced on average. Once, Christianity and its various denominations were most common. Now, populations of Muslims, Buddhists, and other groups have become larger in communities throughout the nation.
Older Canadians Are In Favor of Religion as a Whole
Another bit of data released around 2011 showed a transition in the median age for the average religious citizen. This information, which has remained largely the same over the last decade, revealed that those who identified as religious tended to be on the older end of the spectrum. Those who stated that they were members of a Christian-based faith like Protestantism or Catholicism tended to be around 52 years of age. This is a shift upward when compared to data from previous census reports across the last five decades, which revealed that the median age was closer to 35.
This is another area where differing religious beliefs reveal different sets of data. Though Christians as a whole tend to lean older, this is not true of those who belong to other faiths. In the case of immigrants entering Canada, those who identify as Mulsim tend to be around 27 years of age on average. This is primarily due to the fact that people in the countries where these individuals originated lean younger when it comes to religious beliefs across generations.
Most Canadians View Religion in a Positive Way
Even though fewer people are identifying as religious in the traditional sense, Canadians by and large accept and are interested in the religions of others. While there are favorable views to popular Canadian belief systems like Protestantism, citizens also respond in a positive way when it comes to religions that weren’t as present in the population over previous years, like Buddhism. Still, this isn’t to say all members of Canada are as open. Small populations still show signs of xenophobia and ignorance when it comes to the religions of others.
While a subject that has fascinated the human race since the dawn of recorded time, religion definitely looks far different today than it did back then. As the world continues to shrink due to the presence of the internet, it is likely true that even more changes will take place at an even faster pace. For now, looking back at the past can be a great way of gaining some perspective on the current zeitgeist and any changes that might be poised on the horizon.
There’s a popular adage that says the only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. Nearly everyone has to deal with taxes in some shape or form. For Canadian couples who are contemplating marriage, money and finances should be part of the conversation. Your money situation as an individual will likely change once married, and you and your partner need to discuss what things look like financially as individuals and newlyweds. Part of that discussion should include taxes and its associated benefits and liabilities.
Tying the Knot or Not
To be clear, your tax filing status doesn’t change just because you’re now a spouse. The amount of tax you pay is based on your income level, not marital status. Also, you don’t necessarily have to be legally married to be considered a spouse from a tax point of view. If you’ve been living with a partner in a conjugal relationship for at least a year, you’re considered married for tax purposes. You can forego the time requirement if both of you are parents to the same child(ren).
Weighing the Benefits
Marriage does afford Canadian couples some benefits when it comes to taxes. You might even consider adding “in tax pros and tax cons” to your wedding vows thanks to these benefits:
Spousal transfers: Your tax liability may be reduced if your spouse has nonrefundable tax credits that are not needed. Suppose you have a tax liability. If your partner has more credits than what is owed, a spousal transfer makes it possible for the leftover credits to be applied to your tax burden. These transfers only apply to certain nonrefundable credits, such as those associated with age, pension, tuition, disability and caregiving for infirmed children under the age of 18.
Spousal/common-law partner amount: If you provided financial support to a spouse or common-law partner in a given year, you can claim this credit. The amount you can claim changes each year and is affected by how much your partner earned.
Homebuyer’s amount: A credit of $5,000 is available if you purchased a house together as a couple during the tax year. If neither you nor your spouse lived in a home that you owned for four years prior to the purchase, this credit can be claimed. It can also be split between the two of you to offer tax advantages to both partners.
Other credits: Filing taxes together provides the opportunity for a coupled pair to pool their charitable donations and medical expenses for a larger nonrefundable credit.
Depending on your situation as a couple, you might also benefit from the Canada Child Benefit. This nontaxable monthly payment provides assistance for the costs of raising children under the age of 18. This benefit is income-related, so a married couple may or may not receive more for kids than single parents. It’s worth looking into, especially if both of you have children under the age of majority.
Considering the Tax Disadvantages
Several tax benefits are income-related, so going from a single income to joint income through marriage or partnering may cause your household to hit that upper limit when filing together. The principal residence exemption allows Canadians to sell a home without paying taxes. As a couple, you can only claim one residence, not two. Referencing the “tax cons” in a set of wedding vows, you could be partially or totally responsible for any unpaid taxes owed by your partner.
Tax implications for single people vs. married or common-law couples require upfront discussion. Going into a marriage blind or ignorant of money concerns can lead to difficulties. It’s important to have the conversations about finances before you both say, “I do.”
Data obtained from Statistics Canada indicates that religious affiliation is at an all-time low. The number of Canadians who report having an affiliation with any religion dropped below 70 percent for the first time since tracking began in 1985. What is fascinating is that this data is not evenly distributed.
The study indicates a glaring generational divide. Participants in the study who were born before 1970 were significantly more likely to report religious affiliation compared to those born after 1990.
The decline in religious affiliation also disproportionately affects the Christian faiths. While the data revealed that Canadians are less likely to identify as Catholic or Anglican when compared to the same time 10 years ago, non-Christian faiths like Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism are actually experiencing growth.
So what is one to make of this data? As human beings, we are natural storytellers. We need stories in order to make sense of the world, and data of this sort is a common way that we derive meaning and draw conclusions. While everyone will have their own interpretation of StatCan findings, a few things become clear when viewed in the context of our lives today.
The Generational Divide
The difference in religiosity between age groups cannot be ignored. What might these numbers say about the world today? Before exploring the divide, it is important to note that these data do not necessarily indicate a lack of interest in spiritual practices or community. They do, however, seem to indicate a rejection of labels.
One may argue that younger folks have access to more information and broader perspectives than were available to previous generations. Perhaps more information leads to more questions and less certainty. Perhaps it fosters a sense of curiosity and humility when it comes to our understanding of the world.
One could also argue that the decline in religiosity among younger Canadians indicates a desire for more flexible and inclusive views. In the face of a world that is growing more complex by the day, it is not hard to imagine a desire for systems of faith that are more nuanced and address the totality of our being.
A More Inclusive Society Leading To Decline
The StatCan data also reveals another interesting trend: that non-Christian religions are actually gaining popularity in Canada. As Canada continues to attract a diverse population of immigrants, new ideas, faiths, and worldviews appear to be making their mark on the country’s religious identity. When combined with the broader perspectives of Canada’s young, one could argue that the interplay between Christian and non-Christian faiths paves the way for broader understandings of spirituality and community.
For some, the trends apparent in this data are a cause for concern or cynicism. After all, the concept of faith is a deeply personal one that provides us with a means to understand and cope. It is not hard to understand how one’s ideas about the world can be shaken when confronted with information like this. Still, there is far more room for hope and optimism.
It is hard to imagine a functioning society without collective belief systems. Humanity as we’ve come to know it would likely not exist without the collective belief in something greater than ourselves. Religion can be a beautiful thing. Yet it is wholly dishonest to ignore the unbelievable harm levied in the name of belief, faith, and tradition.
This data could very well indicate a synthesis between these two divergent perspectives. Rather than wholesale rejection or abandonment of faith and the role that it plays in our lives, we may well be expanding our belief in what is possible and developing something new. This could indicate a move towards something that connects us rather than tearing us apart.
Canada reports thousands of new COVID-19 cases every day and more than 14,000 deaths to date. With these numbers, it’s no surprise that more Canadians are getting their wills done. As Global News reported in April 2020, they’re flocking to estate planning services such as Willful. Some companies reported a fourfold increase in business since March 2020. But is a will your only estate planning option? Living trusts work a little differently than wills, but they offer unique advantages. Learning more about trusts can help you make wise decisions for your family’s future.
Differences Between Wills and Trusts
Both wills and trusts do the same thing – transfer assets to beneficiaries. But a will only takes effect after its creator dies. Yet even then, this doesn’t happen right away. There’s the probate process, which verifies whether a will is legally valid. It all oversees an estate’s debt payments and asset distribution. The entire probate process can take more than a year to finish. If your estate is more complicated than usual, probate can last several years.
Like a will, a living trust is a legal document. You may hear it called an “inter vivos trust.” The grantor, or the person creating the trust, must write a trust agreement. Investopedia clarifies that the trust itself is a legal entity that owns whatever assets are put into it. Trusts can contain physical assets, financial accounts, and investments. A living trust may also hold intangible assets such as digital files, social media accounts, and intellectual property. Your trust can even include ownership stakes in private businesses.
How Living Trusts Work
A trust agreement spells out how and when to transfer the grantor’s assets. This agreement usually includes three or four parties:
Trustor
Trustees
Successor trustees
Beneficiaries
Asset transfers usually happen when the grantor dies. However, they can also occur if that individual becomes incapacitated. Of course, all this depends on the specific instructions contained in the trust agreement.
Revocable living trusts are the most common type in estate planning. That’s because trustors can update them at any time. You can add or remove assets, change distribution instructions, update beneficiaries, and more. Investopedia adds that a revocable trust’s grantor can also be a trustee. Successor trustees take over the trust’s management when the primary trustees cannot. For instance, you could name your adult children as successor trustees.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Living Trusts
Like any other estate planning tool, living trusts have their pros and cons. MoneySense explains that assets in a trust do not go through the probate process. The trust itself also remains private. Information about its contents doesn’t become public knowledge unless it’s legally contested.
The major drawback to living trusts is their cost. MoneySense mentions that annual tax filings are required. As a result, many trust creators need professional tax and legal advice. Canadians may also take a bigger hit in the pocketbook at tax time. That’s because trust incomes are taxed at a combined federal and provincial rate, which works out to around 50%. This is much more than what U.S. trustors pay – that’s why living trusts are more popular south of the border. Some assets can’t be put into a trust, MoneySense adds, so you still may need a will and an executor to make sure your wishes are carried out.
Choosing the Right Planning Tools
Estate planning is as individualized as designing a wedding or a funeral. Wills and living trusts are powerful planning tools, but they use different approaches. Understanding how these tools work, plus their benefits and drawbacks, is important. Selecting the best methods and strategies is key to ensuring that your family is taken care of after you’re gone.
Whether you’re a K-pop fan or not, you’ve undoubtedly heard of BTS. The seven-member boy band from Seoul has broken music sales and streaming records in both 2020 and 2021. Religion may not be on your mind when you’re listing to songs like “Dynamite” and “Butter,” but it’s rumored that BTS members V, Jungkook, and J-Hope may be Christians. And they’re not the only ones. Many K-pop idols like Blackpink’s Rosé and solo artist Ailee also call Christianity their faith.
The abundance of South Korean artists and actors who are Christian isn’t surprising. Pew Research Center revealed that around 29% share this faith. PBS’s Hidden Korea series insists that the number is much higher – around 51%. Similar trends exist among Canada’s 240,000 Koreans. So how did an Abrahamic monotheistic faith gain ground in an East Asian country? As it turns out, Korean Christianity has a complex and fascinating history.
Buddhism, Confucianism, and Catholicism
During our lifetimes, we’ve only known Korea as a divided country. The horrors suffered by North Koreans under its current regime frequently make headlines. But Korea’s split into north and south happened in 1945. Its history spans thousands of years, during which several dynasties ruled. The last of these was the Joseon dynasty, ending in the early 20th century.
Korea’s pre-modern religious history begins with its Shinism. This early folk religion blended polytheistic and animistic beliefs. Buddhism arrived during the fourth century C.E. during its Three Kingdoms period. Confucianism rose to prominence during the 14th century C.E.
Meanwhile, Christian missionaries came at various times. By the late-1880s, both Protestant and Catholic schools existed. In 1887, Scottish Presbyterian missionary John Ross finished translating the Bible into Korean.
Oppression and War, Then Hope
Korea became a protectorate of Japan in 1905, but Japan’s rule truly began when it annexed the country in 1910. What followed was three and a half decades of oppression, as History explains. Koreans saw their language erased from public life as Japan forbid its use. The ruling government also burned many books, including over 200,000 Korean historical documents. Thousands of Koreans ended up in forced labor. Many women were trafficked into Japanese military brothels. And as a final insult, the government forced Koreans to worship at imperial Japanese shrines.
After the end of World War II, Korea existed in two separate regions. Historian and professor Ji-Young Lee breaks it down: The north was under Soviet rule, while the United States controlled the south. By 1948, each region had its own government – North Korea’s in Pyongyang and South Korea’s in Seoul. When Kim Il-Sung marched into South Korea in 1950, his actions started the Korean War.
During the war, many South Koreans encountered Christianity. USC professor Diane Winston adds that their positive impression of the faith was thanks to American support against Soviet-backed North Korea. They associated this religion with prosperity, liberty, and “divine blessings,” as Winston puts it. The liberation narrative of Exodus also resonated with some South Koreans – they saw parallels between their tribulations and the ancient Israelites in Egypt.
Christianity in Modern South Korea
Today, Christianity in South Korea includes Catholicism and more than 100 Protestant denominations. Though theological diversity exists, megachurches like Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul attract many followers. And as in the West, conservative evangelism plays a large role in Korean culture and politics. Winston explains that it shares some similarities with Confucianism – traditional gender roles, a focus on family, and reverence for authority.
There are nearly 500 Korean Christian congregations across Canada. In large metro areas such as Toronto, Koreans have a wide range of fellowship and worship options. While there are ideological differences between younger Korean Canadians and their elders, faith remains important to both. As Canadian culture changes, Korean Christian spirituality makes up an important part of the country’s religious landscape.
When we think of religion and psychological abuse, we usually picture ex-cult members. Often, these people come out with severe trauma that needs treatment. But you don’t have to be in a cult to suffer this kind of harm: Faith-related trauma is a real thing. Some are calling it “Religious Trauma Syndrome,” and former evangelicals are emerging to find answers and healing.
Defining Religious Trauma Syndrome
New York Times writer Richard Schiffman says that Religious Trauma Syndrome isn’t an official diagnosis — yet. It’s not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, an extensive resource book used by mental health professionals. But it’s become shorthand for negative mental health outcomes caused by what Schiffman calls “religious indoctrination.” The World Health Organization also recently included RTS in its International Classification of Diseases.
Journey Free, a recovery group that helps people heal from such trauma, describes RTS as resulting from “chronic abuse” connected to authoritarian and dogmatic religious cultures. Since it develops through long-term trauma, RTS sufferers can exhibit symptoms of complex PTSD:
Hyperarousal, the constant feeling of being irritable or “on edge”
Re-experienced trauma through nightmares and flashbacks
Avoiding situations that may remind them of their trauma
Isolation from friends and family
Nagging feelings of guilt of shame
Difficulty with emotional regulation and expression
Journalist Stephanie Russell-Kraft profiled one religious trauma survivor, Ana Sharp Williamson, in a March 2021 piece for The New Republic. Williamson, who had grown up in a conservative evangelical community in the United States, began having panic attacks after she and her husband began attending a new church. She found herself crying, sweating, and hyperventilating during these episodes. Russell-Kraft adds that other former evangelicals have similar experiences, especially after leaving their churches when former U.S. President Donald Trump was elected in 2016.
Causes of Faith-Related Trauma
Religious Trauma Syndrome results from recurring experiences over a long period of time. Often, this begins with fear-based doctrines that are repeatedly taught. With evangelical Christianity, especially in the United States, these can include several ideas: an overemphasis on eternal damnation, white Christian nationalism, and anti-LGBTQIA sentiments. Thinly veiled misogyny expresses itself in complementarianism, the idea that men and women occupy distinctive and separate roles. It also takes the form of purity culture, which insists that men are naturally lustful and women should remain virgins until marriage.
These ideas further become instruments of trauma when they’re used to shame, attack, and abuse others. Anyone can suffer these effects, but they’re especially salient among women and LGBTQIA people. God is an angry guy in the sky demanding perfection and conformity, so the narrative goes. If you’re defective in any way, he will reject you. But since humans are imperfect, it’s easy to develop hypervigilance and fear through repeated exposure within conservative religious environments. And in some cases, these damaging messages are coupled with physical and/or sexual abuse.
It’s OK Not To Be OK
Psychological trauma can heal through treatment. But some sufferers of RTS look for therapists specializing in religious trauma. Groups like Journey Free and Recovering from Religion offer services such as individual counselling and support groups, plus other resources to help in the healing journey. Canadian mental health professionals have followed suit, with counselling services available in places like Vancouver and Alberta. The Reclamation Collective provides religious trauma therapy listings for both the United States and Canada.
Healing from RTS includes rediscovering oneself. That usually means letting go of perfectionism, developing self-compassion, and slowly unlearning damaging and destructive ideas. For some, it also means reclaiming one’s sovereign free will to make deliberate life and faith choices. Ultimately, recovering from religious trauma is a journey that takes time and patience to travel.
Have you thought about making Canada home? Married life is a journey, not just a destination. When you’ve decided to share forever with the love of your life, you’re embarking on a grand voyage for a major new phase in your life. There’s much to anticipate about this next great chapter, whether it’s starting a family or living together. This new milestone in your lives together will come with many decisions that you’ll have to make as a couple. One of these is where you’ll live. You may have many options when it comes to finding a home. Here’s what you should know about living in Canada.
Immigrating Here
The immigration process to Canada can be quite involved. There are many steps to apply and secure approval for immigration. Be aware that the process can take several months and even a few years in some cases. For citizens of other countries seeking permanent residence in the Great White North, there are several programs for entry:
Express Entry Program: Designated for skilled immigrants to live and work here
Federal Skilled Worker: Intended for individuals immigrating to Canada based on their own credentials
Business Immigration: Designed for foreign nationals seeking to establish or invest in a business enterprise in Canada
Provincial Nominee Program: Set aside for certain provinces to use their own criteria and eligibility requirements to nominate persons for permanent residence
Family Class Sponsorship: Specified for people who will be sponsored by family members who are Canadian citizens, Indians or permanent residents
Canadian Experience Class: Intended for foreign students and temporary workers with at least one year of employment experience
Visiting Canada is one thing, but living here will require attainment of permanent resident status.
Getting Medical Care in Canada
Having access to adequate healthcare is important wherever you choose to live. In Canada, healthcare is provided by the government through tax funds. Care is administered through private providers. While basic care is essentially free, not everything is covered, like certain prescriptions or dental care. It is recommended that you purchase third-party medical insurance to offset some of the high costs for care not included with basic coverage. It could take you a while to receive public benefits even as a permanent resident, so having coverage through an international provider before you move here is worth considering.
Adjusting to the Climate in Canada
Immigrants from certain parts of the United States and Europe may feel at home with the weather up here. Describing Canada as cold would be quite an understatement. Most parts of the country have average winter temperatures that are well below zero degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit)! As a resident, it’s possible to experience four seasons, but your understanding of “winter” may be redefined or reshaped up here. If you’re moving from somewhere warm, you probably don’t have enough winter clothes.
Embracing Diversity
Within Canada’s population there are over 200 nationalities and 250 ethnicities represented, including indigenous people. Currently over 20% of the population was born elsewhere, and that percentage is expected to reach almost 50% by 2031. You and your partner may not feel social pressure to fit a particular cultural mold, as many different cultures are present and represented here. This diversity is reflected not just in the general populace but also in government as well.
Loving Freely
Since 2005, all provinces have recognized same-sex marriages. In Canada, marriage falls under federal jurisdiction, but marriage solemnization falls under provincial regulations. Ceremonies can be either civil or religious, but you should know that clergy cannot be compelled to perform same-sex marriages. When it comes to building a life together, there are many places for you and your spouse or spouse-to-be to start this phase. There’s a lot to see and be in Canada. As with any location, think carefully about the type of life you want for you and your family.
Water is critical to life on Earth. It covers over 70% of our planet’s surface and makes up about 60% of the human body. So it’s no surprise that it played important roles in human cultures. Most connected it with its cleansing and life-giving properties, but the ancient Chinese took things a step further. Water is a key part of feng shui, the art of arranging interior spaces to harmonize with the natural world. This quick guide explains water’s place in feng shui and how it’s used to promote positive energy flow.
Feng Shui and the Five Phases
Feng shui incorporates the idea of wuxing. You’ll see it in a lot of traditional Chinese thought, including Taoist principles. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says that wuxing translates as “five processes” or “five phases.” Wuxing encompasses cycles of motion or change, instead of static material substances as in ancient Greek thought.
Wuxing’s five elemental phases occur in both creative and destructive cycles. In classical Chinese philosophy, the creative cycle begins with wood fueling fire. Fire produces earth by generating ash. Earth produces metal through geological processes, and metal allows water to condense in vapor form. The cycle begins again when water hydrates wood. The destructive cycle starts with fire melting metal. Metal cuts wood, which in turn breaks up earth by growing through it. Earth can soak up water, which restarts the cycle by quenching fire.
Feng shui uses a map called a bagua to guide the arrangement of interior spaces. The Spruce explains that the bagua divides a space into nine distinct areas, each aligned with one of the five elemental phases. Every area represents an aspect of a person’s life. Creating good energy in those areas requires balance – and that means bringing the right elements into each one.
Water, Wisdom, and Work
Classical Chinese philosophy associates water with the color black and the winter season. You’ll also see it represented with wavy or curvy shapes. Water occupies the Kan area of the bagua – typically the northernmost segment of the map. In most feng shui traditions, this area represents one’s career or life path.
Architect Anjie Cho describes the water phase as flowing and shifting, with connections to wisdom and intuition. Given that it’s in the career area of the bagua, these connotations aren’t surprising. Cho adds that adding more of this element may be helpful if we want to improve social connections and wealth. This also makes sense – social connections may lead to better career prospects, which can help generate more wealth.
Boosting the Water Element in Your Home
Feng shui schools use different approaches to find north. Some use the literal compass direction, while others set the front door as the northern point. Either way, practitioners suggest incorporating the water element in the northern area. Doing so can encourage positive energy flow.
Fortunately, there are tons of ways you can do this. Fountains and aquariums are the most obvious solutions – you’re placing literal water in those spaces. But if these aren’t workable, you can use other things to symbolize the water element. Black, charcoal gray, and navy blue décor objects can work – think vases, art, throw pillows, rugs, or other accessories. Mirrors are another great option thanks to their reflective properties. You could also try artwork with watery imagery. Don’t forget that you can use shapes to bring water into your space. Try objects with wavy, curved, or irregular-shaped patterns and edges.
Water, Water Everywhere
Several cultures believe that there’s a cosmic energy that flows through everything. Feng shui aims to encourage energy flow for better harmony and positive outcomes. As one of five elemental phases, water possesses both creative and destructive energies. With a few simple additions, you can easily introduce and balance this element inside your home.
You may or may not know but feng shui has creation and destructive cycles. Human spirituality often takes its cues from the natural world. Water, for instance, symbolizes purification in many faiths. But even how elements interact with each other can take on metaphysical meanings. Traditional Chinese philosophy speaks of five elemental phases – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. How these phases interact with each other is a core concept in feng shui.
Five Elemental Phases
Derived from Taoist principles, feng shui seeks to achieve balance with nature. It does this by working with qi, a vital life energy that flows through everything in our universe. The goal of feng shui is to get that energy to move in positive ways, creating harmony within one’s interior spaces.
Chinese cosmology recognizes five elemental phases, collectively called “Wuxing.” Every phase has unique energy based on how its element behaves in the natural world. Fire burns, water reflects light, and so forth. And just like water extinguishes fire, these energies can support or oppose each other. Understanding these interactions is an important key in feng shui design.
The Cycles of Creation
The Spruce explains that the five phases exist in a creative cycle known as “shēng.” Written in Hanzi as “生,” it’s a Chinese verb that means “to give birth.” And that’s exactly what this cycle does. Each element helps generate or nourish another.
How does this cycle work? Well, water nourishes wood by carrying nutrients to each of its cells. Wood feeds fire, providing fuel for heat-generating chemical reactions. Fire creates earth with the ash it leaves behind, full of carbon and minerals like calcium and potassium. Earth gives rise to metal through natural phenomena such as pressure, heat, and weathering. Metal collects water by letting air moisture condense into droplets.
You can use this principle in feng shui to strengthen an element’s influence. Adding more of the element itself is helpful, but you could also include more of the phase that nourishes it. If you’re trying to boost earth, for instance, you can also include more of the earth-generating fire element.
The Destructive Cycles
Chinese cosmology’s elemental phases can also form a destructive cycle. Wandering Dao calls this “kè,” written as “克” in Hanzi and translated as “to restrain” or “to overcome.” In this cycle, each element naturally opposes and weakens another one.
Natural principles also govern this cycle. Water extinguishes fire, decreasing heat and depriving it of oxygen. Fire melts metal, breaking down its solid structure as its particles vibrate faster. Metal can cut wood: The blade concentrates force on a small surface area, generating pressure to break wood’s molecular bonds. Wood emerges from earth, breaking through the soil’s surface. Earth can absorb water or contain it, as shores and riverbanks do.
Since this cycle overcomes and restrains, you can use it to balance out other elemental energies within a space. If you have a fireplace in a “metal” area of your home, for example, you could place more water elements to dampen the fire’s energy impact.
Science Meets the Metaphysical
The art of feng shui is a few thousand years old. Inspired by natural phenomena, its objective is to align physical spaces with unseen energies. Older practices emphasized achieving positive outcomes through auspicious building sites and interior design. Today, practitioners often work with interior spaces after they’re already constructed.
Feng shui uses many concepts from traditional Chinese philosophy. Taoism recognizes five elemental phases: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Just as these elements interact with each other in the natural world, these phases can work in both creative and destructive cycles. Both offer insight into strengthening or minimizing an element’s energy impacts. Understanding these principles is key to accomplishing balance within a physical space.
Got a furry feline in your family? According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute, your kitty is one of 8.1 million living in Canadian households. With cats outnumbering dogs, their popularity shows no signs of stopping. Yet in medieval Europe, anti-feline superstitions reigned supreme. What prompted these strange beliefs? Did cats contribute to the plague’s high death tolls across the continent? A quick trip through history provides answers to these intriguing questions.
Medieval Catholicism and Anti-Feline Bias
“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” We laugh at this humorous quip from English author Sir Terry Pratchett. Yet it reflects the status our feline friends held in the ancient world. Even in 17th-century Japan, cats were bringers of good fortune. The legend of Maneki Neko, or “Beckoning Cat,” credits the titular feline with saving a samurai from lightning strikes.
Yet the story was much different in 13th-century Europe. The World History Encyclopedia reveals that medieval Europeans tolerated cats. They provided pest control but were not companions or pets. But distaste for felines later grew into hatred, thanks to the Catholic Church. Museum Hack’s Alex Johnson mentions a papal bull from Pope Gregory IX describing a cat-worshipping cult. Medievalists.net lists more examples, including a quote from Pope Innocent VIII. “The cat was the devil’s favorite animal and idol of all witches,” he wrote in 1484 C.E.
Why did this happen? Historian Desmond Morris says it best. “Religious bigots have often employed the cunning device of converting other people’s heroes into villains to suit their own purpose,” he writes in his 1993 book “Catlore.” Ancient Egypt’s household protectors became medieval Europe’s villains. Peasants and nobles alike tortured and killed cats, sometimes by the thousands.
Mapping the Plague’s Spread
If you know anything about the Middle Ages, then you’ve probably heard about the plague. Multiple outbreaks occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries. The Black Death ravaged most of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. While it’s difficult to figure out exactly how many people died, estimates run as high as 25 million.
The World Health Organization explains that the disease comes from Yersinia pestis bacteria. Rat fleas are a prime carrier, transmitting the bacteria to humans through their bites. Given the domestic feline’s proclivity for killing rats, it’s easy to blame medieval Europeans’ cat massacres for the Black Death. But does this assumption hold up against historical fact?
Alex Johnson takes this myth apart in his Museum Hack piece. The first plague outbreaks occurred in Asia during the 1330s. The disease had spread to Constantinople, now modern-day Istanbul, by 1347 C.E. Yet history reveals no instances of mass cat killing in Asia or Turkey.
Cats were also popular in the Islamic world. But their rat-killing habits couldn’t stop the Black Death. The plague barreled through Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Arabian Peninsula. And even where cat populations declined, they could quickly rebound. The average intact female births 12 kittens per year. A couple of mother cats can have enough litters to save a local colony from dying out.
Myths, Correlation, Causation, and Bias
We now understand that killing felines didn’t lead to the plague’s spread. Yet anti-feline sentiments in medieval Europe show some key things about human nature. When crises arise and knowledge is scarce, it’s easy to scapegoat someone or something. In these unfortunate situations, marginalized groups often become targets.
We aren’t associating cats with evil anymore. But othering – the “us vs. them” dichotomy – can lead to discrimination and scapegoating. The current wave of anti-Asian violence in Canada is just one example. Critical thinking is always vital. And checking our own biases is an important step in combating prejudice and avoiding unjust blame.
Religion has long been a part of the journey of the human race. According to many anthropologists, one of the earliest signs of advanced intelligence in the ancestors of modern humans was the practice of burying the dead. Academics believe the initial burial processes were religious in nature, indicating connections to spiritual beliefs are some of the oldest aspects of the human condition. Still, this doesn’t mean that modern people have the same perceptions when it comes to religious ideologies. In Canada, there have been some very interesting shifts on religious fronts over recent years.
Immigrants Comprise the New Religious Majority
For a long while throughout Canada’s history, a good chunk of the population identified as religious. These individuals typically were influenced in their religious beliefs by their families, meaning that each generation in a group or community tended to reflect the one before. At some point over the last two decades, this began to change. According to statistics compiled from 2001 until 2015, younger individuals coming from families who have Canadian roots dating back centuries are much less religious than those prior.
The same research revealed that immigrants to Canada tend to be much more religious as a whole. With Canada consistently welcoming new residents from across the world, there has been a big uptick in both the number of religious individuals from foreign nations and a shift in what spiritual beliefs are practiced on average. Once, Christianity and its various denominations were most common. Now, populations of Muslims, Buddhists, and other groups have become larger in communities throughout the nation.
Older Canadians Are In Favor of Religion as a Whole
Another bit of data released around 2011 showed a transition in the median age for the average religious citizen. This information, which has remained largely the same over the last decade, revealed that those who identified as religious tended to be on the older end of the spectrum. Those who stated that they were members of a Christian-based faith like Protestantism or Catholicism tended to be around 52 years of age. This is a shift upward when compared to data from previous census reports across the last five decades, which revealed that the median age was closer to 35.
This is another area where differing religious beliefs reveal different sets of data. Though Christians as a whole tend to lean older, this is not true of those who belong to other faiths. In the case of immigrants entering Canada, those who identify as Mulsim tend to be around 27 years of age on average. This is primarily due to the fact that people in the countries where these individuals originated lean younger when it comes to religious beliefs across generations.
Most Canadians View Religion in a Positive Way
Even though fewer people are identifying as religious in the traditional sense, Canadians by and large accept and are interested in the religions of others. While there are favorable views to popular Canadian belief systems like Protestantism, citizens also respond in a positive way when it comes to religions that weren’t as present in the population over previous years, like Buddhism. Still, this isn’t to say all members of Canada are as open. Small populations still show signs of xenophobia and ignorance when it comes to the religions of others.
While a subject that has fascinated the human race since the dawn of recorded time, religion definitely looks far different today than it did back then. As the world continues to shrink due to the presence of the internet, it is likely true that even more changes will take place at an even faster pace. For now, looking back at the past can be a great way of gaining some perspective on the current zeitgeist and any changes that might be poised on the horizon.
There’s a popular adage that says the only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. Nearly everyone has to deal with taxes in some shape or form. For Canadian couples who are contemplating marriage, money and finances should be part of the conversation. Your money situation as an individual will likely change once married, and you and your partner need to discuss what things look like financially as individuals and newlyweds. Part of that discussion should include taxes and its associated benefits and liabilities.
Tying the Knot or Not
To be clear, your tax filing status doesn’t change just because you’re now a spouse. The amount of tax you pay is based on your income level, not marital status. Also, you don’t necessarily have to be legally married to be considered a spouse from a tax point of view. If you’ve been living with a partner in a conjugal relationship for at least a year, you’re considered married for tax purposes. You can forego the time requirement if both of you are parents to the same child(ren).
Weighing the Benefits
Marriage does afford Canadian couples some benefits when it comes to taxes. You might even consider adding “in tax pros and tax cons” to your wedding vows thanks to these benefits:
Spousal transfers: Your tax liability may be reduced if your spouse has nonrefundable tax credits that are not needed. Suppose you have a tax liability. If your partner has more credits than what is owed, a spousal transfer makes it possible for the leftover credits to be applied to your tax burden. These transfers only apply to certain nonrefundable credits, such as those associated with age, pension, tuition, disability and caregiving for infirmed children under the age of 18.
Spousal/common-law partner amount: If you provided financial support to a spouse or common-law partner in a given year, you can claim this credit. The amount you can claim changes each year and is affected by how much your partner earned.
Homebuyer’s amount: A credit of $5,000 is available if you purchased a house together as a couple during the tax year. If neither you nor your spouse lived in a home that you owned for four years prior to the purchase, this credit can be claimed. It can also be split between the two of you to offer tax advantages to both partners.
Other credits: Filing taxes together provides the opportunity for a coupled pair to pool their charitable donations and medical expenses for a larger nonrefundable credit.
Depending on your situation as a couple, you might also benefit from the Canada Child Benefit. This nontaxable monthly payment provides assistance for the costs of raising children under the age of 18. This benefit is income-related, so a married couple may or may not receive more for kids than single parents. It’s worth looking into, especially if both of you have children under the age of majority.
Considering the Tax Disadvantages
Several tax benefits are income-related, so going from a single income to joint income through marriage or partnering may cause your household to hit that upper limit when filing together. The principal residence exemption allows Canadians to sell a home without paying taxes. As a couple, you can only claim one residence, not two. Referencing the “tax cons” in a set of wedding vows, you could be partially or totally responsible for any unpaid taxes owed by your partner.
Tax implications for single people vs. married or common-law couples require upfront discussion. Going into a marriage blind or ignorant of money concerns can lead to difficulties. It’s important to have the conversations about finances before you both say, “I do.”
Data obtained from Statistics Canada indicates that religious affiliation is at an all-time low. The number of Canadians who report having an affiliation with any religion dropped below 70 percent for the first time since tracking began in 1985. What is fascinating is that this data is not evenly distributed.
The study indicates a glaring generational divide. Participants in the study who were born before 1970 were significantly more likely to report religious affiliation compared to those born after 1990.
The decline in religious affiliation also disproportionately affects the Christian faiths. While the data revealed that Canadians are less likely to identify as Catholic or Anglican when compared to the same time 10 years ago, non-Christian faiths like Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism are actually experiencing growth.
So what is one to make of this data? As human beings, we are natural storytellers. We need stories in order to make sense of the world, and data of this sort is a common way that we derive meaning and draw conclusions. While everyone will have their own interpretation of StatCan findings, a few things become clear when viewed in the context of our lives today.
The Generational Divide
The difference in religiosity between age groups cannot be ignored. What might these numbers say about the world today? Before exploring the divide, it is important to note that these data do not necessarily indicate a lack of interest in spiritual practices or community. They do, however, seem to indicate a rejection of labels.
One may argue that younger folks have access to more information and broader perspectives than were available to previous generations. Perhaps more information leads to more questions and less certainty. Perhaps it fosters a sense of curiosity and humility when it comes to our understanding of the world.
One could also argue that the decline in religiosity among younger Canadians indicates a desire for more flexible and inclusive views. In the face of a world that is growing more complex by the day, it is not hard to imagine a desire for systems of faith that are more nuanced and address the totality of our being.
A More Inclusive Society Leading To Decline
The StatCan data also reveals another interesting trend: that non-Christian religions are actually gaining popularity in Canada. As Canada continues to attract a diverse population of immigrants, new ideas, faiths, and worldviews appear to be making their mark on the country’s religious identity. When combined with the broader perspectives of Canada’s young, one could argue that the interplay between Christian and non-Christian faiths paves the way for broader understandings of spirituality and community.
For some, the trends apparent in this data are a cause for concern or cynicism. After all, the concept of faith is a deeply personal one that provides us with a means to understand and cope. It is not hard to understand how one’s ideas about the world can be shaken when confronted with information like this. Still, there is far more room for hope and optimism.
It is hard to imagine a functioning society without collective belief systems. Humanity as we’ve come to know it would likely not exist without the collective belief in something greater than ourselves. Religion can be a beautiful thing. Yet it is wholly dishonest to ignore the unbelievable harm levied in the name of belief, faith, and tradition.
This data could very well indicate a synthesis between these two divergent perspectives. Rather than wholesale rejection or abandonment of faith and the role that it plays in our lives, we may well be expanding our belief in what is possible and developing something new. This could indicate a move towards something that connects us rather than tearing us apart.
Canada reports thousands of new COVID-19 cases every day and more than 14,000 deaths to date. With these numbers, it’s no surprise that more Canadians are getting their wills done. As Global News reported in April 2020, they’re flocking to estate planning services such as Willful. Some companies reported a fourfold increase in business since March 2020. But is a will your only estate planning option? Living trusts work a little differently than wills, but they offer unique advantages. Learning more about trusts can help you make wise decisions for your family’s future.
Differences Between Wills and Trusts
Both wills and trusts do the same thing – transfer assets to beneficiaries. But a will only takes effect after its creator dies. Yet even then, this doesn’t happen right away. There’s the probate process, which verifies whether a will is legally valid. It all oversees an estate’s debt payments and asset distribution. The entire probate process can take more than a year to finish. If your estate is more complicated than usual, probate can last several years.
Like a will, a living trust is a legal document. You may hear it called an “inter vivos trust.” The grantor, or the person creating the trust, must write a trust agreement. Investopedia clarifies that the trust itself is a legal entity that owns whatever assets are put into it. Trusts can contain physical assets, financial accounts, and investments. A living trust may also hold intangible assets such as digital files, social media accounts, and intellectual property. Your trust can even include ownership stakes in private businesses.
How Living Trusts Work
A trust agreement spells out how and when to transfer the grantor’s assets. This agreement usually includes three or four parties:
Trustor
Trustees
Successor trustees
Beneficiaries
Asset transfers usually happen when the grantor dies. However, they can also occur if that individual becomes incapacitated. Of course, all this depends on the specific instructions contained in the trust agreement.
Revocable living trusts are the most common type in estate planning. That’s because trustors can update them at any time. You can add or remove assets, change distribution instructions, update beneficiaries, and more. Investopedia adds that a revocable trust’s grantor can also be a trustee. Successor trustees take over the trust’s management when the primary trustees cannot. For instance, you could name your adult children as successor trustees.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Living Trusts
Like any other estate planning tool, living trusts have their pros and cons. MoneySense explains that assets in a trust do not go through the probate process. The trust itself also remains private. Information about its contents doesn’t become public knowledge unless it’s legally contested.
The major drawback to living trusts is their cost. MoneySense mentions that annual tax filings are required. As a result, many trust creators need professional tax and legal advice. Canadians may also take a bigger hit in the pocketbook at tax time. That’s because trust incomes are taxed at a combined federal and provincial rate, which works out to around 50%. This is much more than what U.S. trustors pay – that’s why living trusts are more popular south of the border. Some assets can’t be put into a trust, MoneySense adds, so you still may need a will and an executor to make sure your wishes are carried out.
Choosing the Right Planning Tools
Estate planning is as individualized as designing a wedding or a funeral. Wills and living trusts are powerful planning tools, but they use different approaches. Understanding how these tools work, plus their benefits and drawbacks, is important. Selecting the best methods and strategies is key to ensuring that your family is taken care of after you’re gone.
Whether you’re a K-pop fan or not, you’ve undoubtedly heard of BTS. The seven-member boy band from Seoul has broken music sales and streaming records in both 2020 and 2021. Religion may not be on your mind when you’re listing to songs like “Dynamite” and “Butter,” but it’s rumored that BTS members V, Jungkook, and J-Hope may be Christians. And they’re not the only ones. Many K-pop idols like Blackpink’s Rosé and solo artist Ailee also call Christianity their faith.
The abundance of South Korean artists and actors who are Christian isn’t surprising. Pew Research Center revealed that around 29% share this faith. PBS’s Hidden Korea series insists that the number is much higher – around 51%. Similar trends exist among Canada’s 240,000 Koreans. So how did an Abrahamic monotheistic faith gain ground in an East Asian country? As it turns out, Korean Christianity has a complex and fascinating history.
Buddhism, Confucianism, and Catholicism
During our lifetimes, we’ve only known Korea as a divided country. The horrors suffered by North Koreans under its current regime frequently make headlines. But Korea’s split into north and south happened in 1945. Its history spans thousands of years, during which several dynasties ruled. The last of these was the Joseon dynasty, ending in the early 20th century.
Korea’s pre-modern religious history begins with its Shinism. This early folk religion blended polytheistic and animistic beliefs. Buddhism arrived during the fourth century C.E. during its Three Kingdoms period. Confucianism rose to prominence during the 14th century C.E.
Meanwhile, Christian missionaries came at various times. By the late-1880s, both Protestant and Catholic schools existed. In 1887, Scottish Presbyterian missionary John Ross finished translating the Bible into Korean.
Oppression and War, Then Hope
Korea became a protectorate of Japan in 1905, but Japan’s rule truly began when it annexed the country in 1910. What followed was three and a half decades of oppression, as History explains. Koreans saw their language erased from public life as Japan forbid its use. The ruling government also burned many books, including over 200,000 Korean historical documents. Thousands of Koreans ended up in forced labor. Many women were trafficked into Japanese military brothels. And as a final insult, the government forced Koreans to worship at imperial Japanese shrines.
After the end of World War II, Korea existed in two separate regions. Historian and professor Ji-Young Lee breaks it down: The north was under Soviet rule, while the United States controlled the south. By 1948, each region had its own government – North Korea’s in Pyongyang and South Korea’s in Seoul. When Kim Il-Sung marched into South Korea in 1950, his actions started the Korean War.
During the war, many South Koreans encountered Christianity. USC professor Diane Winston adds that their positive impression of the faith was thanks to American support against Soviet-backed North Korea. They associated this religion with prosperity, liberty, and “divine blessings,” as Winston puts it. The liberation narrative of Exodus also resonated with some South Koreans – they saw parallels between their tribulations and the ancient Israelites in Egypt.
Christianity in Modern South Korea
Today, Christianity in South Korea includes Catholicism and more than 100 Protestant denominations. Though theological diversity exists, megachurches like Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul attract many followers. And as in the West, conservative evangelism plays a large role in Korean culture and politics. Winston explains that it shares some similarities with Confucianism – traditional gender roles, a focus on family, and reverence for authority.
There are nearly 500 Korean Christian congregations across Canada. In large metro areas such as Toronto, Koreans have a wide range of fellowship and worship options. While there are ideological differences between younger Korean Canadians and their elders, faith remains important to both. As Canadian culture changes, Korean Christian spirituality makes up an important part of the country’s religious landscape.
When we think of religion and psychological abuse, we usually picture ex-cult members. Often, these people come out with severe trauma that needs treatment. But you don’t have to be in a cult to suffer this kind of harm: Faith-related trauma is a real thing. Some are calling it “Religious Trauma Syndrome,” and former evangelicals are emerging to find answers and healing.
Defining Religious Trauma Syndrome
New York Times writer Richard Schiffman says that Religious Trauma Syndrome isn’t an official diagnosis — yet. It’s not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, an extensive resource book used by mental health professionals. But it’s become shorthand for negative mental health outcomes caused by what Schiffman calls “religious indoctrination.” The World Health Organization also recently included RTS in its International Classification of Diseases.
Journey Free, a recovery group that helps people heal from such trauma, describes RTS as resulting from “chronic abuse” connected to authoritarian and dogmatic religious cultures. Since it develops through long-term trauma, RTS sufferers can exhibit symptoms of complex PTSD:
Hyperarousal, the constant feeling of being irritable or “on edge”
Re-experienced trauma through nightmares and flashbacks
Avoiding situations that may remind them of their trauma
Isolation from friends and family
Nagging feelings of guilt of shame
Difficulty with emotional regulation and expression
Journalist Stephanie Russell-Kraft profiled one religious trauma survivor, Ana Sharp Williamson, in a March 2021 piece for The New Republic. Williamson, who had grown up in a conservative evangelical community in the United States, began having panic attacks after she and her husband began attending a new church. She found herself crying, sweating, and hyperventilating during these episodes. Russell-Kraft adds that other former evangelicals have similar experiences, especially after leaving their churches when former U.S. President Donald Trump was elected in 2016.
Causes of Faith-Related Trauma
Religious Trauma Syndrome results from recurring experiences over a long period of time. Often, this begins with fear-based doctrines that are repeatedly taught. With evangelical Christianity, especially in the United States, these can include several ideas: an overemphasis on eternal damnation, white Christian nationalism, and anti-LGBTQIA sentiments. Thinly veiled misogyny expresses itself in complementarianism, the idea that men and women occupy distinctive and separate roles. It also takes the form of purity culture, which insists that men are naturally lustful and women should remain virgins until marriage.
These ideas further become instruments of trauma when they’re used to shame, attack, and abuse others. Anyone can suffer these effects, but they’re especially salient among women and LGBTQIA people. God is an angry guy in the sky demanding perfection and conformity, so the narrative goes. If you’re defective in any way, he will reject you. But since humans are imperfect, it’s easy to develop hypervigilance and fear through repeated exposure within conservative religious environments. And in some cases, these damaging messages are coupled with physical and/or sexual abuse.
It’s OK Not To Be OK
Psychological trauma can heal through treatment. But some sufferers of RTS look for therapists specializing in religious trauma. Groups like Journey Free and Recovering from Religion offer services such as individual counselling and support groups, plus other resources to help in the healing journey. Canadian mental health professionals have followed suit, with counselling services available in places like Vancouver and Alberta. The Reclamation Collective provides religious trauma therapy listings for both the United States and Canada.
Healing from RTS includes rediscovering oneself. That usually means letting go of perfectionism, developing self-compassion, and slowly unlearning damaging and destructive ideas. For some, it also means reclaiming one’s sovereign free will to make deliberate life and faith choices. Ultimately, recovering from religious trauma is a journey that takes time and patience to travel.
Have you thought about making Canada home? Married life is a journey, not just a destination. When you’ve decided to share forever with the love of your life, you’re embarking on a grand voyage for a major new phase in your life. There’s much to anticipate about this next great chapter, whether it’s starting a family or living together. This new milestone in your lives together will come with many decisions that you’ll have to make as a couple. One of these is where you’ll live. You may have many options when it comes to finding a home. Here’s what you should know about living in Canada.
Immigrating Here
The immigration process to Canada can be quite involved. There are many steps to apply and secure approval for immigration. Be aware that the process can take several months and even a few years in some cases. For citizens of other countries seeking permanent residence in the Great White North, there are several programs for entry:
Express Entry Program: Designated for skilled immigrants to live and work here
Federal Skilled Worker: Intended for individuals immigrating to Canada based on their own credentials
Business Immigration: Designed for foreign nationals seeking to establish or invest in a business enterprise in Canada
Provincial Nominee Program: Set aside for certain provinces to use their own criteria and eligibility requirements to nominate persons for permanent residence
Family Class Sponsorship: Specified for people who will be sponsored by family members who are Canadian citizens, Indians or permanent residents
Canadian Experience Class: Intended for foreign students and temporary workers with at least one year of employment experience
Visiting Canada is one thing, but living here will require attainment of permanent resident status.
Getting Medical Care in Canada
Having access to adequate healthcare is important wherever you choose to live. In Canada, healthcare is provided by the government through tax funds. Care is administered through private providers. While basic care is essentially free, not everything is covered, like certain prescriptions or dental care. It is recommended that you purchase third-party medical insurance to offset some of the high costs for care not included with basic coverage. It could take you a while to receive public benefits even as a permanent resident, so having coverage through an international provider before you move here is worth considering.
Adjusting to the Climate in Canada
Immigrants from certain parts of the United States and Europe may feel at home with the weather up here. Describing Canada as cold would be quite an understatement. Most parts of the country have average winter temperatures that are well below zero degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit)! As a resident, it’s possible to experience four seasons, but your understanding of “winter” may be redefined or reshaped up here. If you’re moving from somewhere warm, you probably don’t have enough winter clothes.
Embracing Diversity
Within Canada’s population there are over 200 nationalities and 250 ethnicities represented, including indigenous people. Currently over 20% of the population was born elsewhere, and that percentage is expected to reach almost 50% by 2031. You and your partner may not feel social pressure to fit a particular cultural mold, as many different cultures are present and represented here. This diversity is reflected not just in the general populace but also in government as well.
Loving Freely
Since 2005, all provinces have recognized same-sex marriages. In Canada, marriage falls under federal jurisdiction, but marriage solemnization falls under provincial regulations. Ceremonies can be either civil or religious, but you should know that clergy cannot be compelled to perform same-sex marriages. When it comes to building a life together, there are many places for you and your spouse or spouse-to-be to start this phase. There’s a lot to see and be in Canada. As with any location, think carefully about the type of life you want for you and your family.
