News round-up

Note: Registration or subscription to the host news sites may be required to read some of the stories linked here.

Stories about same-sex blessings and the Anglican Church:

Bishop gets final say on divisive issue
Anglicans across Canada are watching closely today as Ottawa becomes the first diocese in the country to grapple with the divisive issue of same-sex unions after the national body ruled against it last summer. Most of the 300 or so clergy and lay people meeting here are expected to support a motion asking that priests be allowed to bless same-sex couples who have already been married in a civil ceremony, as long as the parish approves. Ottawa Bishop John Chapman cautioned that even if the motion passes today, any final say will fall to him, not to the diocese or to any parish. However, he said he welcomes the motion because it will give him a reading of where congregants stand on the issue.
Ottawa Citizen, October 13

Ottawa Anglicans OK gay unions
Ottawa Anglicans approved the blessing of same-sex marriages by a vote of 177 to 97 yesterday, the first diocese in Canada to support the blessings since the national church nixed them this summer.
Ottawa Citizen, October 13
Also: National Post

Earlier: Stories about Anglicans and same-sex blessings

Stories about Stephen Harper, Jews, and the Tories' "ethnic outreach":

Harper's Jewish mailing list draws privacy commissioner inquiry
The federal privacy commissioner has launched a "preliminary inquiry" following several complaints that Prime Minister Stephen Harper compiled a mailing list of Jewish Canadians. The investigation follows reports that a number of households received unsolicited Rosh Hashanah greetings from Harper last month. Some of the recipients complained to news media that they had no idea how they came to be on a mailing list based on their religious affiliation.
Canadian Press, October 11

Jewish lobby backs Harper over mailing list for Jewish households
There is nothing "nefarious" about Prime Minister Stephen Harper compiling a mailing list of Jewish Canadians and sending their households holiday greetings, two prominent Jewish lobby groups said Friday. . . . An expert in Jewish studies said the notion of lists of Jews being kept by political parties or governments has dark historical echoes for some Holocaust survivors and their descendents. But both Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress and Frank Dimant of B'nai Brith Canada praised what they called government outreach and said there should be no controversy.
Canadian Press, October 12

Tories target specific ethnic voters
Select ethnic and religious groups across Canada are being targeted by a previously unknown Conservative team that is bluntly gunning for votes in a bid to supplant the Liberals in multicultural ridings in the next election. The operation's strategic blueprint, obtained by The Globe and Mail, states the "ethnic outreach team" is largely overseen by the Prime Minister's Office and Jason Kenney, the junior minister for multiculturalism.
Globe and Mail, October 16

Anatomy of a Conservative strategy
An "ethnic outreach" strategy document provided to Conservative candidates at a conference last March lays out a plan to snag the votes of new Canadians and visible minorities from the Liberals. It suggests that 80 per cent of Canada's ethnic communities can be persuaded to vote Conservative.
Globe and Mail, October 16

B.C. a possible proving ground
With their ethnic diversity and the three-way race for support among the national political parties, Vancouver and surrounding communities may be a key testing ground for the federal Conservatives' intense new appeal for ethnic votes.
Globe and Mail, October 17

Stories about Ann Coulter and her remarks on Jews and Christians:

Ann Coulter's Jewish Christianism
Some people think Ann Coulter is an anti-Semite because of what she said in a recent television interview. Appearing on Donny Deutsch's CNBC show, "The Big Idea," last week, the author and columnist said that she wished Jews would become "perfected," and convert to Christianity.
Dave Gordon, Full Comment, National Post, October 15

The disgrace of Ann Coulter
Last week, during an appearance on the CNBC program The Big Idea, right-wing shock-pundit Ann Coulter described her ideal vision of American society. It was, she said, New York, as the city appeared in the midst of its 2004 Republican national convention: "People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant." When host Donny Deutsch asked the obvious question -- "So it would be better if we were all Christian?" -- Coulter said yes. When Deutsch, who is Jewish, told her he thought this was anti-Semitic, she declared on behalf of Christians: "We just want Jews to be perfected."
Jonathan Kay, National Post, October 16

Stories about the Ontario election and non-Catholic faith-based schools:

Tory's schools position divisive, McGuinty says
Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty said yesterday that extending public funding to all faith-based schools could lead to lawsuits, expensive building projects and quarrels over what's being taught. During a meeting with The Globe and Mail's editorial board, Mr. McGuinty outlined in detail his opposition to the proposal by Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory to bring faith-based schools into the public system. He said such a plan would plunge Ontario into a divisive, all-consuming debate.
Globe and Mail, October 5

Schools issue has stolen campaign, Hampton says
As recently as last week, Ontario voters appeared divided enough to bring in a minority government and Mr. Hampton was openly talking about the prospect of his party holding the balance of power. But momentum appears to be shifting to the Liberals, all but dashing Mr. Hampton's hopes. He suggested that Mr. Tory's decision to promote public funding for all religious schools - a contentious topic that drowned out virtually everything else - was to blame.
Globe and Mail, October 5

McGuinty keeps hammering school funding issue as Hampton questions role as leader
Five days before Ontario residents elect a new government, Premier Dalton McGuinty remained hung up on the religious school funding debate while Progressive Conservative rival John Tory fired back with accusations of government mismanagement in the wake of reported cost overruns at a hospital project in southwestern Ontario. Taking half-a-billion dollars out of public education to give to faith-based private schools would "divide" and "weaken" Ontario, McGuinty said Saturday of Tory's plan.
Canadian Press, October 6

Ontario votes
Frequent readers of this space will guess I usually vote Conservative. The more attentive will recall that I bear something approaching ill-will towards the sitting Liberal premier, Dalton McGuinty, the apostate Catholic whose government has never done anything that did not annoy me. It began with their big fat lie, promising not to raise taxes before the last election, then raising them substantially the moment after they came to power, and trying to pass it off as an administrative technicality.
David Warren, Ottawa Citizen, October 6

School funding reversal calms Tory faithful
Promising to fund faith-based schools has been a "mind bomb" that will likely cost the Progressive Conservatives the election, but reversing course on the scheme appears to have stemmed the bleeding of core Tory supporters.
Toronto Star, October 7

Schools issue could edge Greens over the line
While Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound has typically been a Conservative stronghold, Mr. Jolley said many constituents began questioning their loyalties after Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory announced his controversial plan to publicly fund private faith-based schools. In the wake of the ensuing controversy, Mr. Murdoch was the first of a handful of Conservatives to publicly refuse to support the measure -- a "flip-flop" Mr. Jolley attributes to the fear of losing to the Greens.
Canadian Press, October 7

Tory defends Liberal attack ad, McGuinty insists his campaign is 'positive'
The leaders of Ontario's top three political parties had nothing but good cheer and inspirational messages to share with voters on Thanksgiving Sunday, but such was not the case in at least one of their latest ad campaigns. Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory spent the morning urging Toronto churchgoers to count their blessings and to think of those who are less fortunate.
Canadian Press, October 7

Catholic schools feel fallout of Tory's idea
In Ontario's taxpayer-funded, historically enshrined and suddenly -- again -- controversial Catholic schools, church and class are never very far apart. Father Daniel Mentesana pops by twice a week to teach prayers and hear Confession. The whole school goes to mass at least once a month, and takes religious education half an hour of every day. But has Catholic-school funding lost favour with the public? The Green Party, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and 70 per cent of readers in a recent Toronto Star poll have said they favour one blended, secular school system -- and suggest it's time to pull the plug on Catholic funding.
Toronto Star, October 8

Liberals ride lead in polls while PC school funding flip fails to boost support
A new poll suggests the Progressive Conservatives have failed to draw closer to the Liberals despite a flip-flop on their controversial plan to fund faith-based schools. The latest Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey shows Liberal support at 42 per cent among those polled between Oct. 4 and 7 - down marginally from the 43 per cent support the party received in a similar survey conducted a week ago.
Canadian Press, October 8

Religious schools set to give Liberals majority
Funding issue proved 'devastating' to Tory, poll says
Globe and Mail, October 9

Liberal record takes back seat to faith-based schools in Ontario election
Ontario's Progressive Conservative, New Democrat and Green parties had hoped voters would file into Ontario's polling stations Wednesday with a single message burned into their minds: Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty is a notorious promise-breaker. Instead, after 30 days of campaign promises, canvassing and partisan attacks, just one issue has dominated the agenda - the question of whether to extend funding to faith-based schools that opt into the public school system.
Canadian Press, October 9

Polls open in Ontario election dominated by religious schools debate
Though they have four principal parties to choose from, most voters will have to decide between the promise-breaker record of incumbent Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty and the controversial plan to fund religious schools proposed by Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory. Others will opt to support the social-services agenda of the New Democrats under Howard Hampton or the environmental focus of the nascent Green party under part-time leader Frank de Jong.
Canadian Press, October 10

Ontario goes to the polls
The political fate of Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory hung in the balance this evening as the party leader counted on last-minute undecided voters to prove the pundits and opinion polls wrong. Polls will close tonight at 9 with results expected within the first hour or so. After a campaign dominated by Tory's controversial proposal to fund religious schools and a last-ditch whirlwind tour of 11 Toronto-area ridings Tuesday, an emotional Tory tried to stay optimistic after watching his father cast a ballot in the close Toronto contest that will determine his future.
Toronto Star, October 10

Few politicians likely to revisit religious schools debate, analysts say
It's unlikely another Ontario politician will soon follow in Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory's footsteps by revisiting his pledge to publicly fund religious schools, political analysts said Wednesday, lest they wish to suffer the same fate at the ballot box. "I don't think that any politician is going to be foolish enough in a major political party to want to revisit this issue and become the second John Tory," said York University political scientist James Laxer.
Canadian Press, October 10

A majority built on faith
Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty cruised to a majority last night on a crest of anxiety over faith-based schools as voters gave him a second mandate to continue his middle-of-the-road reforms to the health and education systems. Mr. McGuinty becomes only the second Liberal Premier in the province's history to win back-to-back majorities since 1937 despite a drop-off of about three percentage points in support. That decline was matched by the Progressive Conservatives. The beneficiaries were the NDP and the Green Party.
Globe and Mail, October 11

Faith-based funding plan wins Tories one GTA seat, but costs them overall
The Conservative policy of financing faith-based schools has been expected to be popular in Thornhill, which has a Jewish population of just over 36 per cent - the highest proportion of any Ontario riding. Elsewhere the Tories encountered voter resistance in ridings that they had won easily in previous election.
Globe and Mail, October 11

When you light a match near a toxic mix of education and religion ...
Who knows whether John Tory and his Conservatives might have won the Ontario election without the promise of public funding for faith-based schools? But the promise was made and, with it, went Mr. Tory's chances of becoming premier. The promise dragged down the party and cost Mr. Tory some of his own hard-earned popularity.
Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail, October 11

How one proposal led core PC base to lose faith
Campaign managers, politicians and even the party's own running data on its hard-core supporters told Ontario's Progressive Conservatives that their funding-for-faith-based-schools proposal was sinking like rock in a well. But in the campaign's dying days, John Tory's head office placated party workers by telling them the issue was not delivering a huge blow to Conservative popularity, and the best option was to stay the course.
Globe and Mail, October 12

Just say no
Last week's Ontario election was of broader than Ontario significance. By overwhelmingly rejecting a referendum proposal to introduce "proportional representation," the province's voters did a service nationwide, and sent a love letter to partisans of old-fashioned first-past-the-post democracy in other countries. And in the general election itself, Premier McGuinty and his Liberal Party managed to win strong majority re-election, by turning the thing into a referendum on another stupid proposal. This was the opposition leader's hobby-horse idea of extending tax-funding to sectarian private schools, if they agreed to teach the standard Ontario curriculum.
David Warren, Ottawa Citizen, October 14

Earlier: Tory risked election by defending tax support for faith-based schools in Ontario

Stories about Christopher Hitchens and atheism:

Hitchens unwavering on Iraq
It is tempting to take Christopher Hitchens at his word when he claims to be a pessimist, as he repeatedly does during a conversation in his hotel room on a visit here this week as part of the Teatro Speakers Series. He doesn't look the cheery part, hunched into his laptop, curtains drawn, relentlessly consuming Rothmans cigarettes and Scotch. And there is that depressing habit of reminding, whenever the discussion allows, that there is no God.
Kevin Libin, National Post, October 6

Pro-war and proud of it
Christopher Hitchens wanted to talk about the evils of religion, but Vancouverites had come to hear him on the Iraq war -- and to match wits with the famous contrarian
Vancouver Sun, October 6

Earlier: Stories about atheists and science and evolution

Stories about religious minorities and Quebec:

Declaration of citizens' rights announced by Quebec city of Rimouski
A declaration of citizens' rights that includes equality between the sexes has been announced by Rimouski municipal officials as the small city tries to attract immigrants. Mayor Eric Forest told Quebec's hearings on reasonable accommodation for immigrants that his city in the Lower St. Lawrence region also gives immigrants a guide to help them integrate economically and socially. Forest told the hearing Tuesday that Rimouski's declaration of citizens' rights doesn't discriminate on the basis of race or religion. . . . The declaration is in contrast with the controversial code of conduct for immigrants by the small central Quebec town of Herouxville released last winter.
Canadian Press, October 2

Ban teachers from religious dress, Quebec group says
The group that 12 years ago fought vehemently for the rights of students who wore a hijab in Quebec's public schools is now trying to ban their teachers from wearing the Islamic headscarf and other "ostentatious" religious symbols while at work. The Quebec Council on the Status of Women, a 20-member body that advises the government on issues relating to women, is urging the province to force public employees to remove visible religious signs when they are on the job. Aside from large Christian crosses, Sikh turbans and Jewish yarmulkes, these also include the hijab, a veil that generally covers the hair and neck, and the more controversial niqab, which covers the face, leaving only the eyes exposed.
National Post, October 9

Charest suggests Quebec to give equality priority over religious freedom
Premier Jean Charest indicated Tuesday the provincial government may amend the Quebec Charter of Rights to put the equality of men and women ahead of religious freedom. Charest told a news conference the government will likely act before the completion of hearings into reasonable accommodation for immigrants. The government has received recommendations for such an amendment already from the provincial status of women's council.
Canadian Press, October 9

Rights take a wrong turn in Quebec
The debate in Quebec over "reasonable accommodation" for religious minorities has, unfortunately, not itself been noticeably reasonable. With Premier Jean Charest's announcement on Tuesday that his government may amend the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms in order to make gender equality specifically superior to religious freedom, it has crossed over into the territory of the definitively wacky.
Colby Cosh, National Post, October 12

Quebecers still concerned by veils, burkas and hijabs
Hijabs, baseball caps, burkas, kirpans and Bermuda shorts -- what people wear and the way they look preoccupies Quebecers, a government commission heard yesterday. On its third and final day of hearings in the Montregie area, near Montreal, the Bouchard-Taylor commission on "reasonable accommodations" of religious and ethnic minorities got an earful from residents about the manner of dress allowed in schools, shopping malls and swimming pools.
CanWest News Service, October 18

Earlier: Stories about religion in Quebec

Stories about Islam and the West:

Giving Peace a chance in Muslim suburbia
Welcome to Peace Village, Canada's first Islamic subdivision, where all 260 homes belong to members the Ahmadiyya sect, who flooded to Canada in the 1980s after persecution in Pakistan. It looks ordinary, with basketball nets and minivans in the driveways, until you notice the street signs: Mahmood Crescent, Ahmadiyya Avenue and Noor-Ud-Din Court. "There is nothing like this in North America," boasts Naseer Ahmad, a real estate agent from Pakistan who dreamed up this community of Islamic dream homes (including oak stairs and central air conditioning) on the edge of Toronto. "You have a mosque, and people are walking to enjoy their faith."
National Post, October 6

Mosque features design innovations, but some centuries-old habits die hard
Naseer Ahmad, who designed the Ahmadiyya mosque in Maple, is a bit of a technocrat at heart, and is proud of the innovations, including windows that let natural light stream into the women's prayer hall, downstairs.
National Post, October 6

What happens to Ayaan matters to us all
Last week, the Dutch government announced it would remove the security protection it has provided to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. The Somali-born Ayaan is perhaps the world's best-known living critic of the maltreatment of women in Islamic culture. First as a parliamentarian, then as a writer and filmmaker, she has spoken out against honour killings, genital mutilation and the degradation of women in traditional Islam.
David Frum, National Post, October 6

Uprooting age-old customs from within
For once, this taboo subject has been broached from within. But where are the imams and religious leaders? As in Syria, Egypt and Senegal, their voices are essential for changing disturbing cultural attitudes towards rape and abuse. After all, Prophet Mohammed punished those who molested women, without ever stigmatizing the victims.
Sheema Khan, Globe and Mail, October 8

'Little Mosque on the Prairie' gets humanitarian award once won by Desmond Tutu
"Little Mosque on the Prairie," the CBC situation comedy about a Muslim community in a fictional Prairie town, is the recipient of a prestigious humanitarian award previously won by Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. The show will be presented with the Search for Common Ground Award by the human rights organization of the same name on Nov. 6 in New York. Retired general Romeo Dallaire will receive a lifetime achievement from the group for his efforts to eradicate the use of child soldiers around the world.
Canadian Press, October 9

Among French thinkers, a growing consensus against the veil
The Quebec Council on the Status of Women, which advises the provincial government on women's issues, wants the province to prohibit civil servants and teachers from wearing visible religious signs at work -- a suggestion aimed directly at the hijab, as well as the total face covering veil known as the niqab, worn by some Muslim women. Alia Hogben, executive director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, was appalled. Earlier this week, she declared: "I don't know why they keep going after Muslim women ... If you go to the argument that a woman has the right to dress as she chooses, a state should not be telling people how to dress."
John Turley-Ewart, National Post, October 11

Canadian military hopes for lull in fighting as Muslims mark Eid
Muslims will celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan this weekend, an occasion that often marks a lull in fighting as insurgents hunker down for the harsh Afghan winter. If it comes to pass, the lull will be a welcome respite from one of the bloodiest years since the fall of the Taliban six years ago.
Canadian Press, October 12

Culture Clash
More than 10,000 Iranian-Canadians live on the North Shore, where they search for a new life and a new identity
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, October 13

Mystical Journey concert of over 60 artists showcases diversity of the Muslim world
The worst and most untrue perception of the Muslim world is that it represents only blind fanaticism. It is, in fact, a libel against this richly pluralistic culture, as a concert called A Mystical Journey hopes to make clear on Sunday when more than 60 performers from all over the world gather to showcase the diversity of culture and music within Islam. These well-respected artists come from Algeria, Bosnia, Pakistan, Iran and Syria and their music, in a program that will even include Sufi whirling, will express the variety of devotional expressions in Islam across different geographies, languages and traditions, the music taking the form of qawallis, ilahis, kalams and even rock songs.
Lloyd Dykk, Vancouver Sun, October 13

Muslims mark Eid with food drive for poor
Imran Yousuf had good reason to feel buoyed by the celebrations of plenty that marked the end of the 30-day holy month of Ramadan at the Rogers Centre yesterday.
Toronto Star, October 14

Islam's space odyssey
Sheik Muszaphar Shukor, a 35-year-old bachelor physician, became an instant hero and heartthrob in his native Malaysia yesterday, when he reached the International Space Station to become the Muslim country's first astronaut, or angkasawan.
National Post, October 15

Controversial imam arrested
A controversial Montreal imam ordered deported last year and without official status in Canada will be in front of an Immigration and Refugee board on Wednesday fighting to stay in Canada. As his pregnant wife watched, Said Jaziri was arrested under the Immigration and Refugee Status Act on Monday and officials held him at a detention centre in nearby Laval pending a 48-hour revision. Jaziri's Canadian-born wife, Nancy-Ann Adams who is seven months pregnant, said she has lost confidence in the Canadian justice system.
Canadian Press, October 15

Montreal imam faces deportation
Cleric from Tunisia concealed criminal conviction in France, refugee board says
Globe and Mail, October 16

Supporters of controversial Montreal imam say he's on a hunger strike
Said Jaziri was scheduled to be in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board Wednesday morning attempting to stave off a deportation order to his native Tunisia.
Canadian Press, October 17

Supporters await news as imam sent to hospital
The Canadian wife of a controversial imam who's on a hunger strike says her husband shouldn't have to attend his Immigration and Refugee Board hearing if he's not well enough. Said Jaziri was scheduled to be in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board on Wednesday morning attempting to stave off a deportation order to his native Tunisia. Mr. Jaziri, 40, was taken to hospital on Tuesday night after having not eaten since his arrest Monday.
Canadian Press, October 17

Controversial Montreal imam to be deported
A controversial Montreal imam who says he'll be tortured and killed if he is returned to his native Tunisia has been ordered deported next week. Said Jaziri appeared before an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing Wednesday and was told he is considered a flight risk. He was arrested by Canada Border Services Agency agents earlier this week.
Canadian Press, October 17

No options left for controversial Montreal imam as deportation looms: lawyer
One of the lawyers for a controversial Montreal imam says her client's impending deportation is purely political and his deportation to Tunisia next week seems unavoidable. Nawal Benrouayene said the legal battle is likely over for Said Jaziri. Jaziri appeared Wednesday before an Immigration and Refugee Board commissioner who deemed him a flight risk after a nearly four-hour hearing. She ordered the Muslim cleric detained until his scheduled deportation next Monday.
Canadian Press, October 17

Imam giving up his bid to stay, lawyer says
One of the lawyers for a controversial Montreal imam says her client's impending deportation is purely political and his return to Tunisia next week seems unavoidable. Nawal Benrouayene said the legal battle is likely over for Said Jaziri.
Canadian Press, October 18

Muslim students push for halal eatery
With a recent vacancy at the campus cafetaria, the Muslim Students Association at U of T Scarborough is once again pushing for a halal-only restaurant, arguing that Bluff 's, a bar downstairs that offers a halal menu, is unsuitable for Muslims because it serves alcohol. The case is once again spotlighting the thorny issue of religious accommodation for a growing community of Muslim students at Canada's secular academic institutions.
National Post, October 18

Earlier: Stories about hookahs, Islam, and the West

Continue article >>

Other stories from the past two weeks:

Searching for God in the Brain
Each of these nuns answered a call for volunteers "who have had an experience of intense union with God" and agreed to participate in an experiment devised by neuroscientist Mario Beauregard of the University of Montreal. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Beauregard seeks to pinpoint the brain areas that are active while the nuns recall the most powerful religious epiphany of their lives, a time they experienced a profound connection with the divine. The question: Is there a God spot in the brain?
Scientific American Mind, October

Crown wraps case against man who feared friend pregnant with Lucifer's baby
The Crown has wrapped up its case against a man who told police he feared his female friend was pregnant with "Lucifer's baby." Jared Baker, 21, is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 24, 2005, shooting death of Olivia Talbot, 19, who was six months pregnant when she was killed.
Canadian Press, October 4

The year of living biblically
When A.J. Jacobs, Esquire magazine's editor-at-large, spent 12 months following the Bible literally, the quest transformed his life in divine, and ridiculous, ways
Globe and Mail, October 5

The inner workings of giving thanks
As North Americans, making gratitude a part of your life isn't as easy as it might seem
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, October 6

People in Hay River grieve shooting death of Mountie with prayers in church
Grieving people were marking the shooting death of a Mountie in Hay River with prayers in the small community's four churches. Pastor Vivian Smith of the Anglican Church said prayers for Constable Christopher John Worden and his family began as soon as people heard of his death.
Canadian Press, October 7

Montreal cemetery expected to table final offer to end bitter labour dispute
When employees returned to the job, there were about 500 bodies awaiting burial at the Roman Catholic cemetery.
Canadian Press, October 7
Earlier: Stories about the Montreal cemetery lockout

Global rallies back Burma's monks
Hundreds march peacefully in cities across Canada as leaders call for an end to trade with junta
Toronto Star, October 7

Roots
Several correspondents have alleged, that when I use such terms as "the West," or (with greater drollness) "Western Civ," it is a secret code, for a secret agenda, and that what I really mean by them is "Christendom."
David Warren, Ottawa Citizen, October 7

Local churches get environmentally savvy
Greater Vancouver churches are going green this fall with a flood of ecological events. A number of different Christian organizations -- from evangelical to liberal Protestant -- are sponsoring major conferences in early November that focus on ways to be responsible stewards of the environment.
Vancouver Sun, October 9

Rwandan finds injustice in 'land of hope'
On that pivotal day, April 6, 1994, when Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane was shot down and the massacres in the streets began, Mr. Ndihokubwayo and his father, then bishop of the local Methodist church, were thrust face-first into the aftermath. The church had long been a sanctuary for those fleeing the extremist militias, because "even the belligerents would not dare attack it," he said.
Globe and Mail, October 9

Shaolin monks will march, but not compete at Games
The Shaolin Temple fighting monks, the world's most respected kung fu practitioners, will not to take part in the "wushu" events planned for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Just days after China decided to showcase wushu at the Games, the monks announced they would not turn their Zen-based martial art into a competitive sport to be "quantified" by judges. Xinhua, China's official news agency, reported the monks would not kick and chop for the world to watch because their art belongs to a sacred tradition.
CanWest News Service, October 9

Anglicans seek housing commitment
The Anglican Church of Canada is asking Ottawa for a commitment to more affordable housing as a way to combat homelessness in the Lower Mainland. On Thursday, members of the New Westminster diocese will hold a meeting at St. Barnabas to present hundreds of letters asking the government for a national social housing action plan to provide more housing for the homeless, the poor and those with special needs.
Vancouver Sun, October 10

Beijing fixated on a Buddhist monastery in India
A Buddhist monastery founded high in the Himalayan mountains more than three centuries ago has become a key piece of real estate in the tussle between China and India for power and influence in Asia. The Tawang Monastery is the second most revered home of Tibetan Buddhism after the great Potala Palace at Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.
Jonathan Manthorpe, Vancouver Sun, October 10

Sex party to go to court over pamphlet
The case will explore why Canada Post chose not to deliver the Sex party's pamphlet but did deliver a homophobic religious tract that Canada Post employees in Vancouver found offensive last year.
Vancouver Sun, October 12
Earlier: Postal workers protest anti-gay pamphlet

'Survival' of United Church not a priority
The leader of the United Church of Canada says his Church is too "preoccupied" with protecting its buildings, counting its money and recruiting members, and should instead devote its energies to helping the poor, the hungry and the sick beyond its walls.
CanWest News Service, October 13

Learning God's ways
A quiet revolution is emanating from inside a stately mansion on a smart street in downtown Ottawa. In this three-storey heritage building, built in 1901 as the home of Canadian lumber baron J.R. Booth, it is all high ceilings, impressive fireplaces, chandeliers and light made soft by stained glass and more than 100 years of impeccably preserved architectural detail. This is where the sharpest edge of intellectual evangelical Christianity, under the name of the Laurentian Leadership Centre, has set up shop for the past five years with the hope of creating the next generation of young leaders who can help steer Canada down a broad moral road.
National Post, October 13

Schools adapt to a secular world
In 1972, there were just three provincially chartered Evangelical universities in Canada: Trinity Western University in British Columbia, the oldest in the country; Concordia University College in Edmonton; and Camrose, just outside of Edmonton, which is now part of the University of Alberta. Today there are 12 schools, ranging from St. Stephen's University in New Brunswick, with just 100 students, to Trinity Western, which now has 4,000 students, up from 17 when it first opened its doors. They cover the liberal arts and sciences and some have accredited teaching programs.
National Post, October 13

Help! Hollywood loves my books
When Tom Perrotta says he's "feeling relieved," it's not because the Oscar-nominated author of Little Children and Election has just completed The Abstinence Teacher, his sixth novel. . . . And though the novel presses a few hot buttons -- gay marriage, abortion and religion in school -- it remains rooted in Perrottaland. "I knew that a foray into Christian sex was going to be funny," he says. "I seem to be able to find humour in these things."
National Post, October 13

On God, two Johns, and human nature
Some may say the universe, as seen by Ann Patchett, is much too nice of a place -- but the writer is a serious believer in the good in people, and there's no shaking her faith
Globe and Mail, October 13

Suspect in 1980 bombing believed in Montreal
This week, Le Figaro reported French authorities have finally identified the perpetrator behind a deadly 1980 bombing targeting a synagogue in Paris. He is said to be a 55-year-old who has Lebanese and Canadian citizenship, and who has lived in both Canada and the United States for years. The infamous 1980 attack -- which killed four people and wounded 20 others -- prompted immediate rallies against anti-Semitism in France and still-lingering fears of more synagogue attacks around the West. Indications that the suspect, who has not been identified, is living in Montreal have not been previously reported. Some of the city's Jewish residents are concerned. "My reaction was, honestly . . . not again," Rabbi Reuben Poupko said. "When we read about terror attacks elsewhere, we often read that one or more of the perpetrators spent time in the Montreal area."
Globe and Mail, October 13

Elizabeth's story touted as a lesson for our times
It's not just war. It's a religious war -- one where the opposing factions both believe they are following the dictates of faith, doctrine and divine sanction, where both believe that God is on their side. Are we talking about the Middle East -- in particular, the conflict in Iraq which is driven by warring religious dogmas both internally and externally? Not at all. With Elizabeth: The Golden Age, we're back in Tudor times, when a Protestant queen sat on the throne of England and was beset from within by religious conspiracies against her and from without by the threat of the Spanish Armada.
CanWest News Service, October 13

Building bridges between yoga and Catholicism
Father Joe Pereira promotes the view that 'accessing the wisdom of the body' fits in with the teachings of Jesus
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, October 13

Former Catholic priest wins leadership of New Brunswick's NDP
New Brunswick's NDP has elected a former Catholic priest to lead the party, which hasn't held a seat in the legislature for two years and saw its support drop in half in the most recent provincial election. Roger Duguay, a 44-year-old party veteran from Maltempec, N.B., defeated communications specialist Dennis Atchison, 51, at a leadership convention in Moncton on Saturday.
Canadian Press, October 13

Pets blessed in annual Anglican ritual
Every year for more than two decades, St. Matthias Anglican has been blessing God's creatures -- no monkeys or grasshoppers this year
Toronto Star, October 15

Samaritans bring in new blood to save their sect
The practice of marrying their own has reduced the biblical community to only 701 members; now they are accepting foreign brides
Globe and Mail, October 15

Breathing his way to peace
Swami Ramdev, a staunch believer in the art of breathing better to live better, attracts thousands of followers to a six-day yoga camp
Toronto Star, October 16

Synagogue settles sex lawsuits
Out-of-court deal follows allegations of misconduct by rabbi, who will resign at year's end
Toronto Star, October 17

Ex-Tory MP, anti-abortion crusader to be sworn in as Nova Scotia judge
Opposition justice critics say the swearing in next week of a former Tory MP and anti-abortion crusader is proof the federal Conservatives want to stack the courts with right-wing friends. Lawrence O'Neil, an MP from 1984 to 1988, is to be sworn in Tuesday to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
Canadian Press, October 17

World manhunt for B.C. teacher
The family of a Maple Ridge man accused of sexually abusing children abroad and the subject of an international manhunt say they are devastated by the allegations and want him to surrender to authorities. Christopher Paul Neil, an independent-school teacher who once aspired to become a Catholic priest, has been identified by Interpol as the man wanted in the rape of a dozen young boys in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Vancouver Sun, October 17

Sault Catholic board votes against vaccinating girls for HPV
Grade 8 girls in the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board will be the only ones in the province not to get a free cancer-preventing vaccine in their schools. Trustees voted Wednesday 5-4 to deny access to health officials. . . . Trustees opposed to the motion argued that providing a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease, rather than dealing with the issue through promotion of abstinence, goes against their Catholic values and assumes premarital sex is occurring.
Canadian Press, October 18

Taking a stand on poverty
The students at St. Monica Catholic School joined millions around the world yesterday to stand up against poverty.
Toronto Star, October 18 No regrets for Sinead O'Connor 15 years after ripping up pope's picture
It was a moment that would ignite a global firestorm and brand her an industry and religious pariah, but 15 years after Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II on live television, the Irish iconoclast says she has no regrets.
Canadian Press, October 18

Let marriage be marriage
A single thing that would fix Canada? A tough assignment that. How about one thing that might solve a lot of problems which Canada faces? When I was studying economic policy 15 years ago, the great social policy problem was "the feminization of poverty." That term is rarely heard today, replaced by concern over "child poverty." The two are just flip sides of the same coin -- children who live in single-parent homes, usually with their mothers, have a much higher incidence of poverty. That's why we talk not about poverty in general, but women and children in poverty. Single women with children are more likely to be poor, and poor women have poor children.
Fr. Raymond J. de Souza, National Post, October 18

October 20/2007

Comments

Comment

To prevent automated Bots form spamming, please enter the text you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.

Email (won't be shown)

Name

canadianchristianity.com encourages feedback from our readers. We will not edit your comments, but reserve the right to select responses and delete any inappropriate ones. All comments are immediately forwarded, read and screened. To report offensive or inappropriate comments, contact our editor.