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Stories about Karen Armstrong and The Case for God:

Charles Lewis chats with Karen Armstrong
Ms. Armstrong says religion is more than showing up at a weekly service or being able to rattle off a set of rote beliefs. Religion is hard work, she insists. It's more akin to playing a musical instrument or dancing; it has to be done to be mastered.
National Post, November 13

Writing on His behalf
Karen Armstrong, a former nun and a prolific writer of religious history, has a few warnings for those about to tackle her latest book, The Case for God.
Charles Lewis, National Post, November 14

Stories about Carrie Prejean:

Matt Gurney's Zeitgeist: White black guys, vicious chimps, and a Christian sex tape. Hot.
That could be true, certainly we all make mistakes when we're seventeen. I mean, who hasn't derailed a promising speaking career with the Christian Right by filming themselves nude and emailing it around? It's practically a rite of passage on the road to adulthood.
Matt Gurney, Full Comment, National Post, November 15

I sort of like this pageant girl gone wild
The Bible doesn't say no to breast implants, Carrie Prejean argues
Lynn Crosbie, Globe and Mail, November 16

Stories about the new citizenship guide for immigrants:

Worth spelling out
I have probably already written more than one piece with a phrase like "Herouxville wins" in it, but word of a newer, thicker citizenship guide has my fingers wandering toward the same old keys. Herouxville wins again. In 2007, when the Quebec town of about 1,300 entered the "reasonable accommodation" debate by adopting a code of " norms de vie" for new immigrants (even though it hadn't seen hide nor hair of one in living memory), it was criticized for being backward, intolerant, xenophobic. Yet there was little or nothing specific to object to in Herouxville's definition of Canadian values; its insistence on gender equality, and the right of women and girls to an independent social and economic identity, was the opposite of "backward."
Colby Cosh, National Post, November 13

An ugly truth
But Elmasry is right about one thing: Honour killing is largely (about 90%), but not solely, a practice of Muslim societies. Amandeep Atwal, 17, of British Columbia, was stabbed 11 times by her father, Rajinder Singh Atwal, for refusing to end a relationship with a non-Sikh boyfriend. Hindus and even Christians coming from South Asian cultures kill girls and women for reasons of family or community "honour." It's difficult to ascertain numbers: Many honour killings are passed off by the victims' families to authorities as suicide or accidents.
Barbara Kay, National Post, November 17

Stories about the Catholic school district and the homework ban:

How one family won the battle to ban homework
Prompted by issues raised by parents, the Calgary Catholic School District is officially reviewing its homework policy to create more concrete guidelines for schools. Other parents and teachers have worked out homework deals, although more informally. "We know it's not one size fits all," said Tania Younker, a district spokesperson.
Globe and Mail, November 17

Calgary family, school sign deal to halt homework
Many parents work with their teachers and principals to determine how much homework is too much for their child, said Calgary Catholic School District spokeswoman Tania Younker.
Calgary Herald, November 19

Stories about Jews and Judaism:

'Who is a Jew?'
Britain's Supreme Court is now considering whether a London Jewish school's policy of admitting students based on the nature of their mother's Jewish identity constitutes racial discrimination. Judaism is a matrilineal religion--a child born to a Jewish mother is considered Jewish by birth. A person can also convert to Judaism in accordance with Jewish law. "It is a landmark case in the sense that the state is intervening in the question of who is a Jew," said Rabbi Danny Rich, chief executive of the U.K.-based organization Liberal Judaism.
Kenyon Wallace, National Post, November 16

Tory flyers targeting Jewish votes raise hackles
A new page in Conservative narrow-casting has the Liberals crying foul. Using the free-mail privileges of MPs, the Conservatives are sending out flyers to ridings with large Jewish communities, arguing they are committed to Canada's Jewish Community and the Liberals are not.
Campbell Clark, Globe and Mail, November 18

Opposition decries Tory attack ads sent to Jewish voters
Conservatives use leaflets to argue their party has fought anti-Semitism abroad and supported Israel, but the Liberals have not
Globe and Mail, November 19

PM's Jewish pitch hits a new low, critics say
Tory flyer suggests Liberals are anti-Semitic
Toronto Star, November 19

Stories about Sikhs and Sikhism:

Sikh temple vote a battle of two generations
Older, moderate Sikhs in favour of the status quo face off against young conservatives advocating a return to Sikh traditions
Globe and Mail, November 14

Sikhs honour victims of 1984 massacre
Hundreds gather in Brampton to remember thousands killed in aftermath of Ghandi's death
Toronto Star, November 16

Sikhs line up to vote for new leadership
Ballot to decide if Guru Nanak temple remains moderate or turns to youth fundamentalist slate
Vancouver Sun, November 16

The new face of Canada's Sikhs
The election of 19-year-old to be one of the leaders at the country's largest temples marks an important shift toward blending tradition with progressive ideas and recasting the Sikh image in B.C.
Globe and Mail, November 16

Sikh youth slate wins majority at Guru Nanak temple
Social networking sites help young traditionalists win overwhelming victory over 'old guard' at powerful institution
Vancouver Sun, November 17

Prime Minister wraps up Indian visit with chaotic tour of Golden Temple
India's stunning contrasts were once more in evidence as Prime Minister Stephen Harper concluded a three-day tour of the emerging South Asian economic giant. While investment and trade were the ostensible touchstones of Harper's first visit to the Indian subcontinent since coming to power four years ago, tours of a pair of very different temples Wednesday served to provide the Conservative prime minister with some Indian multicultural bonafides on the home front.
Canadian Press, November 18

The ethnic politics behind Stephen Harper's Golden Temple visit
It seems Canadian politicians will go to any lengths to curry favour with ethno-religious communities, who they treat as vote banks. First it was Jack Layton with his now famous call to Muslims "to renew the spirit and faith in Islam," and now it is Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Tarek Fatah, Full Comment, National Post, November 18

Continue article >>

Stories about Islam and the West:

'Nothing went wrong here,' cop rep says, after chief's apology to Muslims
In an unprecedented move, Windsor police chief Gary Smith has publicly apologized to the Muslim community for the "embarrassment" caused by his tactical officers -- a move that doesn't sit well with the head of the city's cop union.
Windsor Star, November 12

Police chief's apology to Muslim community dissatisfies union
Chief Gary Smith told a news conference that the force will review its policies, including the use of more female officers, after the arrest of Mohammad Al-Sahli, 33, and Yassir Ali Khan, 30, on Halloween. During the arrest, it was alleged that a male officer inappropriately patted down a female relative of the men.
Globe and Mail, November 13

"No just and loving God..."
So why did President Obama make this statement of what "we do know" about God? Was he trying to teach the followers of one particular faith that their God is just and loving? But what if this is an affirmation not generally made in that faith?
Gordon Nickel, Community of Interest, Vancouver Sun, November 13

How should Muslims spread the message of Islam in the West?
This past weekend at the meetings of the American Academy of Religion in Montreal, Tariq Ramadan delivered the main plenary address to a large gathering of professors of religious studies from across North America. This honour is indicative of the reputation Ramadan has gained in the West as a reasoned and moderate voice for Islam.
Gordon Nickel, Vancouver Sun, November 13

'A cult of misery and death'
Violence between Arabs and non-Arabs fills the news from the Middle East. But a larger, longer story comes into focus whenever you try to grasp the history of the region. Arabs killing Arabs: That's the undeniable theme running through the record. It confronts us at every turn in The Arabs: A History, a newly published 553-page chronicle by Eugene Rogan, the director of the Middle East Centre at Oxford.
Robert Fulford, National Post, November 14

The search for a moderate terrorist
This is really how it ends, isn't it? Yet another western government, moved to action by the growing restlessness of the natives, who fear a protracted campaign in some far away land that means nothing to their daily lives. Or worse yet, by the people who believe that NATO is worse for the country than the Taliban. Indeed, this is a rebranding effort for the Taliban, as perpetuated by that most lasting of urban myths: that there exists a moderate Taliban.
Raphael Alexander, Full Comment, National Post, November 18

Earlier: Stories about Islam and the West

Other stories from the past week:

An embarrassment of apocalypses
The end of the world has been a subject of stories as long as we've recorded stories, and the nuclear age in particular has made it a part of popular consciousness. Are there more apocalyptic movies these days? That's hard to prove, but we're in the midst of a mini-wave. Today's end-game scenarios fall into traditional categories -- plagues, extraterrestrial events, war, and divine punishment. Here is a guide to four films this season that look at the world going 'boom,' and what they are trying to teach us.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail, November 13

Vex and religion
For a film about a shy nun-in-training from County Clare, Ireland, and an introverted geologist from Newfoundland, Love & Savagery is an incredibly misleading title. The poster, too -- with its image of the lead actors pressed together, in flagrante delicto as they say -- is just a tease. In actual fact, this scene represents about two minutes of an otherwise chaste and restrained courtship.
Vanessa Farquharson, National Post, November 13

Gospel of prosperity
Bankers argue biblical teachings and wealth creation can coexist
Charles Lewis, National Post, November 14

Real men sometimes need help
In these tough economic times, there are few role models to help men cope. So what's a guy to do? Here's what
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, November 14

The hard evidence of polygamy's damage is bountiful
B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Bauman has taken it upon himself to be the one who rules on the ground-breaking constitutional case involving polygamy when it goes to trial sometime next year.
Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun, November 15
Earlier: Stories about Bountiful and the polygamy court case

Church changes service over flu
Wine is out and bread won't be placed directly on the tongue as new H1N1-friendly rules for Catholic communion take root in this city. The new communion restrictions are only temporary and were instituted last Sunday by Calgary Bishop Fred Henry as an extra precaution to prevent the spread of the flu virus.
Calgary Herald, November 16
Earlier: Schools prepare for H1N1 onslaught

Dawn of a new Reformation
Archbishop believes national Anglican churches will become 'irrelevancies'
Charles Lewis, National Post, November 16
Earlier: Anglican-Catholic announcement gets mixed reaction in Canada

Corruption rises -- what can Canada do?
Transparency International has to be one of the most useful institutions on the planet. Every year it releases its "corruption" report on the world's nations. This year's report shows that, now that the recession is waning, global efforts to fight corruption in business and politics are fading.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, November 17

Moralism and judgment
In the end it's pretty simple. Everyone agrees addiction takes a terrible human and societal toll. It's what to do about it that polarizes us. Opinion invariably drifts toward one of two basic camps, depending on one's view of human nature.
Barbara Kay, National Post, November 18

Quotes of the month -- from readers
There is a lot of wisdom amid the fire, brimstone and crafty remarks from those who post comments to this blog. Many get lost in the shuffle as we in the media rush on to the next issue, however. In response, a reader has collected some quotes from recent memorable comments from readers. He declines to be named. But let's see if this collection sparks some interest. They're mostly from October. Some are pithy, some longer. What do others think of his/our selection?
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, November 18

Keep them in the game
The campus is still buzzing about one of the great football games in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) history, Saturday's Yates Cup victory by the hometown Golden Gaels over the visiting University of Western Ontario Mustangs. As chaplain of our Queen's football team, I had a privileged place on the sidelines to watch not only the OUA championship victory, but also the conclusion to a great quarterback rivalry stretching back five years.
Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Post, November 19

November 19/2009