January 2009 National Updates

January 8, 2009

Pro-life Christians accept Order of Canada awards
FOUR openly pro-life Christians were inducted into the Order of Canada at a Rideau Hall ceremony last month.

STATE of the CANADIAN CHURCH II: Canadian religion from a secular viewpoint
Each week, CC.com links to stories about religion in the mainstream Canadian press under the banner 'National Print News'.

OttawaWatch: An outpouring of potpourri
WE ARE starting off 2009 with best wishes for a Happy New Year -- and a potpourri of stories that all point to the need for good communication of the listening kind around Parliament Hill.

Quick news
• CMU students donate
• EFC and the economic downturn
• City Light News changes
• more

National print news
• Polygamist cult at Bountiful
• Vancouver's retiring Catholic archbishop
• Doubt
• more

January 15, 2009

Evangelical groups keeping a close eye on Bountiful polygamy case
THE COURTS could be dealing with the legal status of polygamy "for at least five years," following the arrest last week of Winston Blackmore and James Oler...

STATE of the CANADIAN CHURCH III: Evangelicals in the mainstream
TRINITY Western University's Institute for the Study of Religion hosted a study conference February 9, bringing together scholars...

OttawaWatch: Back and forth
A SMALL but interesting item appeared in both Maclean's and the Toronto Star in the past few days. It concerned the move of Kevin Chan, the executive assistant to Privy Council Clerk Kevin Lynch...

Quick news
• Prayers of the world unite
• WEA pleas for peace
• New date, new place
• more

National print news
• The death of Fr. Richard John Neuhaus
• Israel, Islam and the West
• Life issues
• more

January 22, 2009

Ontario bishops intervene in Christian Horizons case
OTTAWA -- The Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops (OCCB) has intervened in a religious freedom case that involves the rights of faith-based organizations to hire like-minded employees and still serve the wider public.

STATE of the CANADIAN CHURCH IV: Protestant realignment
LOOKING back over the past year, the editors of CC.com have selected several stories which represent key trends in the Canadian church.

OttawaWatch: The presidential faith-dance
GALA balls and church: Those are two certitudes surrounding the inauguration of any American president.

Quick news
• Four relevant issues in one issue
• Short-term missions could create long-term liabilities
• CMU gets bogged down in 700 acres
• more

National print news
• Bountiful and the polygamy trial
• Atheist ad campaigns
• Slaying of humanitarian worker Jiri Zivny
• more

January 29, 2009

Christian groups respond to federal budget
CHRISTIAN groups made numerous recommendations about what should be in the federal budget released this week -- and they got some of what they asked for.

STATE of the CANADIAN CHURCH V: Shifting priorities
LOOKING back over the past year, the editors of CC.com have selected several stories which represent key trends in the Canadian church.

OttawaWatch: Power-sharing if necessary
A FEW weeks ago, a Christian friend whose counsel I value had a few thoughts for me about some upcoming personal decisions.

Quick news
• Singing with compassion for the poor
• Deb Grey speaks out
• Christian Channel gets Youngren ownership
• more

National print news
• The lesbian couple suing the family doctor from Egypt
• The bishop and the oil sands
• The Holocaust-denying bishop
• more