Exposing the dangerous connection between Canadian Christian nationalists and high-ranking politiciansWhile the role of the conservative Christian evangelical movement in shaping politics is generally considered far less pronounced in Canada than the US, that traditional view is being seriously called into question by journalist Marci McDonald who, in her highly controversial book “The Armageddon Factor: [...]

This is in response to a number of Letters to the Editor defending public funding of Catholic schools under the misguided notion that Catholics and only Catholics can choose to fund it through their property taxes. Please get the word out, that that is NOT how it works. There is only one single pool of [...]

U of Toronto MultiFaith Centre Pamphlet encourages dialogue with atheists and warns against aggressive religious recruiting

Recently I picked up a copy of the pamphlet for the University of Toronto Multifaith Centre entitled “Spiritual Life on Campus”.  As usual with such literature, I prepared for substantial eye rolling.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  The pamphlet included [...]

Last week the City of Winnipeg (Manitoba) voted to fund in the amount of $2.5 million a Youth for Christ Community Centre.  This public funding opens the door to a possible stimulus funding of $3 million from the federal government.
Christian youth centre gets public funding:  Proposed youth centre likened to residential school
In response, CFI Canada [...]

I feel caught up in a whirlwind.  The last 2 days in Halifax has involved tons of presentations, interviews and meetings - and little by way of sleep.
Arriving in the city as Tuesday was dawning, I immediately headed for my hotel to put some finishing touches on (alright, to get started on) my remarks for [...]

I’m out the door for a weekend of skiing, so this will have to be relatively short.  I’ll be in Halifax, Nova Scotia, next Tuesday and Wednesday.  The details are the following.
On Tuesday I’ll be speaking at a press conference on free speech at noon.  I don’t quite recall the location but I’ll pass that [...]

I’m thrilled to report that I’ve been invited to participate in a panel on The Agenda with Steve Paikin, TV Ontario’s “flagship current affairs program” dealing with a cross section of issues in politics, culture and society.  If you don’t live in Ontario you can always watch the streaming video on their site.
Ironically, though we’ve [...]

I really enjoyed my one hour live on Goldhawk Live on Rogers TV yesterday with the TTC Commission and a very friendly UCC reverend.
There were some great moments, like when a caller said he was watching with his 9 year old son and that they were concerned about the “dirty world of religion.”  Now clearly [...]

Thanks to everyone who sent comments and ideas for my Globe and Mail panel.  The Margaret Sommerville editorial, followed by the panel essays and responses to questions, as well as the long-winded public debate, is all available here: Faith and Free Speech in Modern Society.  I suspect the dialogue is still raging so I invite [...]

According to a reporter I just spoke with from Quebec City with the Canwest News Service, the Quebec Human Rights Commission - following a similar decision in Ontario a couple of years ago - recently ruled that municipalities in Quebec are violating principles of equality by including religious prayers in the opening sessions of their [...]

When I received the following message through facebook:
Hi, I hope you will consider joining this group I have created and invite your friends to do so as well. We cannot afford to ignore the Pope saying these things and inspiring new rounds of diversity-phobia!  Speak out against Pope Benedict XVI attack on Sexual and Gender [...]

Great to have all the new voices on the blog!  Welcome to you all.  Diversity of opinion is the diversity that matters most after all.  If we obsess over demographic diversity to the point where we’ll all marching like soldiers, engaged in a monoculture of opinion due to fear of political correctness and seeming intolerant, [...]

Here’s some good news for a change.  An editorial from the New York Times entitled Heaven for the Godless? cites the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life which found 70% of Americans saying those of other religions could find eternal life.  But not only that,
Nearly half also thought that atheists could go to heaven [...]