News round-up

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Stories about the Pope's visit to the United States:

Human rights to dominate Pope's U.S. visit
UN address to be centrepiece of Benedict's trip
Father Raymond J. De Souza, National Post, April 15

Benedict on a mission of healing
Sex-abuse victims at centre of Pope's U.S. itinerary
Father Raymond J. De Souza, National Post, April 16

Pontiff vows to exclude pedophiles from priesthood
Pope Benedict says he was 'deeply ashamed' by scandals
Sheldon Alberts, Canwest News Service, April 16

Benedict bids clergy to 'bind up wounds'
Addressing American bishops yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a frank assessment of the challenges facing the Catholic Church in the United States. After leading the bishops in an evening prayer service marked by the traditional music and use of Latin that Benedict favours, he delivered a lengthy speech that emphasized the need for a strong Catholic witness in public life, the need for healing after the sexual-abuse crisis, and the danger of drifting away from the faith into a "quiet apostasy."
Father Raymond J. De Souza, National Post, April 17

Freedom is not opting out, Pope says
Pope Benedict XVI, the long-time university professor, returned to his favourite forum yesterday to emphasize the mission of Catholic universities to be places of both religion and scholarship. In an address veteran Papal observers said was closest to the Pope's own heart, Benedict dwelled at length on the need for faith to fully answer the deepest questions posed by reason. It is for this reason, Benedict argued, that the very idea of the university was historically born from the heart of the Church.
Father Raymond J. De Souza, National Post, April 18

Stories about Bella:

Bella
If you have an appetite for well-made treacle, then Bella should go down a treat. Otherwise, here's the dilemma you're faced with: From the quiet performances to the sensitive direction, everything about this movie is convincing except the very story that drives it. The whole plot is no more than a weak excuse wrapped around an ostensibly strong message, the ultra-gooey kind that insists on the healing power of love and the essential comforts of the family bond. It's like a secular version of those Christian flicks, but the execution is better -- the high-toned ideals at least benefit from their low-key delivery.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail, April 10

Story of Bella too eccentric to be believed
Lead actors bring warmth to a low-budget film heavy on melodrama and full of predictable 'movie' moments
Jay Stone, Canwest News Service, April 11

An empanada in the oven
After taking everyone by surprise by winning the 2006 People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, Bella went into hiding. Now, a year and a half later, it's finally coming to theatres. Unfortunately, it's a little too late.
Vanessa Farquharson, National Post, April 11

Earlier: Bella comes to Canada, and Billy gets the bio treatment

Stories about human rights in China and the Beijing Olympics:

What would Eric Liddell do?
The 1924 Olympic Games in Paris are most remembered today because a single athlete made a decision. British runner Eric Liddell refused to run on a Sunday, spurning appeals to his patriotism and sportsmanship, because he would not compromise his Christian faith. Liddell's story was dramatized in the film Chariots of Fire, which won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2008, the Summer Olympic Games are being hosted in Beijing by one of the world's most brutal regimes, the People's Republic of China. As governments and citizens debate whether and how free countries should participate in this event, Liddell's act of conscience may serve as a guide.
Theo Caldwell, National Post, April 14

A land of martyrs
For decades, Beijing has spilled the blood of China's religious believers
Father Raymond J. De Souza, National Post, April 17

Earlier: Stories about China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama

Stories about the polygamist cult at Bountiful:

B.C. may charge men of sect: A-G
The Attorney-General of British Columbia is leaning toward bringing in a special prosecutor to lay a charge under the anti-polygamy law in the fundamentalist Mormon community of Bountiful. Wally Oppal said that he favours the laying of a charge but prosecutors in the province's criminal justice branch believe any case would fail because of a possible violation of the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.
National Post, April 10

Texas fundamentalist mess puts pressure on Oppal
The same problems that have bedeviled prosecutors in British Columbia, Utah and Arizona are making life difficult for Texas authorities, who over the last two weeks have apprehended 416 children from a walled fundamentalist Mormon compound.
Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun, April 18

Earlier: Stories about the polygamist cult at Bountiful

Stories about the Human Rights Commissions:

Ontario rights commission dismisses complaint, sort of
The Ontario Human Rights Commission announced yesterday it had dismissed a complaint about allegedly Islamophobic articles in Maclean's magazine because it lacked jurisdiction over printed material. At the same time, however, the commission denounced the newsweekly for publishing articles that were "inconsistent with the spirit" of the Ontario Human Rights Code, and doing "serious harm" to Canadian society by "promoting societal intolerance" and disseminating "destructive, xenophobic opinions."
National Post, April 10

Vive le Canada libre
The subject of human rights in Canada is in its most fertile and engaging period. There's not a single cliche of innovation-speak it doesn't embody. It's a whirlwind of novelty: out of the box, on the cutting edge and pushing the envelope.
Rex Murphy, Globe and Mail, April 11

Home invasion
I should begin with a correction. Last week, I was at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing for the case of Warman vs. Lemire. Richard Warman is the Canadian Human Rights Commission's plaintiff on every single complaint filed since 2002, and Marc Lemire is a supposed white supremacist on trial for the "hate messages" at his Freedom Site -- or, at any rate, the handful of "hate messages" on his Freedom Site that weren't posted by undercover CHRC operatives whiling away an idle afternoon.
Mark Steyn, Maclean's, April 12

Canadian human rights commissions and misreading John Stuart Mill
If Canadian governments needed more reasons to shut down so-called human rights commissions, they arrived last week courtesy of Maxwell Yalden. In a column and subsequent letter published by the National Post, the former Canadian Human Rights Commissioner wondered whether it wasn't time for the Post to "cool its attacks" on his ex-employer. My answer is "no" -- not so long as he and others attempt to further undermine the right of free speech in this country.
Mark Milke, National Post, April 16

Earlier: Human rights complaint costing Catholic Insight

Stories about Islam and the West:

For Muslim poor, a shameful admission
The exact number of Muslims in Toronto who live below Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off, the country's unofficial poverty line, is difficult to determine, as socio-economic data is rarely gathered through the lens of religion. But among those on the front lines in the Muslim community, those who work in mosques, community centres and the few charitable organizations, there is growing concern about the magnitude of poverty in the community, the lack of resources available to deal with the problem, and the reluctance -- among all social classes -- to admit the problem even exists.
Toronto Star, April 12

So-called terror zealot vindicated
Nearly two years ago, when police busted an alleged homegrown terror cell, Qayyum Abdul Jamal was portrayed as the firebrand ringleader seeking recruits for jihad. . . . "If I didn't have my faith while I was in jail, I would've been suicidal," said Jamal, who says he was beaten, pushed and kicked by jail guards.
Toronto Star, April 16

Quebec's Muslim Moderates Fight Back
A new Web site -- Point de Bascule, or 'Tipping Point' -- provides a rallying point for French-speaking Islamic thinkers who reject extremism
Barbara Kay, National Post, April 16

Earlier: Stories about Islam and the West

Stories about Sikhs and Sikhism:

Tapes come back to haunt Tories
Various indiscretions caught on audio or videotape became fodder Friday for opposition charges that Stephen Harper's Tories say one thing in public but another in private. Liberals pounced on an eight-year-old audio recording of Jason Kenney, now secretary of state for multiculturalism, making disparaging remarks about Sikhs.
Canadian Press, April 11

Surrey mayor snubs Sikh parade
Martyr images on floats condone violence, she says
Vancouver Sun, April 11

Continue >>

Sikhs celebrate their holiest day
Vaisakhi celebrations are expanding across Metro Vancouver this year with three major events planned to celebrate the holiest day on the Sikh calendar. Surrey's Vaisakhi parade today is expected to attract the largest crowd. Last year, more than 100,000 attended.
Vancouver Sun, April 12

Parade gives back to the community
Vaisakhi brings together all races and cultures during Surrey's annual Sikh celebration
Vancouver Sun, April 14

Vaisakhi parade displays celebrate violence despite organizer's pledge
From assassins' portraits in the Dasmesh Darbar temple parking lot to a sky banner proclaiming "Sikhs want freedom and Khalistan," Surrey's Vaisakhi parade was full of politics and controversy Saturday. Several key politicians opted out of the official stage program in protest, including Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.
Vancouver Sun, April 14

Earlier: Stories about Sikhs and Sikhism

Other stories from the past week:

Canada panel may rule if sex practices protected
A Canadian man who claims he was discriminated against as a pagan who practices a form of sadomasochism will get to take his complaint to a human rights tribunal. An appeals court rejected a bid by Vancouver police on Tuesday to block a hearing on whether Peter Hayes' rights were violated when an officer refused to grant him the permit he needed to get a chauffeur's job.
Reuters, April 8

The art of our national game
Art galleries customarily do not expect a bump in visitors when the world hockey championships come to town, but the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia expects different. A new hockey exhibition, stretching over three floors, opened here last week, hoping to lure hockey fans during the world championships, which Halifax is jointly hosting with Quebec City in May.
Father Raymond J. De Souza, National Post, April 10

Dion vows to boost religious security
Standing beside leaders from the Islamic and Jewish faith, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said yesterday if he was Prime Minister he would start a $75 million program to beef up security measures for "at risk" non-profit organizations such as religious schools and places of worship to help protect them against hate crimes.
Toronto Star, April 11

Pane-ful quarrel grips Ajax church
Church and state are at war in Ajax over a piece of history. Twenty pieces of history, to be exact. They're stained-glass windows -- some of which are shown at left -- in a decaying 137-year-old church the town bought last fall. The parish that prayed there for decades wants to put the sacred works of art in its new house of worship. But the town refuses to relinquish what it calls an integral part of the building's history.
Toronto Star, April 11

Death of a monk
A monk I greatly admired died this week at Westminster Abbey in Mission. Father Augustine Kalberer was a gracious, frank and real man -- a testament to the power of the monastic life to nourish dignity in the human soul.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, April 11

A Pastor's Progress
Between basketball, mentoring and a new computer lab, Olu Jegede's church in the Jane and Finch community is giving the troubled area's youth something to aspire to
National Post, April 12

Anglican diocese narrowly defeats move to let clergy bless same-sex unions
After vigorous debate, Anglican church officials in the diocese of Saskatoon narrowly defeated a resolution that would have allowed clergy to bless same-sex unions. According to the Anglican Journal, the vote, held at its biennial synod last weekend, was 41 to 38.
National Post, April 12
Earlier: Stories about the Anglican schism

Converting God's people
Evangelicals see ad as spreading 'good word,' Jewish leaders say it's 'replacement theology'
National Post, April 12

Conservatives happier than Liberals, author says
As a young liberal in left-wing Seattle, U.S. economist Arthur Brooks saw political conservatives as self-interested stick-in-the-muds who were incapable of joy. Much to his own elation, he was wrong. In his upcoming book, Gross National Happiness, he shows that religious rightwingers in the United States are more capable of happiness than their secular, left-leaning counterparts. An optimistic belief in prayer, hard work and economic mobility -- along with a stable family life -- leads to greater contentment. Too much latitude in one's personal life, on the other hand, combined with the worry about economic iniquity and a lack of spirituality, makes for a gloomy existence.
National Post, April 12

A different vision for Israel
New alliance opposing Israeli policies dismissed as 'rump' group by CJC head
Toronto Star, April 12

Deadline looms for west-side churches
Uprooting a household of kids or relocating a business is difficult enough. But what about a faith community facing the loss of its spiritual home -- sanctuaries that have housed generations of collective prayers, praise and the rites of human passage that march patiently from cradle to grave. That's the uncertain reality for two churches destined to fall to make way for the city's new southwest leg of the LRT.
Calgary Herald, April 13

Small rally at B.C. legislature to remember slain children, says organizer
A small group of mourners stood on the steps of the British Columbia legislature Monday and handed out buttons emblazoned with the faces of two of the children found murdered in their Merritt, B.C., home. . . . A small group of mourners stood on the steps of the British Columbia legislature Monday and handed out buttons emblazoned with the faces of two of the children found murdered in their Merritt, B.C., home.
Canadian Press, April 14

Goodbye, Swiper the Fox. Hello, mean old Pharaoh
Alexa seemed intrigued. I then explained that God (whose existence I described, blasphemously and clumsily, by reference to that age-old crutch: a man living in the sky) felt sorry for the Jews. And so he afflicted Pharaoh with various punishments to make him stop being mean. At this, Alexa took even more decisive notice: The whole subject of punishment -- especially the idea of an adult getting punished -- is of great fascination to children.
Jonathan Kay, National Post, April 15

Obama blames poor word choice for gaffe
Does Barack Obama really think small-town Americans are Bible-thumping, immigrant-resenting, gun-toting rednecks who are bitter about their lot in life? The answer, says the Democratic hopeful, is a resounding no. Now he's praying all those God-fearing blue-collar voters in Pennsylvania believe him.
Sheldon Alberts, CanWest News Service, April 15

Let's forget physical
We're spending seven weeks getting reacquainted with the deadly sins. Last week we examined envy. This week we look at lust. Do you think modern Hollywood is a den of sinlessness? Do your eyes drift toward Europe?
Vanessa Farquharson, National Post, April 15

Canada's biggest mistake: Gay marriage
What makes the national mistake of legalizing same-sex marriage unique in Canadian history is that to even discuss the issue is considered by many, particularly our elites, to be at the very least in extraordinarily bad taste. Although this is a valid and vital debate about social policy, anyone critiquing the status quo is likely to be marginalized as hateful, extreme or simply mad. Social conservatives aren't just wrong, they're evil.
Michael Coren, National Post, April 15

Film tax credit proposal falls short, evangelist says
A group led by evangelist Charles McVety says a contentious proposal to withhold tax credits from TV shows and films deemed pornographic may not go far enough because the majority of Canadians do not want to fund those types of productions.
Globe and Mail, April 17
Earlier: Stories about Charles McVety and the tax credit for Canadian films

Don't politicize apology for residential schools, natives say
Former students of Canada's Indian residential schools have waited decades for a federal apology -- a clear statement they hope will ease the emotional scars of their childhood. But with the Conservative government promising that the apology is just weeks away, the Assembly of First Nations is threatening to turn its back.
Globe and Mail, April 17
Earlier: Stories about Native issues and the Easter protest

Archives: One woman's war against weapons
Scholar and philanthropist has donated almost $15 million to anti-armament and peace efforts
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, April 17

A shared meal helps bridge two solitudes
A United Church minister from South Africa brings a 'truth and reconciliation' model to the city's poorest neighbourhood in hope it will nurture healing between 'haves' and 'have nots'
Vancouver Sun, April 18

April 18/2008