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Other stories from the past week:
Anglicans ponder same-sex protocols
Anglican Church of Canada parishes in Waterloo Region should soon be able to hold services to celebrate the relationships of gay parishioners, but they won't be blessing same-sex marriages for at least another year -- if ever. During his opening statement to more than 500 delegates at the annual synod (governance meeting) for the Diocese of Huron, Rt. Rev. Robert Bennett, diocesan bishop, said he is taking a cautious but pastoral approach.
The Record, May 29
'Disturbing' poll on religion contains lessons for Canada
Despite Canadians' self-avowed "tolerance," the national online poll of more than 1,000 residents found that (when guaranteed anonymity) most Canadians admit to harbouring negative feelings about the diverse religions followed in this country.
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, June 6
Church HQ may head to Winnipeg
A movement is afoot to move the United Church of Canada's headquarters from Toronto to Winnipeg, with proponents saying the cost of living and working in Toronto is too high.
National Post, June 8
Battle brews over Christian schools' moral codes
The battle lines are being drawn as American philosophers debate which institutions can place ads in Jobs For Philosophers, an industry trade magazine. This month, the American Philosophical Association (APA), the magazine's publisher, received a petition signed by 1,500 members demanding nine Protestant colleges be banned from advertising in the publication because, they say, the schools single out homosexuals for discrimination. It's also been handed two counter-petitions with 500 names that say the schools are exercising freedom of religion and are not picking on gays.
National Post, June 8
Send my son to jail for help, desperate mother begs court
Her son's troubles began after some street gang associates persuaded him to leave a religious school for a public one, told him he was wasting his time on a basketball team, then taught him how to drive a car with no licence as his family slept at night. They were training him as a getaway driver.
Ottawa Citizen, June 8
Matt Gurney responds to Justin Trottier
In his column, Atheist Teens Lead the Way, Justin Trottier discussed a recent book, The Emerging Millennials, in which author Reginald Bibby studies the development of a younger generation's moral framework. One of the main points Trottier raised indeed has merit -- he is quite right that close scholarly attention should be paid to how and from where our morals are being defined in an increasingly secular age. Trottier himself notes a finding from the book in question, which offers the interesting revelation that despite being more atheistic than ever before today's teenagers are "increasingly less permissive and more mature regarding issues like alcohol and drug use, smoking or sex." Most interesting.
Matt Gurney, Holy Post, National Post, June 8
Earlier: Teenagers more moral, less religious, says new survey
Buckley, pere et fils
Christopher Buckley's recent memoir (excerpted above) admits that it is difficult to be the son of a great man. It is more difficult still if you are not a good son. In his memoir, Losing Mum and Pup, Christopher Buckley, the only son of William F. and Patricia Buckley, reflects on both parents dying within a year of each other. The great and the good have all taken notice. That the late William F. Buckley was a great man is not in dispute, a man of prodigious talent who became one of the few truly consequential public intellectuals of his time. The book forces the reader to the reluctant conclusion that whatever the flaws of Buckley pere, Buckley fils is not behaving as a good son.
Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Post, June 8
The truth about 'occupation'
"Occupation," "occupiers," "occupied land." These words have become a common refrain, repeated incessantly by Palestinian propagandists as justification for their killing of Israeli women, children, old folks, army recruits and even visitors to Israel. I think it's time to get it straight, once and for all -- about the whole notion of occupation, about who are the occupiers of the land of Israel and the West Bank and who are the occupied.
Sally F. Zerker, Holy Post, National Post, June 9
Memo to Vancouver police: Cycling lessons from Copenhagen
While Vancouver city police dream up laws that seem designed mainly to harass cyclists, the city of Copenhagan has been doing everything it can to actually get its citizens on to bicycles. That's why Copenhagen has become arguably the most bicycle-friendly city in the world. Denmark itself is not far behind.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, June 9
Courageous youngster lives life positively, despite loss of sight
"When I look back on the last six years I wonder how we coped," said her mom, Leone. "Before they removed her second eye the doctor warned us to expect her to suffer depression. But she never did. All she wanted was to have us sit down and read the Bible to her. We said 'we don't know why God is allowing this to happen to you but we believe he is allowing it because he's going to use you in a special way.' And she never questioned why. She just accepted it."
Vancouver Sun, June 10
One year living the Bible left a mark on writer
A few thou shall nots, a couple of warnings not to covet and a reminder to honour God almighty and only God almighty and one's parents. That's the Ten Commandments for dummies. Should be a cakewalk for author and magazine writer A. J. Jacobs, who spent one year living the Bible as literally as one human being could, even taking time out to stone a passerby.
Charles Lewis, National Post, June 10
New Westminster must redress the wrongs done to its Chinese
Two years ago this month, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized and described the head tax and 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act as "malicious" and "a grave injustice," he also pledged $34 million for projects aimed at historical recognition. Since then, Bill Chu, founder of Canadians for Reconciliation, has uncovered even more about how New Westminster has effectively erased the Chinese from its history.
Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun, June 10
Earlier: Head Tax redress will lay 'Humiliation Day' to rest
June 11/2009
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