Note: Registration or subscription to the host news sites may be required to read some of the stories linked here.

Stories about Ireland's blasphemy law:

Irish blasphemy law medieval, critics say
The legislation, aimed at providing judges with clear direction on the 1937 Constitution's blasphemy prohibition, imposes a fine of up to 25,000 -- about $39,000 -- for anyone who "publishes or utters matter that is (intentionally meant to be) grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion." Police with a search warrant will be able to enter private premises and use "reasonable force" to obtain incriminating evidence.
Peter O'Neil, Canwest News Service, August 24

The new blasphemy
The controversial re-establishment of the crime of blasphemy in Ireland, scheduled to take place in October, has been criticized as a "return to the Middle Ages" by some of my fellow atheists in the international commentariat. I must respectfully disagree. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern's bill is not medieval in spirit; it is a leap forward into the transnational-progressive New Age, as one can tell by the fact that the new blasphemy provisions protect no particular faith, but forbid "abusive or insulting" speech directed against any religion whatsoever.
Colby Cosh, National Post, August 25

Stories about David Adams Richards' book God Is.:

Author David Adams Richards chides 'intellectually lazy' atheists
New Brunswick writer's spiritual autobiography is basically a 'polemic'
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, August 22

Finding God, in spite of ourselves
David Adams Richards's new book about faith challenges readers to put aside their trendy prejudices. It will be best understood by people who've read his novels
T.F. Rigelhof, Globe and Mail, August 22

Stories about the Lutheran church and the ex-KGB agent:

Providing sanctuary reinvigorates Lutheran church
When First Lutheran Church decided to provide sanctuary to ex-KGB agent Mikhail Lennikov, attendance at services began to increase
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, August 22

Church sanctuary for ex-KGB: Justice or naivety?
It's a tough call. Should an ex-KGB agent be considered a refugee in Canada? Is the safety and security of Vancouver's Mikhail Lennikov threatened should he be forced to return to his former country, Russia? Or should this would-be immigrant be treated like any other -- judged on his qualifications and told to wait in line to get his Canadian citizenship?
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, August 25

Earlier: Former KGB agent relies on God in church sanctuary

Stories about Colin Thatcher and his new book:

Colin Thatcher: How I was framed
After serving 22 years for the murder of his ex-wife, the former cabinet minister breaks his silence
Maclean's, August 26

Colin Thatcher pens new book, asserting his innocence and suggests he was framed
Colin Thatcher says he's resigned to the fact that he will always be labelled a convicted killer even though he's made a new effort to proclaim his innocence in the murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson.
Canadian Press, August 26

Colin Thatcher says law on crime profits shouldn't apply to his new book
The Saskatchewan government rushed through legislation in May that is meant to stop criminals from keeping the money if they sell their crime stories. But Thatcher says his new book is different because it's not a recollection or a retelling of the 1983 murder of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson.
Canadian Press, August 27

Earlier: Stories about Colin Thatcher

Stories about the Toronto Catholic school board:

Still powerless, Catholic trustees borrow boardroom to meet parents
More than a year after they were banished from their own boardroom by a provincially appointed supervisor, Toronto's Catholic school trustees will finally get to hold a meeting. But they'll still have no power to make any decisions.
Toronto Star, August 24

Troubled Catholic board gets new supervisor
Board needs to get itself 'back on track; there still seems to be a lot of internal wrangling,' education minister says
Toronto Star, August 24

Bringing 'calm' to Catholic board a priority
'I want to not just turn the page ... I want to open a new book,' says newly appointed Richard Alway
Toronto Star, August 25

Earlier: Stories about the Toronto Catholic school board

Stories about the United Church of Canada and its new moderator:

Tindal's role as uniting influence
It is not that the new head of Canada's largest Protestant denomination, who was elected the United Church of Canada's Moderator just last Saturday, never mentions God or Jesus or the Trinity. It just comes later on in the conversation. And when it does, it can sound different than classic Christian statements.
Charles Lewis, National Post, August 22

Palestinians pay high price for follies of their advocates
If one is to assume that the United Church of Canada's General Council was motivated by good intentions on the Middle East conflict in debating a boycott of Israel, and wasn't simply on an ideological ego trip of the type exhibited by Ontario CUPE president Sid Ryan, then the church could benefit from some self-reflection about its naive approach to extreme elements within its membership. Rather than simply focusing upon ecclesiastical issues of the ministry such as gays in the clergy or the divinity of Christ, it seems prepared to engage in the same selective outrage as the radical left, although it backed off in the end.
Barry Kay, Full Comment, National Post, August 24

Earlier: Stories about the United Church of Canada

Continue article >>

Stories about Jews and Judaism:

Naomi Klein's latest charge against the Zionists: They're standing in the way of reparations for African slavery
Is there no end to the sins committed by Zionists? In a lengthy essay for the September issue of Harper's magazine -- "Minority Death Match: Jews, Blacks, and the 'Post-Racial' Presidency" -- Canada's own Naomi Klein establishes herself as the uncontested world leader in thinking up imaginative new sins to lay at the feet of Israel. Her new theory: Supporters of the Jewish state are not only responsible for imposing Apartheid on Palestinians, deliberately provoking terrorism in a bid to secure profits for Israeli defence industries, and destabilizing the Middle East, they are also undermining the African quest for slave-trade reparations.
Jonathan Kay, Full Comment, National Post, August 24

That Old Testament Sound
Hasidic Jewish rapper Matisyahu would rather not discuss the 'Hasidic Jewish rap' part
National Post, August 25

'Jewish metropolis'
Employees and volunteers at the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto have a message for those who see them as a small, ethno-centric community organization: This isn't your Bubbie's UJA anymore.
National Post, August 26

Stories about Islam and the West:

Ramadan fasting: an unfashionable path
It could be an especially tough -- and meaningful -- Ramadan this year. Itrath Syed, a women's studies instructor at Langara College and other institutions, is among many of Canada's roughly 800,000 Muslims who are especially nervous about the fasting for Ramadan that will be necessary during daylight hours beginning this weekend. Since Ramadan is a moveable holy month based on the lunar calendar, which means it comes roughly 11 days earlier each year, it is arriving this time in the brightness of summer, during long stretches of daylight. That requires a lot of fasting.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, August 20

The Quran and me
My earliest memory of a book is a pirated reprint of nursery rhymes and a Jack and the Beanstalk pop-up book that Uncle Joe D'souza had given as a birthday present. Then there was a treasured Tarzan comic I stole from cousin Ayaz. But in terms of a real book, a book with a hard cover and a spine, it was the Quran. Long before I got to touch, let alone read the book, it had already become part of my existence. I am told, within an hour of my birth, my father had recited a verse of the Quran into my infant ears. Mum claimed I stopped my wailing as soon as Dad had done so.
Tarek Fatah, National Post, August 21

This just in from Mohamed Elmasry: Christian slavery = bad. Islamic slavery = empowering!
Writing in The Canadian Charger -- a newly formed internet-based grab bag of anti-Western articles published by hard left Canadian activists -- Elmasry works hard to distinguish the evils of Christian slavery from the purportedly enlightened race-mixing that resulted from its Islamic equivalent.
Jonathan Kay, Full Comment, National Post, August 21

Political Islam and Pakistan's intelligence service
The crisis in the Middle East has inadvertently overshadowed the greater crisis in South Asia where the conflict between Pakistan and India can easily accelerate into a nuclear confrontation. Underlying the tensions that have plagued the relations of these two countries is religious zealotry and the ongoing territorial dispute over Kashmir.
Andre Gerolymatos, Vancouver Sun, August 21

Ramadan time for prayers and jihad
More than one billion Muslims mark the start of Ramadan today -- their holiest month of the year, devoted to prayer, fasting and charity. But for a small minority, it is also regarded as an auspicious time to escalate violence in the name of jihad. As a result, experts expect a surge in terrorism attacks during Ramadan, when most Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset in a spiritual exercise that teaches discipline, self-restraint and generosity.
Peter Goodspeed, National Post, August 22

Islamist vs. Islamist
It says something about the politically pathologized state of Palestinian society that Hamas -- itself a murderous Islamist terrorist group bent on Israel's destruction -- has in recent days found an even crazier group to fight with.
Jonathan Kay, National Post, August 22

That troublesome Muhammad cartoon
How Canadian. An image that caused widespread riots a few years ago raised only polite discussion when it was reprinted (twice) in the Post this week.
Paul Russell, Full Comment, National Post, August 22

Earlier: Stories about Islam and the West

Other stories from the past week:

The abortion distortion
"Safe, legal and rare" is the mantra of consensus-seeking pro-choice feminists, and one that at least acknowledges that abortion is not a desirable outcome for any pregnancy. But today in Quebec, abortion activists are rebranding. Try this newly truncated motto on for size: "just keep it legal."
Andrea Mrozek and Rebecca Walberg, National Post, August 21
Earlier: Stories about abortion

Sisters under scrutiny
The Vatican is investigating the state of the dwindling U. S. nun population
Charles Lewis, National Post, August 22

Striking a balance with restorative justice
Restorative justice brings offenders face to face with their victims in a process that aims to give victims a voice and have offenders take responsibility for their crimes
Katie Derosa, Canwest News Service, August 22

PNE: The spirituality of leisure?
For 99 years, since it first began offering sheep-shearing contests and burlesque shows to the province's hard-driving pioneers, the annual PNE fair has provided British Columbians and others a chance to enter a somewhat altered state of consciousness. It's called having fun.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, August 24

A pastor without a congregation
Depression has left me unable to conduct services, but I am still able to share my spirituality
Warren R. Hudson, Globe and Mail, August 25

Quebec town's Sunday noise bylaw causing uproar among citizens
A new bylaw limiting noise on Sundays has raised an uproar in the city of Granby, 70 kilo-metres east of Montreal. Residents will still be allowed to mow their lawns or to chop wood on Sundays, but they will not be able to use such devices as chainsaws.
CanWest News Service, August 26

From autism to determinism, science to the soul
Norway rewards Canadian philosopher Ian Hacking for his curiosity with $750,000 prize
Globe and Mail, August 26

Why priests don't have kids
Understanding the celibacy of the priest requires an understanding of what marriage and children are all about. If they were bad things, or wicked things, or merely things constraining human flourishing, then celibacy would simply be required for everybody. Only if they are good things, very good things, does it make sense to sacrifice them for something greater. So if children are such a good thing, why does the Catholic priest remain celibate?
Father Raymond J. de Souza, National Post, August 27

"Salish Sea:" New name on a tidal roll
The international effort to re-name the combined waters of Canada's Georgia Strait and the United States' Puget Sound the "Salish Sea" is rolling along like a strong tide.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, August 27

August 27/2009