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Stories about the Toronto International Film Festival:

Boycotting the Israel boycotters
They say, as they always do, that they are not anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli, but they feel they must say something in the "wake of this year's brutal assault on Gaza," and therefore the films should not be shown.
Charles Lewis, Full Comment, National Post, September 4

Creation: an apt kickoff for TIFF
TIFF's opening film, Creation, about the life of Charles Darwin, is an apt kick-off to the 10 days Toronto becomes the Chartres Cathedral of a religion ruled by the Hollywood Vatican, Rick Groen writes. Filmgoers, put on your Sunday best: today's sermon is on the evolution of cinema and the creation of a whole new myth
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail, September 5

Stories about Islam and the West:

The making of a homegrown terrorist
He and his brothers and sisters were discouraged from speaking about his mother's struggles with depression and her death. Instead, they were told to pray to God. Khalid, whose family was Muslim but not overly religious, found comfort in Islam. At his Mississauga high school, he started hanging around Muslim students with extremist views, denouncing the West and leading impassioned sermons about jihad and martyrdom.
Toronto Star, September 4

Abandon the doctrine of jihad
We Muslims had barely recovered from the news of the 14-year conviction of the Canadian terrorist Saad Khalid, when our Labour Day holiday was interrupted with the bulletin that three of our co-religionists had been found guilty in the U. K. of plotting to kill thousands of people by blowing up planes bound for Toronto, Montreal and other North American cities.
Tarek Fatah, National Post, September 9

Troubled times in my hometown
It would be comforting to a certain degree, of course, to smugly assume that these men were aberrations, mere manifestations of angry and dysfunctional youth. There are two answers to such complacent and dangerous relativism. First, angry and dysfunctional youth fight and steal; they do not spend months planning slaughter. Second, these young Muslims are far from unique in a community that is deeply troubled and replicated throughout Europe.
Michael Coren, Full Comment, National Post, September 9

Earlier: Stories about Islam and the West

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Other stories from the past week:

Ending the war between 'religion' and 'spirituality'
At their best, both are a means to reaching the same goal
Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, September 5

Search hopes to find 510-year-old Nfld. Church
Newfoundland and Labrador's top archeologist has revealed plans to search for the remains of a 510-year-old church on the western shore of Conception Bay -- a project aimed at adding to a string of recent discoveries about explorer John Cabot's history-making voyages to Canada in the late 15th century.
CanWest News Service, September 6

'We're using up the Earth'
It's back to the post-apocalyptic future in Margaret Atwood's new novel The Year of the Flood, back to the eco-religious sect God's Gardeners and the Corporations (which are still in control of everything). The novel begins in the Year 25, after a catastrophe has obliterated most human life. Here, an exclusive excerpt, starting with one of the sect's hymns
Globe and Mail, September 7

Accused polygamist offers online advice
Winston Blackmore, who faces criminal charges for having 19 wives, is offering online advice to women in abusive relationships.
Globe and Mail, September 8
Earlier: Stories about the polygamy court case

50,000 celebrate new Hindu temple
Holy site, 10 years in the making, a symbol of the faith and efforts of many new Canadians
Toronto Star, September 8

A defence of Eckhart Tolle
Some thoughtful readers argue I'm being too hard on Vancouver spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, author of the bestselling books, The Power of Now and A New Earth. Do they have a point? One respondent is Baird Blackstone, an articulate Metro Vancouverite. I'm attaching Baird's recent letter. For ease of reading, I've inserted my comments in capital letters between BAIRD'S paragraphs.
Douglas Todd, The Search, Vancouver Sun, September 8
Earlier: Veteran apologist tackles Tolle bestseller

Team road trip ends in baptism
When Dannie Ammons' 16-year-old son, Robert, left on a school bus bound for a neighbouring Kentucky county two weeks ago, he thought his son's high-school football team was off to hear a motivational speaker and enjoy a steak dinner. Instead, Robert was baptized and, along with eight other members of the Fighting Tigers football team, accepted Christ as his saviour. Mr. Ammons, who is Catholic, said his son received the religious sacrament without his knowledge or consent.
National Post, September 9

Wife killer Colin Thatcher's children may end up with profits from book
Justice Minister Don Morgan said Wednesday that ministry officials have finished reading the book, which was released Sept. 1, and believe it is covered by a new law that says criminals can't keep the proceeds if they sell their stories.
Canadian Press, September 9
Earlier: Stories about Colin Thatcher and his new book

September 10/2009