Religion
Written on 3 Oct, 2005 at 8:21 in
Human rights, Marriage and Family, Religion | Author:
John Jalsevac
John Jalsevac
Special to The Interim
Currently, Rev. Stephen Boissoin, a young Alberta pastor who spearheads a youth ministry that makes hundreds of weekly contacts with at-risk youth, is in the process of learning Arabic so he can better minister to the many Muslim youths he says come to his centres. And with two children of his own, in addition to ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Sep, 2005 at 13:28 in
Pro-Life, Religion | Author:
Donald DeMarco
Commentary by Donald DeMarco
The Interim
Two essential qualities are needed for a person to be a great leader. The first is a detachment from all the enticements that could bind him to the status quo. Greatness implies standing apart from the others, not from their needs, but from their preoccupations with approval, popularity, success, public ... (Continue reading)
Written on 3 Sep, 2005 at 7:55 in
Columnist, Fetal Rights, Marriage and Family, Pro-Life, Religion, Rev. Royal Hamel | Author:
Rev. Royal Hamel
The Watchman “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for a city that is to come.”
Heb. 13:14
Same-sex “marriage” is now legal in Canada. People who hold to conservative values just have lost a major battle after a two-year struggle. Moreover, it was only two years ago that the government passed legislation giving permission to experiment ... (Continue reading)
Written on 3 Sep, 2005 at 7:53 in
Columnist, Politics, Religion | Author:
Fr. Ted Colleton
Faith and Life I think it is true to say that most Christians have what we call their “patron saints”- that is to say, saints whose lives and principles appeal to them more than others. One of my patron saints is certainly Saint Thomas More, who was martyred in 1535 AD because he refused to support King Henry VIII’s divorce from the Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon, and his “marriage” to Ann Boleyn, one of ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Aug, 2005 at 12:44 in
Columnist, Pro-Life, Religion, Rory Leishman | Author:
Rory Leishman
Rory Leishman
How can Paul Martin sleep at night? Judging from his public statements and frequent attendance at Mass, he sincerely considers himself a devout Catholic, yet has no compunction about publicly flouting the most solemn and authoritative moral teachings of his church.
In an interview with a Vancouver radio station in June, Martin was asked specifically about his defiance of the Catholic church on the issue of same-sex “marriage.” “I’m actually ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Aug, 2005 at 12:37 in
Pro-Life, Religion | Author:
Tony Gosgnach
Tony Gosgnach
The Interim
Hundreds of protesters were gathered outside barricades and along major roads leading to the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. June 16. The institution was awarding notorious abortionist Henry Morgentaler an honorary degree inside its Alumni Hall as part of convocation ceremonies. A large contingent of media personnel was present, covering events on both sides of the issue.
Suddenly, everyone’s attention was riveted by a sombre group ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Aug, 2005 at 12:36 in
Abortion, Pro-Life, Religion | Author:
Interim Staff
The Vatican released a working document for the 11th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled to be held Oct. 2 to 23 this year on the theme, “The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church.”
The document, drawn up on the basis of input from Catholic church leaders throughout the world to a draft called the “Lineamenta,” lamented “the fact that too ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Aug, 2005 at 12:33 in
Human Rights Commissions, Religion | Author:
John Jalsevac
John Jalsevac
Special to The Interim
As Presbyterian minister Tristan Emmanuel handed Chris Kempling a check for $18,000, with a promise for $32,000 more to come before the year is through, he encouraged the beleaguered B.C. school teacher, saying, “Chris, I want you to realize that God has not forsaken you. God does not ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Aug, 2005 at 12:28 in
Religion, Society & Culture | Author:
Peter Stock
Peter Stock
The Interim
Is gambling an age-old, harmless pastime, or is it a pernicious vice to be publicly condemned by the Christian church?
Gambling is never specifically condemned anywhere in the Scriptures. Yet, some of the attitudes of the heart that may accompany gambling certainly are, such as greed or laziness in trying to gain something without honest labour.
Christian denominations have been all over the map in ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Aug, 2005 at 10:41 in
Marriage and Family, Religion | Author:
Dina Kok
Dina Kok
The Interim
In early July, Bill C-38, the government bill leggally permitting same-sex partners to “marry” in civil ceremonies, was debated in the Canadian Senate. For one senator, the debate became a theological question: what would Jesus do?
“As a Christian, I often ask myself: ‘What would Jesus do?’” Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, a New Brunswick Liberal, commented. “In this case, in this time, I believe he would say, ‘Yes.’”
Many religious leaders ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Jul, 2005 at 8:52 in
Human Rights Commissions, Marriage and Family, Religion | Author:
Ian Hunter
Commentary by Ian Hunter
The Interim
My brief is to give the Roman Catholic bishop of Calgary, Fred Henry, some unsolicited legal advice concerning his upcoming dealings with the Alberta Human Rights Commission. Before the advice, here is what has happened to date.
In January 2005 Bishop Henry issued a pastoral letter on the oxymoron that has come to be known as same-sex “marriage.” The bishop’s letter outlined Catholic teaching on marriage, a ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Jun, 2005 at 8:41 in
Religion | Author:
Luc Gagnon
La Belle Province
On April 19, 2005, the College of Cardinals could not have made a better choice for the universal Catholic church than electing Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to succeed John Paul the Great. It was, in fact, the choice of the Holy Ghost, because Cardinal Ratzinger was seen as much too conservative, divisive and old just a few months ago.
At the moment of the election, all the conditions were present to elect ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Jun, 2005 at 8:29 in
Marriage and Family, Religion | Author:
Sue Careless
Sue Careless
The Interim
During a meeting in Mississauga, Ont., the Primate’s Theological Commission has found same-sex blessings, or SSBs, to be a matter of doctrine. At past Anglican synods, those favouring SSBs argued that the controversial rite involved only pastoral care, not doctrine.
If the commission’s St. Michael Report is accepted by General Synod in 2007, the earliest that SSBs could pass definitively at the national governing body would be 2010 – ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Jun, 2005 at 8:27 in
Religion | Author:
Michael Taube
Commentary by Michael Taube
The Interim
When Pope John Paul II died on April 2, many Christians and non-Christians mourned the loss of a great man. They respected what John Paul had done to defeat communism, build bridges with different faiths and work towards the betterment of society. He had been a superb leader of the Catholic church and a true friend to Christians, Jews and moderate Muslims.
So, when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger ... (Continue reading)
Written on 30 Jun, 2005 at 8:25 in
Pro-Life, Pro-life Groups, Religion | Author:
Tony Gosgnach
Tony Gosgnach
The Interim
The foundation of a new society of Roman Catholic priests dedicated exclusively to the pro-life cause promises to bring the struggle to preserve human life to a whole new level. Father Frank Pavone, national director of the Priests for Life organization, recently announced the formation of the society in Amarillo, Tx., in which diocese it will be based under the stewardship of the local bishop, John W. Yanta.
“It ... (Continue reading)
