Law Matters John Carpay Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared in 1969 that “there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation,” and that the government should ignore “what’s done in private between adults.” On that basis, his Liberal government proceeded to remove sodomy from the Criminal Code. Today, 50 years later, some Canadians believe that government should [...]
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian World by Rod Dreher (Sentinel, $34, 262 pages) Journalist Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option is a rarity: a socially conservative book urging Christians be more faithful that spurred a serious discussion in the mainstream media among pundits about the future of the so-called Religious Right and those who comprise it. David Brooks of [...]
In It’s Dangerous to Believe: Religious Freedom and Its Enemies (Harper, 192 pages), Mary Eberstadt documents how faithful Christians throughout the Western world are now living in fear of escalating religious oppression. Of course, Eberstadt readily acknowledges that persecution of the faithful outside the West is vastly worse. In particular, she cites the agony of Christians in the Middle East and Africa where, [...]
For more than three decades, The Interim and Campaign Life Coalition have reminded readers and supporters of the responsibility of all citizens, but especially Christians, to prioritize life issues above all else when they vote. This is not to deny the importance of alleviating poverty, the ability of middle class couples to support their families, how to address crime, Canadian foreign policy, [...]
Donald DeMarco was honoured by the Catholic Civil Rights League. On June 18, the Catholic Civil Rights League bestowed their Archbishop Adam Exner Award for Catholic Excellence in Public Life to professor and pro-life activist Donald DeMarco, a long-time contributor to The Interim. Gwen Landolt, last year’s winner of the award, introduced DeMarco, calling the retired St. Jerome’s College philosophy [...]
A philosopher once pithily observed that “the map is not the territory.” The same can certainly be said of statements about the Roman Pontiff made in the mainstream media: they do not offer trustworthy maps for navigating the territory of what Pope Francis actually did or said on any occasion. One always needs a ressourcement, a return to the sources, when judging [...]
The slaughter of the cartoonists and staff of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo by Islamic terrorists last month forced us to define precisely what we mean by “freedom of speech.” This was long overdue, and judging by some of the attempts made in the weeks after the murders, it would seem we have a long way to go. As everyone must [...]
Faith and Life Father Ted Colleton “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that we might have life through Him.” – First Letter of St. John There is a story, really a parable about a very rich man who had a little daughter of 6 or 7, whom he loved with all his heart. When Christmas [...]
With all of the talk about the deadly Ebola virus I have been reminded about how pro-lifers and Catholics in particular were treated when we dared to criticize conventional wisdom about how to deal with AIDS and HIV. We are condemned because many in the pro-life community highlighted the dangers of condom use in Africa in the attempt to prevent AIDS and [...]
On Christmas morning, children in our homes—and in the homes of our grown children—will bound down stairs to wonder at the arrival of wrapped gifts. Straining at the limit of a joy which is almost pain, they will wait with infinite impatience to open them. And, with something as trivial as the latest electronic amusement or toy, these innocent recipients will experience [...]
I'm a big Duck Dynasty fan. The show is about a family who became wealthy by making and selling duck calls. The show celebrates entrepreneurship, family, hunting, and faith. Each episode ends with the family praying before a meal and Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson musing about the lessons learned from whatever the family was up to that week (cleaning the warehouse [...]
There are many ways to contribute to the pro-life movement – political action, education, fundraising – but these would not be possible without prayer. In his book I’m Still A Radical, the late Father Ted Colleton wrote: “Prayer and sacrifice ... must be the foundation which underpins all other activity.” Enza Rattenni, executive director of Aid to Women, a Toronto-based organization that [...]
On May 26, Quebec City Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Primate of Canada, said in a press conference jointly hosted with Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, that “the abortion debate is on and we must not be afraid of it.” The press conference came less than two weeks after hostile reaction from the Quebec media and feminist groups over the Cardinal’s comments [...]
On May 14, a three-judge panel of the Ontario Divisional Court unanimously delivered in Ontario Human Rights Commission v. Christian Horizons another blow to freedom of religion in Canada. This ruling could have a devastating impact on Christian organizations involved in everything from providing disaster relief overseas to operating pregnancy crisis centres here at home. The complainant in this case, [...]
On June 3-5, the Faith and Freedom Alliance Conference was held in Toronto, during which they educated the public about the threats to religious liberty and trained lawyers to fight back to protect certain freedoms from assault in the public square. J. Scott Kennedy, chair of the Alliance, opened the conference reminding participants that the freedoms of religion, conscience, and expression “are [...]