Chretien's caucus remarks illustrate little respect for religion Back in the 1870s, future Liberal prime minister Wilfred Laurier traveled through Quebec explaining that French-Canadian liberalism was not the anti-Catholic and anti-clerical liberalism of Europe, but the tolerant variety found in Britain. Once, in 1877, he claimed, "there is not a single Canadian Liberal who wants to prevent the clergy from taking part [...]
When hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world descend on Toronto this July for the week-long World Youth Day, the life and family cause will have a strong presence with activities and exhibits planned over several days. World Youth Day has grown into a major, Catholic-based international event held every two years and features a series of events [...]
Sorry, no comment. That's just about all The Interim was told when attempting to speak with Alberta and British Columbia health ministers about de-funding abortion as pro-lifers in those provinces seek to have abortion de-listed as an insurable medical procedure. As evidenced by the failure to reply by Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Gary Mar and B.C. Health Planning Minister Sindi Hawkins, [...]
The Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus kicked off this year's March for Life events with a May 9 press conference. Participating were 11 MPs including the three PPLC co-chairs, Paul Steckle (Lib, Huron-Bruce), Maurice Vellacott (CA, Saskatoon-Wanuskewin) and Elsie Wayne (PC, Saint John). Jason Kenney (CA, Calgary Southeast) also spoke, giving the pro-life message in French and Garry Breitkreuz (CA, Yorkton-Melville) was also given [...]
Returning from a mid-May, week-long break, the House of Commons has begun to debate the most important piece of legislation in a generation. Bill C-56, governing reproductive technologies, will focus on matters affecting the very nature of human life. It will address, after a decade-long wait, many of the issues originally raised by the Baird Royal Commission on the subject. And the [...]
Raising Hell: What Stops Parents from Handing on the Faith to their Children by St. Clair McEvenue (Interim Publishing, $15, 251 pages) Raising Hell. What a catchy title for a book that blames the latest generation for society's problems. St. Clair McEvenue is a graduate from St. Michael's College and worked as an accountant until 1987, at which time he became a [...]
Pop culture's quest for nihilism leads to desensitization and inability to recognize evil Shows About Nothing: Nihilism in popular Culture from The Exorcist to Seinfeld by Thomas S. Hibbs (Spence Publishing, $23.50 paperback, 202 pages) Nihilism has poisoned our culture and perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than in how we choose to entertain ourselves. The emptiness and nothingness of recent Hollywood [...]
Soldiers given subsidized MAPs Tel Aviv - The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli Defence Force is distributing the "morning-after pill" Postinor 2 to female soldiers at a subsidized cost. Until the new policy was enacted, "female soldiers were given permission to purchase the pill from civilian pharmacies with their own money." The IDF dismisses female soldiers who become pregnant but the [...]
Latimer appeal denied Ottawa - The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to reconsider the conviction of Robert Latimer. Convicted of second-degree murder, Latimer is ineligible for parole for at least 10 years. The appeal was based on the claim that the court was wrong in its original case in saying that 12-year-old Tracy's pain could have been effectively treated despite her [...]
We have come to expect such silliness from human rights tribunals but a recent Alberta decision takes the cake. It's ridiculous, that one cannot even mention something in a story that might injure the feelings of certain "vulnerable groups." At least that's now how it is for Edmonton-based Report Newsmagazine, which lost a crucial media freedom case before a tribunal of the [...]
In explaining why the federal government will allow embryonic stem cell research, Health Minister Anne McLellan said "These are surplus embryos. You know what happens to them? They go in the garbage." That is hardly true and certainly should never be true. But examine the logic of the health minister's words and you see a callous disregard for human life. The choice [...]
So much ink, so many articles, about the freedom of the press and the fact that one particular newspaper group, owned by one particular family, might be attempting to limit this sacred liberty. Newsworthy of course, and extremely worrying. But not at all surprising. We haven't had a genuinely free media in this country for generations. There are definitely pockets of free [...]
How many Canadians do you think know the nature of the procedures involved in assisted reproductive technologies and in vitro-fertilization? How many Christians, or other generally pro-life people, do you think understand the nature of these procedures? Well, I don't know the details either, but I am thinking particularly of the abortion/murder-related implications. About a year ago, an evangelical monthly magazine published [...]
I haven't decided yet whether Stephen Harper ordering Ontario Canadian Alliance backbencher Cheryl Gallant to apologize for uttering an allegedly anti-gay comment in the House of Commons is an adroit bit of brushfire quenching, or an uncourageous capitulation to political-correctness bullying. Perhaps a bit of both. However, the media and special-pleader tempest in a teapot over Gallant's indiscretion is fair warning that [...]
It's that time of year again, as we brush off the frost and snow that has gathered in our minds and get down to the task at hand. When British Columbians voted by the tens of thousands for the Liberal Party, many pro-lifers were in that number, hopeful that anything but the NDP would mark a change for the better. Well, boys [...]