On April 5, the Christian Heritage Party held its spring conference at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ont. Although the last vestiges of Ontario's April ice storm made travel difficult, 126 supporters, some from as far away as Walkerton, gathered to hear speakers address the theme of "Strategies to Advance the Christian Heritage Party of Canada." The group included a healthy contingent [...]
Terence Westerhoek is the only worker at the Magna subsidiary that the receptionist knows who can't wait to get to work. Every Friday, he arrives all smiles at the P & F Tool and Die plant. First, he greets his oldest brother, John, in his office with a big hug and kiss. Then, he sets to work, cheerfully bundling the workers' gloves [...]
One of the most puzzling questions regarding stem cell research has been: why are researchers so hungry for embryonic stem cells, despite the controversy and dangers over their use, and at the same time, seem to be shunning non-controversial and much more successful adult stem cells? MP Paul Szabo, the resident expert on the matter in the Canadian House of Commons, posited [...]
Researchers have announced that the human genome sequence is now almost completely deciphered. The decoding of three billion letters of the genetic code in human DNA was completed two years ahead of schedule thanks to advances in computer technology, and gives scientists "the chance to explore everything that is genetically (pre-)determined about our lives," according to a BBC report. Researchers are already [...]
This year is turning out to be one of anniversaries. Our very own Interim newspaper is marking 20 years of publication. Pope John Paul II celebrates 25 years in the papacy this October. And this month, Canada's dynamic political pro-life organization will have been in existence for a quarter-century. It was on May 25, 1978 that representatives from pro-life groups across Canada [...]
The leading British medical journal The Lancet reported last month that the use of oral contraceptives can more than double a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer. British and French researchers with Cancer Research U.K. found that being on the pill for less than five years was associated with an increased risk of 10 per cent, while subjects who took the drug [...]
Like 22.3 million other Canadians, I recently completed my taxes. It is always a painful experience, less fun than the dental work I had done earlier in the month and actually more expensive. But for social conservatives and other people of common sense, forking over hard-earned dough to the government is made even more pernicious when one considers where the money goes. [...]
Every week, I am made more nervous by bioethicists. Every day, some new set of biotech horrors slithers across my desktop, tempting me to despair, go home to Nova Scotia, adopt an alias, live in the woods and pretend I don't speak English. In the last year, a group of suspiciously similar bills have been proposed in legislatures all over the U.S. [...]
Murder of pregnant mom thrusts life issue into spotlight The California deaths of Laci Peterson and her unborn son are sending shockwaves across America, as the issue of when human life begins has been reignited. Laci's husband Scott was arrested in April following the discovery of what prosecutors say is Laci's body and that of their "biological child." Scott Peterson, who was [...]
Canada's pro-life community remains unimpressed by news that the overall abortion rate dropped slightly between 1999 and 2000. A March 28, 2003 report from Statistics Canada indicated that Canadian women obtained 105,427 abortions in the year 2000, down some 0.2 per cent from the previous year. The number of abortions committed in 1999 was 105,666, while the 1998 figure stood at 110,331. [...]
Two well-known sayings suggest that "justice is blind" and "the law is an ass." After a recent court case in Toronto, pro-lifers might tend to agree on both counts. A woman who pepper sprayed a crisis pregnancy counsellor as he was assisting a pregnant client at a St. Michael's Hospital clinic last summer was convicted of assault March 24, but was then [...]
The administration at a Sarnia college forced the cancellation of a speaking engagement by noted pro-life speaker Rebecca Kiessling, a move strongly criticized by some staff and faculty. Organizers of the Kiessling talk told The Interim they were dismayed by Lambton College administration's actions. Kiessling, an American lawyer and mother, was scheduled to provide a testimony about her personal experience - her [...]
The struggle between the pro-life and the pro-abortion sides in the battle over Bill C-13 has come to resemble a fencing match between two desperate opponents. Each side scrutinizes the moves and countermoves of the other, and each side tries to give away as little ground as possible. The bill is supposed to be about regulating assisted human reproduction. It seems ironic [...]
One of the more gratifying aspects of social action by people of conscience is to see the many success stories that result from such efforts. In this installment of The Interim's occasional corporate watch feature, we'll take a look at some of these positive accounts, as well as continuing areas of concern. Credit card company VISA drew kudos recently after it took steps [...]