In “Christianity Lite” (First Things, February 2010), Mary Eberstadt traces the collapse of the mainline Protestant churches to Resolution 15 of the 1930 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops, which broke with the hitherto universal and constant teaching of the Catholic church against any use of artificial means of contraception. Specifically, Resolution 15 provided that married couples who are faced with [...]
Why are most pro-life activists Christians? Udo Schuklenk, professor of philosophy and Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics at Queen’s University, thinks he knows the answer – the pro-life position is so irrational that it is only likely to be espoused by fanatics who look to the Bible as the ultimate authority on all questions of faith and morality. Schuklenk is [...]
On Nov. 20, Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical leaders in the United States set a splendid example for their counterparts in Canada by issuing the Manhattan Declaration – a ringing statement of resolve to resist the growing subversion of the moral order and the suppression of freedom of religion by secular zealots in legislatures, governments and the courts. Included among the [...]
In a headline story on Nov. 8, the New York Times reported that, by voting to ban federal funding for abortion from the major health-care reform bill under consideration in the United States Congress, the House of Representatives “has energized the opponents of abortion with their biggest victory in years.” Quite so. The $1.1 trillion House health-care reform bill proposes [...]
Fearful Symmetry: The Fall and Rise of Canada’s Founding Values by Brian Lee Crowley (Key Porter, $34.95, 360 pages) In an important new book, Fearful Symmetry: The Fall and Rise of Canada’s Founding Values, Brian Lee Crowley persuasively argues that the future prosperity of Canada depends on a revival of marriage and the family. For Crowley, this is a new understanding. Until [...]
In a classic 20th-century treatise entitled The Road to Serfdom, Friedrich Hayek observed that the hallmark of a free country is the subordination of ruling authority to the fundamental principles of the rule of law. He explained: “Stripped of all technicalities, this means that government, in all its actions, is bound by rules fixed and announced beforehand -- rules which [...]
At the beginning of another school year, the parents of children in the public schools of Canada might well earnestly reflect upon what their children are likely to be taught about the vital issues of faith and morality. Fifty years ago, there was little reason for concern. Parents could have confidence that teachers in the publicly funded Catholic and non-denominational [...]
As the huge costs of caring for Canada’s rapidly aging population become ever more apparent, more and more Canadians are finally beginning to realize that the collapse of the birthrate in Canada over the past 40 years threatens the economic prosperity of future generations. In a recent report, “Faster, Younger, Richer? The Fond Hope and Sobering Reality of Immigration’s Impact [...]
What is the best means of persuading more of our fellow citizens to understand that the deliberate killing of a baby in the womb is an unmitigated evil? Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, is a leading proponent of shock tactics. On May 1, he was arrested and charged with criminal trespass for leading an anti-abortion demonstration on the [...]
Jonathon Porritt, a so-called "green" adviser to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, argues that it is "irresponsible" for families to have more than two children. How can anyone take this man seriously? Britain has a total fertility rate of just 1.66. That's far below the rate of 2.1 children per woman that is necessary just to sustain the existing population. [...]
National Affairs correspondent Rory Leishman points out yet another shocking disregard for human life on the part of the Obama administration.
Rory Leishman notes that religion has motivated most social reforms.
National Affairs correspondent Rory Leishman takes a look at the life of Steven Fletcher in light of the euthanasia debate.
On Nov. 23, The Washington Post published a remarkable profile entitled, "A hard choice: a young medical student tries to decide if she has what it takes to join the diminishing ranks of abortion providers." The article focused on 24-year-old Lesley Wojcik, an activist with Medical Students for Choice who recently attended a conference for aspiring abortionists at the Johns [...]
While the great majority of pro-life activists in North America are Christians, is it true that only a faithful Christian can understand that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death? Obviously not. For years, Nat Hentoff, a prominent civil libertarian and occasional columnist for The Village Voice in New York City, has emblazoned himself as a Jewish atheist [...]