When Christ left this world, Tiberius sat on the throne of Rome, and Rome sat proud and potent over its many conquered lands. Israel was a far-flung province at the Empire’s ever expanding edge, and the Jews feared Rome, just as Christ’s followers feared the Jews. Nevertheless, with His last words, Christ exhorted His small and fearful handful of followers to “teach [...]
The cross, among other things, is a reminder of Christianity’s relationship with the state. An ancient method of execution with all the charm of the electric chair, crucifixion was a form of capital punishment deemed too degrading for a Roman citizen to endure, fit only for rebels and slaves who needed to be visibly crushed under the imperial heel. Before the cross [...]
Watching the debate on M-312 does not inspire confidence in Canadian parliamentary democracy. Those who spoke in favour of Stephen Woodworth’s private member’s motion were eloquent in their defense of why the Criminal Code definition of human being, based on a 400-year-old law, needs to be re-examined. Sadly, the opposition MPs were hysterical in their criticism of M-312 which they believe rolls [...]
A survey of the headlines shows us our crises at a glace: in addition to mounting economic turmoil, growing unemployment, and spiraling debt, there is the simmering international kulturkampf which has emerged in the aftermath of the pax Americana. The world is broke and broken: insolvent sovereign powers have segmented the world into mutually opposed spheres of influence. And these twin dilemmas [...]
In Greek mythology, Europa was a princess whom Zeus abducted in the form of a bull, and their union produced three sons. Pagan legends are replete with such stories of the violent visitation of the divine: they believed that the gods not only blessed their people with offspring, but would sometimes impose such blessings. The Continent which lays claim to such legends [...]
Confidence is the hallmark of a successful social movement. Groups which possess a conviction in their cause will trust in the power of justice and the appeal of truth, and are, therefore, always eager to articulate their ideals to any willing listener. How interesting, then, that despite their dazzling success, socially liberal groups display no such confidence, and no such desire for [...]
“The Last Judgment,” according to Kafka, “is a court that is always in session.” At first glace, these words may seem menacing and obscure, but, in fact, Kafka confirms an attitude towards history, which we all share. We believe in “last judgements,” in final, irreversible indictments, which no revisionist can recuperate and no apologist can rescind. Our estimation of the evils of [...]
The Alberta Tories’ 41-year reign appeared to be coming to an end with the April 24 election (held after we went to press). The upstart and more conservative Wildrose Party was leading in the polls. While Wildrose is not a pro-life party, it did have numerous socially conservative candidates run under its banner. Wildrose leader Danielle Smith ran for the leadership in [...]
On March 26, the Ontario Court of Appeals upheld a perverse 2010 decision which ruled that the Criminal Code’s laws prohibiting keeping a common bawdy house and communicating for the purpose of soliciting prostitution violated Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Without a thought for the victims of prostitution, the lower court struck down these prudent legal protections on [...]
The Conservative Government’s pledge to create an office of religious freedom within the Department of Foreign Affairs is welcome and encouraging news. This proposed office would monitor the status of religious freedom in countries around the world and provide valuable information about the relative restrictions of religion under certain regimes. The research this office would produce could greatly assist diplomatic efforts to [...]
The intrepid pro-life activist, Mary Wagner, has been in and out of jail for more than a decade. Not content to witness from a distance, Wagner often enters the facilities where abortions are committed in the hopes of warning pregnant women about the reality of abortion and the dangers it poses for them and, of course, their unborn children. At Wanger’s trial [...]
Two recent events south of the border illustrate the importance and centrality of life issues in the political sphere: the Obama administration mandated that all employers cover contraception in insurance plans and the Komen Foundation for a Cure, which raises money to fight breast cancer, was bullied into reversing its decision to stop giving grants to Planned Parenthood. Both stories demonstrate the [...]
This month marks The Interim’s 30th year of publication. Such anniversaries are always occasions for celebration and gratitude – but they are also bittersweet: as proud as we are to be Canada’s pro-life, pro-family newspaper, we regret the fact that pervasive media bias makes our existence necessary, that mainstream opinions about life and culture in our country are not represented in our [...]
On Nov. 30, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty introduced Bill 13, The Accepting Schools Act. This arrived on the heels of a tragic and much-publicized suicide involving Ottawa teenager, Jamie Hubley. The teen suffered with depression and happened to also be openly gay. The media dutifully painted the picture that Hubley committed suicide primarily due to “homophobic bullying” despite the fact his father [...]
In early October, the long-time pro-life and pro-family activist Bill Whatcott got his proverbial day in court. Whatcott, who had been brought before the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal in 2006 over his practice of distributing flyers about the dangers of abortion and homosexuality, was ordered to pay a $17,500 fine and to cease publicly spreading his beliefs about homosexuality. Whatcott’s case has [...]