Almost a week before liberal bishops consecrated the first openly gay bishop in New Hampshire, conservative bishops from Canada and the U.S. met privately in Toronto to forge a new alliance. While they prayed fervently that Gene Robinson would repent and refuse the rite, they knew they had to have a plan in place if he was consecrated. They felt too many [...]
His male partner and two daughters from a failed marriage offered Gene Robinson his golden mitre before 3,000 people in a hockey arena at the University of New Hampshire. But the Nov. 2 consecration of the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican communion was not without protest and is causing shock waves throughout the communion. When presiding Bishop Frank Griswold asked [...]
Almost since the first day the word "musician" became a job description, and certainly since the early days of mass media, there have been musical acts that have combined spectacle with their music in an attempt to gain an audience. On Oct. 4, one band planned on taking spectacle to a new low. Hell On Earth, a St. Petersburg, Fl. heavy metal [...]
Man is a great mystery to himself. Human beings ask themselves basic questions such as: how did I come to exist? Where am I going? What is the point of my life? Why am I here? Questions like these are elementary and must be answered if humans are to understand themselves. The Bible, the Word of God, gives us answers to the [...]
The Archdiocese of Vancouver is being harassed by homosexual activists for breaking its ties to a credit union with a history of supporting pro-gay and pro-abortion causes. On an evening in late September, a small crowd of angry protesters shouted threats and obscenities outside the window of Archbishop Adam Exner. The archdiocese has also received over 100 telephone calls, faxes and e-mails, [...]
A network of evangelical Christians in Mississauga, Ont., just outside Toronto, is demonstrating how effective Christian activism can be. Centred around a periodic e-mail dispatch called the PALM (Pray ALways Mississauga) Report, the network has been particularly effective in combating the proliferation of massage parlours and the acts of prostitution that often accompany them. "We've seen some interesting results," says Bruce Fligg, [...]
Many see the roots of the abortion problem, and other attacks on human life, as rooted in the phenomenon of contraception. To that end, a Mississauga, Ont.-based Catholic lay apostolate is drawing attention to this aspect of the culture of death, as well as to the importance of rank-and-file Catholics following their church's teachings forbidding the use of contraception in any state [...]
Man is a great mystery to himself. Human beings ask themselves basic questions such as: how did I come to exist? Where am I going? What is the point of my life? Why am I here? Questions like these are elementary and must be answered if humans are to understand themselves. The Bible, the Word of God, gives us answers to the [...]
Same-sex 'marriage' decision prompts increase in Christian activism When David Mainse stepped down in August as the host of the long-running 100 Huntley Street Christian TV program to campaign in defence of marriage, he commented that the "sleeping giant" of the Canadian church was beginning to awaken. Mainse said that the June 10, Ontario Court of Appeal edict to redefine marriage had [...]
This has been a controversial summer for the Anglican church. For theological conservatives, the worst moment came on Aug. 5 in Minneapolis, when the General Convention of the U.S. Episcopal Church ratified the election of an openly gay bishop. Gene Robinson, 56, a divorced father of two who has been in a sexual relationship with another man for the past 13 years, [...]
On July 31, 2003, the Vatican released its most direct statement concerning same-sex marriage to date. The document, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, contains no new teaching: rather, it is intended for bishops, offering them "arguments drawn from reason", and Catholic politicians, outlining for them "approaches to proposed legislation … which would be consistent with (a) [...]
At a White House press conference on July 30, President George Bush fielded a number of questions about Iraq, Saudi Arabia and homeland security. Then a reporter asked: "As someone who's spoken out in strongly moral terms, what's your view on homosexuality?" To begin with, Bush aptly responded: "I am mindful that we're all sinners, and I caution those who may try [...]
After a nine-month process, the board of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada recently announced that it had unanimously made the decision to appoint Bruce Clemenger as its next president, succeeding Gary Walsh. According to board chair Paul Mangus, Clemenger "best matches the needs, vision and mission of the EFC …(He) will lead this vital organization with deep understanding, commitment, humility and persistence." [...]
I think it is true to say that the week of May 12 to May 17 was one of the most inspiring I have experienced for quite a long period. I received an unexpected invitation, through a teacher named Mrs. Cindy Ashton, to speak to the students of St. Joseph's All Girls High School at Morrow Park. The subject was "pro-life" and [...]
Cardinal Ambrozic 'Sorry, disappointed and upset' with PM's abortion stand In widely reported comments, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, said "I am a Catholic and for abortion." The prime minister's remarks were made en route to Athens recently during a frank discussion with reporters in which he boasted that he was superior to U.S. President Bush on fiscal and social matters. Through [...]