Just when we thought that the pornographic “artists” had gone as far as they could go, new twists come along. In 1995 the Vancouver Art Gallery displayed two enormous identical prints depicting Pope John Paul’s bust, in a jar of urine supplied by the so-called artist, Andrew Serrano. These two prints framed a display of Goya’s war etchings, and the accompanying explanations [...]
It is difficult to comprehend the alarm bells and hand-wringing with which some quarters greeted news of the massive Promise Keepers rally in Washington, D.C. For those unfamiliar with Promise Keepers, it is basically a movement for men to make a renewed commitment to their wives, their children and their families. Promise Keepers pledge to love and honor their wives and to [...]
I was in Newfoundland at a national conference when the story broke on Karen Shoffstaff, a former Guelph resident who committed suicide in the Holiday Inn, Farmington a suburb of Detroit. Found close to Karen's body was a typewritten letter signed by her which stated that Jack Kervorkian and his assistant, Janet Good, were involved in her death. Outgoing spirit I did [...]
Marjorie Hopper brought the house down at the first Exodus International conference when she remarked that after God's work of grace in their lives, she and Sy Rogers could trade wardrobes. Marjorie and Sy are both recovered transsexuals. Marjorie had lived for 40 years as a man; Sy had lived 22 as a woman. Today both Marjorie and Sy believe God can [...]
Martin Sheen, the former Hollywood hellraiser tells Charles Laurence that watching his son lead a similarly decadent life fills him with remorse . . . Sheen's real name is Estevez; he is the product of a Hispanic father and an Irish mother. They were a big family, poor but loyal, and piously Roman Catholic. It is no accident that, for all his [...]
Gianni Versace's murder on the front steps of his Miami Beach mansion shook the very foundation of the fashion world. As with an earthquake, powerful after-shocks followed as it was revealed that this slaying was only one of many committed by a mad man on a campaign of terror -- a campaign which authorities now believe began when Cunanan discovered he had [...]
Should The Interim take an editorial stand on the toplessness question? A seemingly trivial subject has generated a great deal of attention, particularly as the summer weather hits with a vengeance. Everywhere it seems, Ontario newspapers are beating the bushes for stories involving topless women and the public's reaction to this newfound expression of "equality." But what might appear a little inane [...]
The hoopla may have died down somewhat - at least for the time being - but the ramifications of Ellen DeGeneres's "coming out" as television's first openly homosexual prime-time lead character continue. The fact that television and other entertainment media are once again being used as a vehicle to promote certain moral stances should come as no surprise to anyone who has [...]
Some alarming questions arise from the case of a cantor at a Halifax synagogue who fled to the States in disgrace this January after being charged and fined $2,000 for downloading child pornography from the Internet. No suggestion was made that the cantor's involvement with porn went beyond the fantasy stage. Undoubtedly, part of the buzz which made this sad tale so [...]
As the temperature has risen in Ontario this summer, so hast the heat surrounding the topless question. The province has been regularly treated - or subjected - to prominent media coverage of incidents and controversies on the issue since the weather warmed up following an Ontario Court of Appeal ruling last December. The ruling said it's okay for men or women to [...]
Abortion quietly decimating French-speaking population Campagne Quebec-Vie President Gilles Grondin would not rate 1993 as one of his most successful campaigns. However, he has learned a lot and more importantly, has managed to keep Quebec’s pro-life political lobby alive. Despite many hurdles which his organization faces, Grondin is convinced that there is hope for the future. “People will come to realize that [...]
Low birth rates “My opinion is that the drop [in births] is due to many factors: a bad economy, relatively small numbers of women at peak childbearing age, delayed marriages and the socially accepted conundrum that children are damaging to the environment and to personal happiness.” Katherine Dowling from her article “Mothers and Other Strangers.” (L.A. Times, March 3, 1994) Handicapped are [...]
Bergen-Belsen. The name sent a shudder down my spine. It evoked unreal black and white images – images from documentaries and photographs I had seen over the years. Yet what would I find in this place of death? Would it even be real? Not alone on this venture, my 11-year-old daughter Rebecca was with me. I wanted her to see this reality. [...]
The United Nations Population fund has issued its 1997 State of World Population Report. The slick 76-page document, subtitled “The Right to Choose: Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health,” lays out a program for action designed to turn Third World women into feminist “wimmin.” They will be educated, plied with contraceptives, and their unborn children aborted. The report’s subtitle gives the game away. [...]
Several times during the five-minute drive home from school, my 11-yea-old reminded me that I still hadn’t paid up the five bucks I owed her. Finally, at a long red light, I searched my wallet for the measly sum, but it was nowhere to be found. As the light turned green and my daughter turned red with exasperation, I realized once again, [...]