Dennis Gruending writes about a community Christmas concert in his 1950s farming village in Saskatchewan.
The Christmas Concert (Prairie fiction)
Nelson Mandela’s good work continues
Nelson Mandela is being remembered as a beacon for democracy, peace and decency in political life. But he also used his retirement well. In 2007, Mandela and a group of distinguished individuals created a group called, The Elders. They included Mozambican humanitarian and politician Graca Machel, who is also Mandela’s widow; former Ireland President Mary Robinson;... Continue Reading →
Israel’s false logic on Iran nuclear deal
The big powers, led by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, recently reached a deal with Iran to temporarily freeze a nuclear program that could have produced a weapon for that country. In return, the U.S. and five other nations have agreed to ease up on economic sanctions that have long hurt Iranian citizens and... Continue Reading →
PeaceQuest on Canada’s wars
A government that recently spent millions of dollars memorializing the War of 1812 plans to spend much more, commemorating the centennial of the First World War and re-dedicating the National War Memorial. But while those plans are being made to celebrate militarized patriotism, a group called PeaceQuest is busy offering a counter-narrative to war, talking about... Continue Reading →
Pacifism in Canada, a debate
On November 8, I published a blog piece that provided a description of Christian pacifism and some arguments on its behalf. I wrote it intentionally to appear prior to Remembrance Day. I wrote that "pacifism is not the chosen position of the majority but it does remain a respectable minority position, and more so all of... Continue Reading →
Pacifism and Remembrance Day 2013
A friend and I taught a night course at the Ottawa School of Theology and Spirituality in 2012 about Christian pacifism. Had you asked me when I began if I was a pacifist, likely I would have said no. If you asked me today, I might well say yes. At the least, it has become... Continue Reading →
New Brunswick’s shale gas protests
By Dallas McQuarrie, Saint-Ignace, New Brunswick When 150 RCMP officers, a sniper team and dogs stormed a previously peaceful camp of those protesting against shale gas exploration near Rexton, New Brunswick on October 17, our community and the protest were vaulted into national and international news. What did not show up on most of the... Continue Reading →
Climate change and Canadian churches
The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its most recent report. The blue ribbon group of scientists concluded that is 95 percent certain that global warming is occurring, that it is caused mainly by our burning of fossil fuels, and that we will see more violent weather and rising sea levels as a result. Scientists... Continue Reading →
Navy Yard shooting and U.S. gun culture
The recent shooting death of 13 Americans at the Navy Yard military centre in Washington D.C. is a tragic but commonplace occurrence. Mother Jones magazine says that there have now been five mass shootings in the U.S. this year, with more than 40 people injured and killed. In 2011, there were 11,000 gun-related homicides in... Continue Reading →
Quebec’s right wing Charter of Values
The Parti Quebecois government has created controversy by proposing the Charter of Quebec Values aimed at restricting public sector employees from wearing religious symbols — turbans, head scarves, skullcaps and presumably crosses — in their workplaces. The PQ claims that this would unify Quebecers behind the idea of a secular state, but Charles Taylor, the... Continue Reading →
Pulpit and Politics 