OMG — The case for a higher power

 By Daniel Richmond Stringer, D.E.S.S. Faith is the hope of things to come, The joy of things unseen In accepting that God is not the origin of life, as Governor General Mme. Sylvie Payette has implied, are we as a society prepared to concede the dubious conclusion that God is

Reflections from the Other Side of Reason – Between faith and doubt

 Since 2013, recognized author and community leader for mental health, David Gibson, has battled the inner world of PTSD to find some measure of hope within. He uses his writing to explore how his journey as a survivor has enabled him to come to terms with PTSD and the new reality

Legislating Protection for Faith Spaces

 By Andrew Bennett, CARDUS Law program director Sometimes Parliament works just the way the textbooks say it’s supposed to work. One recent example is in the way the House of Commons justice committee dealt with Bill C-51, which aims to erase “outdated” parts of the Criminal Code. The committee held

Reformation 2017: Can’t Buy Me Love

 By Catherine E. Clifford, professor of theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa On Oct. 31, 1517, a young Augustinian monk hung a note on the community bulletin board inviting colleagues and church leaders to challenge and reform the corrupt preaching of his day. When Martin Luther posted his 95 theses

On Faith, Mystery and Nothingness

 By Larry McCloskey   “There’s only one story: the story of your life.” N. Frye My father had it, though I know at times he doubted. My aunt--a devout nun of 65 years--had it more than my father. Still, both my father and my aunt deferred to my mother as the

A Lament for Prayers Unsaid

 By Larry McCloskey   I grew up, a doubter, serving mass at the cloistered convent on Richmond road in Ottawa. I remember being filled with trepidation walking to Les Soeurs de la Visitation on cold dark mornings, the echo of my boots crunching on snow still on my mind as I

This is Canada. Faith matters.

 For centuries, faith has shaped the human landscape of Canada. From literature and art to social infrastructure and social research, faith has and will touch almost every surface of this country’s past, present and future. What if faith was forgotten? What if we could no longer remember the importance of

Faith and Free Thought

 I have a new book out next month (although you can pre-order it now) published by Signal Books, part of Random House. It’s called Epiphany: A Christian’s Change of Heart and Mind over Same-Sex Marriage, and while I’ve written 16 books and am proud of some (but not all) of

Levi Hart Kicks Off ‘My Kind of Night’

 ‘THAT is My Kind of Night!’ are the words roaring from radios across Canada, since Levi Hart released his new country hit on September 25. Recorded in June in Nashville, Tennessee, Hart’s new hit ‘My Kind of Night’ has made great headway, quickly landing airplay on international radio broadcasting networks, and has been

The Politics of Love Thy Neighbour

 When did Christianity in Canada become so linked to political and social conservatism? When did so many Christians, especially the loudest and most organized, embrace censorship, resistance to gay equality, denial of climate change, opposition to vaccinations and an angry obsession with abortion? There are, of course, myriad believers in Christ who do not think and act thus but ask

O God Brings Spirituality to the Stage at the Ottawa Fringe Festival

 Audiences are encouraged to turn their phones off at most Ottawa Fringe festival but at O god they’ll be told to keep them on. Cast members of the interactive play, put on by Ottawa Faith and Arts, encourage the audience to tweet their thoughts on heaven and prayer before and

The Church and State Debate

 By Michael Coren Oh Mr. Lunney, whatever are you playing at? Long-time Nanaimo MP James Lunney announced recently that he was leaving the Conservatives because he could no longer speak as a Christian while being part of the party caucus. There was, he said, a nasty sense of religious persecution

New Hospital Funding Model is a Leap of Faith

 Activity-based funding may discharge patients from hospital ‘quicker but sicker’ Most Canadians probably don’t realize that health care in Canada is quietly undergoing a major transformation in funding that could significantly impact patients.  Three provinces—Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia—are implementing a new funding model for hospitals and other provinces are

The Hidden World of the First World War

 Imagine exploring the French countryside only to discover underground cities belonging to the soldiers of the First World War. Well that is exactly the situation Jeffrey Gusky, American doctor, artist and explorer, found himself in—and now he is sharing it with you! In conjunction with National Geographic, Gusky shows his

To Veil Or Not To Veil

 Quick, what do the words "Muslim woman" bring to mind? Is it the austere beauty of a face untouched by make-up, framed by a sober headscarf? What about the fresh-faced girl celebrating the end of exams over coffee with her friends, their shining hair swinging free? Could she be a