"Protection" from What?

Interesting and honest article about abstinence.

"Protection" from What?—Abstinence, fertility cycles, and sex education—by Kate Bluett

...Stop telling young women that babies are the only consequence of sex. Stop saying that condoms and the Pill will solve all the problems. Teach them to abstain—don't just say that premarital sex will send them to hell; say that sleeping with the wrong person opens the gates of hell in a very real, practical, personal sense...Hold off, both from pregnancy and from sleeping with someone you wouldn't want as the father of a child." Self-control breeds self-control...

Does Democracy Really Work?

Below is an excerpt and link to a fascinating essay by Orson Scott Card. It makes me wonder about the logic of Canadian political parties enforcing party discipline on issues. Do we really get the best a democracy has to offer?

Does Democracy Really Work? — Orson Scott Card

(...)
The Democratic Party is in a groupthink haze right now, enforcing uniformity of thought with increasing rigor and therefore making ludicrous choices -- like Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean. Ludicrous, that is, if their goal is to achieve legislative goals or win future elections; perfectly sensible if the goal is to encourage fanatical extremist thinking and action that will continue to alienate more and more of the American public.

Historically, the political parties have thrived best when they "broadened the tent," making strong efforts to include people who are not "ideologically pure."
(...)

Liberal bias in the Canadian media

Stephen, don't listen to media — Humourous article by Lorrie Goldstein

More liberal bias in Canadian media:
Canadian Media Up to Usual Tricks Following Toronto Marriage Rally

Skeptical Skeptics

Famous Atheist Now Believes in God—ABC News

The article above is a bit old (Dec 4), but I think it's quite important. I especially like this quote:

Yet biologists' investigation of DNA "has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce (life), that intelligence must have been involved," Flew says in the new video, "Has Science Discovered God?"


Victorian Skeptics on the Road to Damascus—ChristianityToday

Former atheist Antony Flew's admission of the existence of God shocked believers and skeptics alike, but such a turnaround is far from unique. In the 19th century, many leading intellectuals who had once lost their faith ended up reconverting.

This link is a good article on skeptics who have become believers. Very interesting.

Same-sex Marriage — Letter to the Editor

Let's hope same-sex marriage bill can finally pass—Carly Foster

Above is a link to an opinion column by Carly Foster, a regional reporter for the Oshawa This Week. The article was so bad I decided to send a letter to the editor. You can read the letter below. But don't stop there. If you live in the durham region send your own letter demanding intelligent, thoughtful writing in your regional newspaper. You can email them at newsroom@durhamregion.com and cfoster@durhamregion.com.


I was deeply disappointed with Carly Foster's May 22nd column on same-sex marriage. Aversion to same-sex marriage is not based on an irrational fear of homosexuality as Ms. Foster would suggest. The issue is a complex social experiment that has, according to public opinion polls, divided our country equally between supporters and detractors.

With so many people in Canada rallying for a traditional definition of marriage we should not be surprised to see Conservative, and some Liberal, MPs representing the will of their constituents. We should not forget that it was a mere six years ago that the Liberal Party of Canada voted to reaffirm the traditional definition of marriage.

To simplify this issue, invoking an accusation of homophobia, is a juvenile interpretation. Same-sex marriage is a challenging issue that will alter the social landscape of Canada and it behooves us to treat it in a mature and comprehensive fashion.

What’s the Matter with Darwinists?

What's the Matter with Darwinists?

"...Many reporters could not resist comparing the hearings to the famous [Scopes Monkey Trial] that took place eighty years ago. But what most people don’t realize is that almost everything they think they know about the trial is false. That’s because most of what they learned about it was through a film that caricatured the trial called Inherit the Wind."

Nip and Tuck for Mental Mode

Hello All,

I've made a slight, but important change to my blog. I'd like to draw your attention to the right-hand sidebar. If you scroll down you'll see that the Links section has been modified. I've separated it into two sections: Blogs, and Links. The new Links section will be populated with what I feel are helpful resources with a focus on excellent information pertaining to christianity and politics (particularly Canadian politics). Please use this section with abandon! The Blog section will focus on blogs that I enjoy reading. If you have any good links or blogs that you think I should know about please leave me a comment. I have an insatiable appetite for online information, especially for well-written blogs.

cheers,
greg.

Librano$

I think this poster is hysterical. You can get all your Librano$ merchandise at Western Standard.

It's interesting to note that the canadian media has been giving quite a bit of attention to groups complaining that some Conservative MP's characterization of Belinda as a "whore" was inappropriate and demeaning to women. However, when Immigration Minister Joe Volpe compared the Conservative party to the Ku Klux Klan we hear nary a peep. No liberal bias there at all.

Joan Laid to Rest

It had to happen eventually. Joan of Arcadia has followed in it's namesake's footsteps. With barely 2 seasons under it's belt, Joan of Arcadia is no more. While I admit the show was not perfect, I appreciated the fact that it swam in much deeper waters than most of its vacuous peers.

Instead, CBS will launch two new series that focus on the supernatural. "Threshold" features a team of experts called in when the Navy discovers aliens have landed in the Atlantic Ocean and "Ghost Whisperer," a show about a woman who conveys messages from dead people to the living.

Leslie Moonves, CBS chairman had this to say, "I think talking to ghosts may skew younger than talking to God."

How sad...

Would anyone notice if TV executives were to replace with, I dunno, baked potatoes?

Canada—the Joke (but who's laughing)

The latest commotion to wash across the Canadian political landscape is, of course, Belinda Stronach crossing political lines to join with the Liberal Party. We should not be so surprised. Rick Bell of the Calgary Sun makes a good point when he writes, "What's with all the shock and awe? The Conservatives wanted her to spice up their party. The Liberals now need her to save their butts. As always, Belinda plays her cards with an eye to the best hand on the table."

As our government hangs in the balance we've gone from the NDP selling themselves to the Liberals for the price of $4.6 billion in budget concessions (where the heck did that money come from anyway?), to David Kilgour trying to sell himself to the Liberals for the price of 500 troops sent to Darfur, to a debutante bimbo selling out to the Liberals for the price of a cabinet post.

Canada must be the biggest joke in the developed world.

Femme fatale

Conservative MP Belinda Stronach has sold her soul to the Liberals for the price of a cabinet post. Below is a link to a particularly good blog by Colby Cosh about the situation.

Femme fatale—Colby Cosh

greg.

Kingdom of Heaven

With the recent release of Sir Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven I thought it might be a nice opportunity to take a look at the much maligned and misunderstood Crusades. Below are links to a couple of good articles.

How Could Christians Do This?

The Real History of the Crusades

cheers.