May 2014, Late one night Stephen Harper and Peter McKay run away from the Supreme Court…

February 2018 (2018)
For a 2018 update on this subject link here to Church and State

This post will trace the evolution of our secular system of government and attendant public institutions. By remaining fully secular, these organizations allow all Canadians to remain free from religious rule and teachings, yet many are under constant pressure to revert to a more religious based system. It was difficult finding a way of criticizing without the criticisms being seen as a rant rather than a rational discussion. Hopefully, I have succeeded, but suppose that will depend upon the perspective of the reader. 

June 11, 2014: In a significant move BC Lawyers, by a vote of 3210 to 968, directed their benchers to reject an application for accreditation made by Trinity Western University for their new Law School. (Link)

May 15, 2014, 11:00 am. This is an Edited version of the original poster of May 13, 2014, at 12.29 pm.  Mostly cleaning up the structure with some subject matter moved around. There has been no alteration of the original direction and intent of the post.

A smattering of news reports over the past several weeks focuses on the challenges faced in maintaining a balance between competing interests in our pluralistic society. This week, PMO staff found Prime Minister Stephen Harper wandering around kicking chairs and punching walls after the Supreme Court yet again struck down one of his carefully crafted pieces of legislation. Why? It’s largely because we have this Court of Last Resort that we are able to maintain a balance in our society. While the Prime Minister may rant and rave about this ‘activist’ court interfering in the business of Parliament, we should all be thankful it is there to protect our rights in cases where ideologically driven legislation fails to meet the standards set by our Constitution and Charter of Rights.

For his part young Trudeau choose to open Pandora’s Box with his directive about accepting only Pro-Choice candidates (if you please!). It seems Justin, God bless the little guy, has inherited his Daddy’s tendency to ‘never let a sleeping dog lie’, and as for little Stephen, he completely forgot his Mommy’s message about ‘not poking a hornets’ nest with a stick’. These items make for an interesting read, but, standing alone, are just stories about a couple of gifted and privileged boys playing politics in hallowed halls of Ottawa. Neither item would prompt me to write an in-depth post, but the next certainly did as that item, in my opinion, is an emerging challenge to our secular system as found in “The Covenant” issued by Trinity Western University.

Note: June 18, 2014: A recent article regarding issues surrounding the Covenant appears in the Vancouver Sun. Written by a former staff member at TWU, it provides a personal perspective. Link at: “Who would Jesus discriminate against?”

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Russian Troops in Ukraine, 2014. Pictures such as this have been used to suggest Russian Troops are being surreptitiously infiltrated into the Eastern Ukraine. Why do the media and others continue to spread these vicious rumours?

The Myth of Covert Operations

Of course Russia does not have troops in the Crimea, nor Eastern Ukraine!  How do we know? Well, the President of Russia has assured that is the case. Why on earth would he want to secretly place troops there and then lie about it.  Russia is just a peace loving country like any other.

Of course the USA, France, Britain, Canada and other peace loving countries would never think of secretly infiltrating troops or military operatives into another country. In the past century people suggested the USA had troops in Laos, Cambodia, Iran, Iraq or dozens of other middle and far east countries. It was not true then and it is not true now. Neither did they carry out covert operations in Cuba, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia or dozens other Central and South American countries in an attempt to destabilize the existing governments. It just doesn’t make sense why they would do such a thing.  Besides, we have the assurance of successive US Presidents and other world leaders that it was not done.

We know this just as we know that NSA, CSIS, M16, Mossad and dozens of other agencies do not carry out illegal covert surveillance of the citizens of their their own country.

Give it a rest folks, this stuff is not happening and if you think it is, you are just being paranoid.

Harold

Some have suggested that US Special Forces trainers were secretly supervising military assault drills for units of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.  Don’t you believe it folks. The the USA would never carry out such operations.
Link Here to see how these rumours are being spread. 

Just this morning more of these vicious rumours were being spread by a friend on Facebook.  Link here to a story about why Latin Americans are flocking to the United States.

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UPDATE MARCH 12, 2017 (Web Photo):

The recent decision (March 2017) by a senior court in the European Union to allow the banning of any religious headgear by a businesses keeps alive the myth that some types of religious headgear are more dangerous than others.

While many kinds of head coverings are popular, particularly in cold weather Canada, some coverings, the Niqab and Burqa as two examples, often evoke a strong negative reaction in Western nations. It is not the headdress; it is the context and symbolism that brings the response to those who have not taken the time to delve into the issue.

In the photo above it is clear the woman on the left is voluntarily wearing the covering as a response to the weather. For the woman of the left, however, the covering is not only tied to religion but also to the power men hold over women. And, in the case of the Niqab and Burqa, that debate is not likely to end anytime soon.

Do similar debates take place in countries defined as Muslim.   Check out a few of the astounding discoveries made while Lynn McNeill, Esther and Garth Dunn and I were traveling through the Middle East during November and December 2013.

Is it reasonable to place limitations on the wearing of religious apparel?

When traveling, if we keep our minds open, it’s easy to find the world may be defined in a manner different than that which we have been lead to believe. While a large portion of our worldview results from our prejudice, our negative views and fears are certainly enhanced by the actions of TV and print media, politicians, social media and, of course, religious groups themselves. Our family and friends also play a huge role in our evolving positive or negative views of others.

Let’s jump to an ongoing controversy that became the turning point in the recent (2013) Quebec Election – the wearing or displaying of religious symbols by public servants. In 2017 it remains an issue being played out in the European Courts and pending European elections, as well as in Canada with the current Conservative Party leadership race being an example of how things can go negative if that may help a candidate to win a few more votes.

Graphic (Web Source): This chart was circulated by the PQ when they rolled out proposed changes to the Quebec Charter. The top three items would be approved. The bottom five would not. It was not long before the Niqab (the partial face covering bottom left) became the central issue. It is easy to see a between the application to different religious belief systems.  So the question, if what we wear does not interfere with what we do (within bounds), does it make any difference what we wear?

While the Quebec Charter amendment crossed the line on many points, it was the Niqab and Burqa that quickly rose to the top of the debate. This was primarily because those particular head coverings suggest the oppression of woman, something that is an anathema to basic freedoms in Canada. Mind you, over that past 150 years of our nation, we managed to accomplish the suppression fairly well without even referring to the Muslim headdress.

Never-the-less, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a relatively new document that came into being in 1982, provided our citizens with the right to practice their religion (within reasonable limits) as they see fit. It now seem’s some would prefer to limit those rights even though it conflicts with the Charter and may infringe up the rights of some women in particular. Clearly, not every country has a Charter of Rights, therefore, in those countries, and this includes within a great many religions, the equality of women is not always given the high priority it is in Canada.

It is easy to understand why this particular issue arises in Canada, as our country is made up of people from all around the world and of every religious persuasion. Never-the-less, we do amazingly well if we consider all the possible friction points that exist.

Now let’s skip back to the Middle East – Oman and Saudi Arabia in particular. In those countries, it is not hard to find women wearing full or partial face coverings (yet they are not ubiquitous). The question, do any restrictions exist?  First, look at Oman, a country ruled by a Sultan. In Oman, about half the employment is provided by the Sultanate, employment similar to our public service (e.g.teachers, government workers, hospitals, ambulance and so on).

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Raw food is a term used to describe food that has not been processed or altered, including having stayed at a temperature below 105° F. It can refer to fruits, vegetables, and nuts in their original forms, or combined to create unique dishes that often mimic some of your favourite cooked foods. (Link Here)

The Times they are a Changing

Wow!  Fifty years ago this year Bob Dylan’s The Times They are a Changin’ (lyrics in footer) hit the top of the pop charts in England. It seems certain the song carries as much relevance today as it did in 1964, when a Raw Food, Vegan style restaurant boldly dared to wedge itself between MacDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Tim Hortons in the heart of he Royal Oak Shopping Centre.

While the RAWthentic Eatery only opened its doors in the Royal Oak Shopping Centre on March 20, 2014, it is quickly becoming a favourite.  While the menu contains an array of Vegan, Raw, Gluten and Dairy Free products, there is plenty more on the menu to temp your palate.

Smoothies and fresh blended drinks like Goji Sunrise and Raspberry Zinger, Wheat Grass and a dozen other raw juices; the Combos, Salads and Entrees stand out on the long list and as you continue down the menu you will find desserts to die for.

With plenty of locally grown (whenever possible) eatery Manager Chantelle Shah-Poulin (photo left) and her staff, will soon be on a first name basis with a rapidly growing line of customers seeking a healthy diet alternative.

The Eatery continues a growing trend towards providing greater food choice for those who wish to move away from traditional fast foods, fast foods that are high in sugar, fat, salt and other additives that have come to so negatively define an entire industry that has been slow to recognize that change was in the air.

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If you have a child, it is your decision whether or not to vaccinate. But, you might stand by the strength of your conviction and stop taking your own preventative medications. Why would you want to risk falling prey to one of the side effects of those medications even if the danger is minimal?  There is no better way to show you love your child than standing side-by-side with them if your decision is to not vaccinate.

November 27, 2014  I bring this post back to the top to demonstrate how little we fear once common killers that have made a return, yet becomes panic-stricken over one “ebola” case in Texas. Calls for travel bans, additional airport screening, isolation of passengers, quarantines, cruise ships in a state of lockdown, aircraft placed in hangers for decontamination, passengers not allowed to board aircraft even after being screened, people wrapped in bubble wrap on flights, etc.  How is it that government and media can so easily push us into a panic state at the drop of a pin, yet when an outbreak of a disease that at one time killed thousands in our country and around the world appears, we just shrug our shoulders? In the face of all this fear about ebola, there is no rationale explanation as to why it has taken so long to begin the ‘War” on that dreaded disease that is killing thousands in West Africans. We could really make a difference, but six CF-18’s to fight ISIS – that’s just symbolic.

May 17, 2014.  An excellent article on “A Failure to Vaccinate” begins on Page 1, of the  Vancouver Sun. An 80-90% vaccination rate is needed to prevent a widespread outbreak.  Check the details on page A6 and A7 of the Sun or read the Post below. Think it over folks. (Link Here to the Sun Article)

Children of the 1940’s

My sister and I grew up at a time when many childhood communicable diseases such as measles, whooping cough and others were feared by every parent.  While vaccines had been developed for polio, scarlet fever and others, many killers still remained.  In every community, children were dying for lack of effective vaccines and over the course of the 18^th  and 19^th  centuries, millions of children and adults around the world died. Millions more were left with debilitating, lifelong scars. Except for Chicken Pox, my sister Louise and I luckily escaped the most serious.

Photo (Web): In this polio campaign photo a nurse stands with a recovering child.  Millions of children were afflicted with that dreaded disease and while many died, just as many were left with lifelong after effects.

After decades of careful medical research, more and more vaccines (and safer, more effective vaccines) were being developed. By the 1980’s most childhood killer diseases, including measles, were on the brink of extinction. Many others had already been taken out of existence.

Was the world was safe? Well, almost.  It did not take many years after the rate of infection had dropped to very low levels, for a few to begin to question the possible side effects. It was then parents stopped vaccinating because they feared the side effects more than the disease. Most families who refuse have never seen communities devastated by various communicable diseases. It seemed that a few pseudoscientists and celebrities carried more weight than mainstream doctors and scientists.

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In Afghanistan, US Forces Chinook Helicopters airlift out the last of the Canadian troops
while circling Blackhawk gunships provide cover. 

March 13, 2014:  Kabul, Afghanistan

Today the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan comes to an end.  The departure of our troops seems eerily similar to the final retreat of the US Forces from Viet Nam on April 29, 1975.  We must strive to treat the men and woman of our military much better than was the fate suffered by the those returning from Viet Nam.

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Texas Newsman, Dan Hansen, in Dallas-Fort Worth
NFL Openly Gay Draft Choice: Will the right choice be made?
(Link Below)

I seldom listen to, let alone share, the rants of news show hosts who earn a living by being controversial, but I logged into this one because it was shared by a friend, Bria Wilson, whose FB postings are balanced. At first I flushed, then was shocked, shocked to see someone from the Southern US, let alone a broadcaster from Texas, speak in this manner? True, I am biased against much of what flows from the lips of those southern shock jocks and others, but this is worth a listen – then a little reflection upon our own position in these matters.

Celebrating our Differences.

Link Here: Dallas sportcaster’s shocking shocking response to Michael Sam coming out as gay.

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Photo (GNS Newsletter) (March, 2013).  Cheryl Murtland and staff from SMU with another group of students at
Monty’s Surf Camp in Jiquilillo, Nicaragua. The little kids are from the nearby community of Jiquilillo.

Fireside Grill, Victoria, BC (February 6, 2014)

It was a great evening of meeting old friends and making new ones as Cheryl Murtland and others from St. Michaels University School, continued their work with another group of students as they hosted a fundraiser for the Together Works Society (1).  The funds will be used to support projects in and around he remote community of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua.

Together Works Society, a Canadian non-profit Society, is the brainchild of Donald (Monty) Montgomery (2), a teacher from Parksville, British Columbia, who runs a Surf Camp near Jiquilillo on the northwest coast of Nicaragua.

Photo (Fireside Grill): A few of the many SMUS students who have diligently worked on the fundraiser.

In April, these students along with fifteen others will be travelling to Nicaragua to help with Surf Camp projects as well as taking time to savour the sun, surf and sand at the camp.

Given the -6C temperature and three centimetres of fresh snow this morning, the incentives to travel to Monty’s little hide-a-way is even more enticing.

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