I have been thinking a lot lately about the “war on Christmas” narrative that stems from the changes taking place in our culture. I’m moving towards the conclusion that the controversy is less illustrative of a declaration against something than … Continue reading →

This week saw the demise of thousands of people around the world. The rough statistics, as I understand them, are that there are approximately 8.37 deaths per thousand people per year. That means that taking a very conservative world population … Continue reading →

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief He gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not his face from shame and … Continue reading →

Seeing the incoherence of the Occupy movement, some recommended that the Occupiers each pick a particular, pointed concern (banking reform, sexual trafficking, environmental protection, native land rights) and join, or start, a focused organization that might actually make a difference. … Continue reading →

The fourth candle in the Advent wreath stands for love. I’ve thought a lot about love this past year (sometimes here on the blog). Just last week, I was talking with coworkers about a piece that appeared in the New … Continue reading →

When asked what he thought about current philosophy curricula in higher education, the late Richard Rorty once said he would much rather have his students learn a new language than take symbolic logic. That has always struck a chord with … Continue reading →

Brian Lee Crowley’s piece in yesterday’s Financial Post is the most provocative piece I have read in some time. It not only contains one of the most open challenges to Canadian sovereignty I’ve read, but it is written at a … Continue reading →

For the record, I think Minister Jason Kenney is right in insisting that when taking the oath of citizenship, new Canadians are required to show their faces. He is quoted as saying, “The citizenship oath is a quintessentially public act. … Continue reading →

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s edict ordering Muslim women to remove their veils while taking Canada’s citizenship oath seems eminently reasonable. The problem is, the response from Muslim women outraged by the edict seems just as reasonable. Kenney went public Monday … Continue reading →

I discovered, as I was making sure I had my facts straight about the third Sunday of Advent, that it’s known as the “joyful Sunday.” Not only that: tradition dictates that the candle itself is pink, in contrast to the … Continue reading →