http://www.cardus.ca/contributors/bdijkema en Copyright 2012 Cardus Thu, 24 May 2012 10:16:30 -0400 Cardus Thu, 24 May 2012 10:16:30 -0400 http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/05/sick-schools-sick-students-sick-state/ There is an illness plaguing our public school systems. And like a runny nose in a kindergarten class, it spreads quickly. When public schools become sick, it's usually not too long before the whole n... Tue, 08 May 2012 13:39:00 -0400 There is an illness plaguing our public school systems. And like a runny nose in a kindergarten class, it spreads quickly. When public schools become sick, it's usually not too long before the whole n... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/05/a-little-thin-isnt-it/ The United Church of Canada's recent report on Israeli and Palestinian policy made front-page news this week. But Shimon Fogel's reaction in Tuesday's National Post gets it wrong, when he suggests the... Fri, 04 May 2012 14:05:00 -0400 The United Church of Canada's recent report on Israeli and Palestinian policy made front-page news this week. But Shimon Fogel's reaction in Tuesday's National Post gets it wrong, when he suggests the... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/04/canada-includes-the-state-but-is-more-than-the-state/ Alex Himelfarb worries that our state is being dismantled and rebuilt as an ugly, uncaring, police state. The architect of this, of course, is Stephen Harper and his minions who crafted the budget:Thi... Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:41:00 -0400 Alex Himelfarb worries that our state is being dismantled and rebuilt as an ugly, uncaring, police state. The architect of this, of course, is Stephen Harper and his minions who crafted the budget:Thi... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/04/the-race-to-the-top/ The race to the bottom is a full-contact sport full of cheap hits and thuggery. The thugs, however, are not always easy to spot. Take, for instance, the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Yesterday, the CAW... Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:12:00 -0400 The race to the bottom is a full-contact sport full of cheap hits and thuggery. The thugs, however, are not always easy to spot. Take, for instance, the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Yesterday, the CAW... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/04/a-band-of-love/ We are surrounded by music; immersed; soaked in it. It's in our heads when we jog, when we drive, when we shop, when we go up elevators, when we watch sports, when we watch films, when we work. Music ... Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:49:00 -0400 We are surrounded by music; immersed; soaked in it. It's in our heads when we jog, when we drive, when we shop, when we go up elevators, when we watch sports, when we watch films, when we work. Music ... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/04/please-do-my-job-for-me/ Politicians like to talk to the public like they're children. Because of this, the tenor of our politics resembles that of a kindergarten class deciding who gets the last red smartie on a rainy day. P... Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:59:00 -0400 Politicians like to talk to the public like they're children. Because of this, the tenor of our politics resembles that of a kindergarten class deciding who gets the last red smartie on a rainy day. P... http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/3155/ Knowing where we overlap, and where we differ, allows all of us to be more effective witnesses in the public square.... Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400 Knowing where we overlap, and where we differ, allows all of us to be more effective witnesses in the public square.... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/03/truly-god-never-abandons/ Pope Benedict left Cuba yesterday and nothing changed. The state is still run by a communist gerontocracy; it remains an officially atheist state; Good Friday is still not a public holiday; hundreds o... Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:18:00 -0400 Pope Benedict left Cuba yesterday and nothing changed. The state is still run by a communist gerontocracy; it remains an officially atheist state; Good Friday is still not a public holiday; hundreds o... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/03/centrist-politics-the-problem-not-the-solution/ The most interesting thing about this weekend's NDP leadership election is not that Thomas Mulcair won and that Brian Topp lost. No, what will last longest is the weakening of principle—call it ... Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:08:00 -0400 The most interesting thing about this weekend's NDP leadership election is not that Thomas Mulcair won and that Brian Topp lost. No, what will last longest is the weakening of principle—call it ... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/03/whats-a-soul-worth/ A market economy is a tool—a valuable and effective tool—for organizing productive activity. A market society is a way of life in which market values seep into every aspect of human endeav... Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:50:00 -0400 A market economy is a tool—a valuable and effective tool—for organizing productive activity. A market society is a way of life in which market values seep into every aspect of human endeav... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/03/government-addictions/ "What expertise does a Crown corporation have in running a hot dog stand in a casino?" It's a good question, but it's the wrong one. Ontario's finance minister, Dwight Duncan, should have asked, "What... Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:48:00 -0400 "What expertise does a Crown corporation have in running a hot dog stand in a casino?" It's a good question, but it's the wrong one. Ontario's finance minister, Dwight Duncan, should have asked, "What... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/03/contesting-the-defence-of-liberal-hegemony/ Dr. John Stackhouse thinks Catholics and Protestants are overreacting in their response to the Supreme Court's decision about religious education in Quebec. Here's a snippet of the Supreme Court's rul... Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:29:00 -0500 Dr. John Stackhouse thinks Catholics and Protestants are overreacting in their response to the Supreme Court's decision about religious education in Quebec. Here's a snippet of the Supreme Court's rul... http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/3129/ Looking graciously back on the giants before us.... Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Looking graciously back on the giants before us.... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/02/condemnations-contradictions-and-rich-ironies/ The talk about last month's move of the Electro-Motive Diesel plant from London (Ontario) to the United States reveals much about the way we treat economics in Ontario and in Canada. Some see the plan... Fri, 24 Feb 2012 01:03:00 -0500 The talk about last month's move of the Electro-Motive Diesel plant from London (Ontario) to the United States reveals much about the way we treat economics in Ontario and in Canada. Some see the plan... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/02/ignoring-a-key-reason-for-the-decline-of-unions/ Canada's unions are in trouble, but what is to be done? A discussion paper released by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and the Communications Energy and Paper Workers (CEP) suggests that unions are "f... Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:02:00 -0500 Canada's unions are in trouble, but what is to be done? A discussion paper released by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and the Communications Energy and Paper Workers (CEP) suggests that unions are "f... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/02/the-repentance-of-thieves-and-murderers/ Fidel Castro is a thief and a murderer. And he may be returning to Christianity. The long-time Cuban president is responsible for the dispossession of millions of dollars worth of land, cars, cash, an... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0500 Fidel Castro is a thief and a murderer. And he may be returning to Christianity. The long-time Cuban president is responsible for the dispossession of millions of dollars worth of land, cars, cash, an... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/02/inside-baseball-why-neocalvinists-are-newer-calvinists-than-they-think/ Our friend Joe Carter posted this week a very interesting and helpful piece on the Gospel Coalition blog explaining the difference between Neo-Calvinists (also known as Neo-puritans) and NeoCalvinists... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:53:00 -0500 Our friend Joe Carter posted this week a very interesting and helpful piece on the Gospel Coalition blog explaining the difference between Neo-Calvinists (also known as Neo-puritans) and NeoCalvinists... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/01/what-the-monks-of-tibhirine-teach-us-about-faith-and-public-life/ Faithful presence. Those two words returned to my mind again and again as I reflected on the movie Of Gods and Men. The film depicts the life of eight Trappist monks at Our Lady of the Atlas monastery... Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:05:00 -0500 Faithful presence. Those two words returned to my mind again and again as I reflected on the movie Of Gods and Men. The film depicts the life of eight Trappist monks at Our Lady of the Atlas monastery... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/01/helping-the-humanities-out-of-its-funk/ There is a lot of talk these days about the sorry state of universities, and even more talk about the even sorrier state of humanities within those universities. One recurring theme is that universiti... Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:21:00 -0500 There is a lot of talk these days about the sorry state of universities, and even more talk about the even sorrier state of humanities within those universities. One recurring theme is that universiti... http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/01/we-live-in-a-culture-of-lies-so-what/ I was speaking to a friend of mine over the holidays about Marilyn Chandler McEntyre's book Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. In one of those too-short conversations that take place over coffee a... Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:07:00 -0500 I was speaking to a friend of mine over the holidays about Marilyn Chandler McEntyre's book Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. In one of those too-short conversations that take place over coffee a...