Pickering plans site for Hindu sacred ashes, Sat Oct 3 2009, Toronto Star
ABILITIES CHURCH: A welcome place to congregate, Stuart Laidlaw, Faith and Ethics reporter, Toronto Star, Sep 28, 2009
Extract: "In a page from the Bible, a new house of worship opens its doors to the spirituality of the disabled. Four years ago, Susan Stewart couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't get out of bed without help.But every Sunday, the one-time Olympic basketball player would be put in her wheelchair at the Toronto Rehabilitation Centre, where she was recovering from a brain injury, and be taken to the facility's church services." continue reading
TheStar.com | living | A welcome place to congregate
Week of the Parent - September 20 - 26, 2009
The MultiFatih Council of North West Ohio is a co-signer of a proclamation of 2009 as Year of the Parent. For the Week's schedule click here.
Can a Christian learn from Ramadan?By Yvonne R. Davis - CONNECTICUT. Middle East Online, 2009-08-25
Extract: "As a Christian who worships the Shabbat, I believe Ramadan is a wonderful way for Christians to remember their Muslim brothers and sisters in prayer for their sacrifice, but also a time to step up our efforts to think more about those who are struggling during this economic downturn. Is there an opportunity to take thirty days and find thirty ways to give something valuable to someone less fortunate than us? Can we attempt to pray more frequently throughout the day or even at the same time Muslims pray, praying to God for world peace? During my last visit to the UAE, I shared with my dear friend from the Emirates because of the Azan by the Muzzein before dawn, my faith in God as a Christian strengthened. I was constantly reminded that God is omniscient and omnipresent." continue reading
Extract: Brian McLaren, the great Christian writer and activist, called me up a few weeks ago with a remarkable request: Would I be his fasting partner during Ramadan? He explained to me that there was a long-held Christian tradition of fasting, although it is not practiced much in contemporary Christian communities. Brian's goal was to live more fully into that Christian tradition during Ramadan, while also feeling solidarity with Muslim communities.
There are a number of Christians Brian knows who are doing this. As he writes in his blog: "We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness. Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast. These friends welcome us in the same spirit of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness."
Michael Jackson is dead and buried, but his life is still a hot topic on blogs and news articles. One aspect of his life is the variety of religious beliefs he was exposed to: his mother is a Jehovah Witness, his brother is Muslim, his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe is Jewish, Lisa Marie Presley is a Scientologist, and Michael himself seemed to have been searching. As for what Michael's own faith was when he died, there are reports that he converted in November 2008 and changed his name to Mikaeel. For a brief period of time he wore a red string on his left wrist, a symbol of Kabbalah. continue reading
Try to be a little less loose with spirituality, The Globe and Mail, Aug. 07, 2009
Women police officers issued with uniform hijab, Times Online (UK), July 28, 2009
Avon and Somerset Constabulary has begun to equip its female officers with a uniform issue hijab to wear when they enter a mosque.
The £13 headscarves are embroidered with the West Country force's name and logo, and come in two colours — black for police officers and blue for community support officers. A spokeswoman insisted that they were not intended purely to cater for Muslim cultural sensibilities but were multi-faith. continue reading
The Gift of Fearlessness, by Dr. Sehdev Kumar
"Fear is both real and unreal; it is quite often merely a state of mind: fear of flying, fear of strangers, fear of water. Fear comes from somewhere inside, from memory, from an unpleasant experience, from a thwarted hope." South Asian Observer - Editorial - Jul 16, 2009. continue reading: The Gift of Fearlessness
Minister Takhar Announces Province’s Ash Scattering Guidelines
Pickering, ON, June 26, 2009 – Yesterday in Pickering, the Honourable Harinder Takhar, Minister of Government Services, announced the Province’s new guidelines regarding ash scattering with respect to funeral rites. With shimmering Lake Ontario as the backdrop, and to the enthusiastic applause of all in attendance, he announced that individuals or families may scatter the cremated ashes of their loved ones on Crown land and Crown land covered by water in Ontario.
Minister Takhar advised that there is no need to obtain government consent to scatter on or in such areas, which include provincial parks, conservation reserves, and the Great Lakes. For those wishing to scatter on private land, or private land covered by water, the owner’s consent should be obtained beforehand. continue reading
Girl's forced blood transfusion didn't violate rights: top court
June 26, 2009, CBC News. Canada's top court on Friday dismissed the case of a Manitoba girl — a Jehovah's Witness — who said her rights were violated when she was forced to get a blood transfusion against her wishes because she was a minor. continue reading
Canada’s First Nations Leader Reaches Out to Muslims
(June 23, 2009) – One of Canada’s First Nations Elders and spiritual leaders, Dave Courchene Jr from the Anishnabe Nation, Eagle Clan, met with Imams and Muslim leaders in Toronto last Friday seeking to establish a relationship with Canada’s Muslims and to work for restoring sacredness in people’s lives. continue reading
New Website Explores Multi-Ethnic/Multi-Faith Family Dynamic
New website, lovesmanycolors.com debuts with a goal to expose, educate and celebrate diversity in multi-ethnic and multi-faith families, and children. The site provides articles, advice, and an open forum to support interracial and interfaith family parenting, and strengthening the family unit. PRWeb June 18, 2009, continue reading
Time of renewal for all of creation
Extract: "While I would never advocate mandating a set day of rest for society in this secular, multi-faith world, I believe there is a lot to be said for intentionally choosing a day to say no to the press of the clock and its urgencies, its demands that we act on the timetable of seconds and minutes and hours." BARRY PRIDHAM, Jun 13, 2009, Brantford Expositor:continue reading
VisionTV invites Canadian producers to submit dramedy series proposals
TORONTO, May 19 /CNW/ - VisionTV, Canada's multi-faith and multicultural television network, is inviting Canadian independent producers to submit proposals for an original half-hour comedy-drama series to be broadcast in fall 2010. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2009. continue reading
British court turns down Hindu's funeral pyre plea, Samay Live 08 May 2009
London: An ageing Hindu campaigner was said to be "very very disappointed but indefatigable" after a British court Friday turned down his plea to be allowed to be cremated on an open-air pyre.
Davender Kumar Ghai, a multi-faith campaigner and founder of the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society charity, had challenged a 2006 refusal by his local council in northern England for him to be cremated on an outdoor funeral pyre.
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES: Making a place for faith:
Stuart Laidlaw, Faith and Ethics reporter, TheStar.com
"Prayer rooms are just a start as companies move to support their workers' spiritual needs." continue reading
Pandemic preparedness for congregations:
~ Appoint a working group that includes the pastor or priest, a member of the worship committee, a health-care professional, custodian, a member of the finance committee and a communication or website person. This group would review resources, information and act as the contact people in case of emergency. ~ Make an emergency plan. This could include modifications to the regular business of the congregation, how to educate and train the congregation on emergency issues, lists of internal contacts and external resources to help in times of crisis.
~ Ask some questions. Some things to consider are: How would a major emergency affect the congregation, who are the vulnerable congregants, who are our neighbours, who will serve as backup to leaders and custodian if they are sick, and will we close our doors until the pandemic is over? ~ Talk to the congregation. Larger theological issues such as putting people in harm's way to care for others in need could be discussed as part of emergency planning. ~ Consider installing hand-sanitizing stations, putting up posters emphasizing the importance of handwashing and establishing regular cleaning routines of common areas before and after worship.
Source: www.churchpandemicresources.ca. continue reading: Planning for a pandemic. By: Brenda Suderman @ Winnipeg Free Press.
The message 'go out and vote' is now coming down from the pulpit. Yes, voting has progressed from being a democratic value to a moral mandate. continue reading
Uni rejects demand for Muslims' prayer room. Milanda Rout | March 23, 2009. The Australian
AUSTRALIAN universities are responsible for providing quality education, not consecrated religious spaces, according to a university involved in a bitter dispute over Muslim prayer rooms. Dozens of Islamic students plan to protest today to demand that a dedicated Muslim prayer room replace an existing multi-faith centre at Melbourne's RMIT. But acting pro vice-chancellor Maddy McMaster said it was not for universities to provide consecrated religious spaces. continue reading
Whack Your Sacred Cows, By Rich Payne. Infonomics - The Publication for Intelligent Information Management, March 2009
Nothing is sacred in a down economy. Suggestions for saving money to keep your company afloat. continue reading
Is multifaith religious education a failure? guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 March 2009
How should we teach children about religious faith in a country which is largely secular and no longer coherently Christian? continue reading
Like Gandhi, Obama believes in power of interfaith prayers, The Times of India, 13 Mar 2009
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, who has acknowledged Mahatma Gandhi as one of his inspirations, prefers to have interfaith prayers at rallies, and has thus opened "a new frontier of religious politics".
Prayer has become more common at presidential appearances under the Obama administration, including at nonreligious events such as stimulus rallies, the Washington Post reported this week. continue reading
One Priest, Two Faiths, and Lots of Questions, Thursday March 12, 2009 Beliefnet News
Friday afternoons find the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding at the Al-Islam Center in Seattle, reciting Muslim prayers.
Come Sunday, she heads about two miles south to kneel in the pews of St. Clement's of Rome Episcopal Church. continue reading
Amselem decision about freedom of religion, in news again:
Extract: "First, from the religious rights perspective, the law is clear and logically consistent with the core values of liberal democracy. In Syndicat Northcrest v. Amselem, a case that tackled the definition of freedom of religion under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the majority accepted a definition that included any practice the individual sincerely feels is connected to religion, regardless of whether the practice is required, sanctioned or mandated by a religious authority. In other words, a person who claims rights to freedom of religion does not need to demonstrate that they were denied rights to worship in accordance with the manner required by a religious authority. Building on prior case law, the Court held that it was enough to demonstrate an individual's religious belief and that the practice was connected to this belief – though practices sanctioned or required by religious authorities are also protected." Continue reading: Veils and justice, by Faisal Kutty, Toronto Star: Feb 04, 2009. [See also: SUPREME COURT OF CANADA ADOPTS BROAD VIEW OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Terrance S. Carter. CHARITY LAW BULLETIN No. 51, August 23, 2004].
Obama for global faith dialogue with religious leaders
Malaysia Sun, 6th February, 2009, (IANS)
Noting that no religion, be it Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism, teaches hatred, President Barack Obama Thursday said he will reach out to world leaders to foster a more productive and peaceful dialogue on faith.
'No matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate,' he said during a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. 'There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.' continue reading
See also: World Leaders and Interfaith Cooperation, by Eboo Patel @ THE FAITH DIVIDE, February 9, 2009: "It was striking to hear the similarities in the speeches that Tony Blair and Barack Obama gave at the National Prayer Breakfast last week. They each told their personal stories of growing up in nonbeliever households and finding their way to faith. They each quoted "Golden Rule" type scriptures from different faiths. They each spoke more of faith-inspired service to the world than the inner life of prayer and the soul. And they talked about interfaith cooperation as an antidote to religious extremism." continue reading
A judge has ordered a Toronto woman to testify without her niqab at a sexual assault trial – raising the thorny issue of whether Muslim women should be allowed to appear as witnesses wearing a veil that covers everything but the eyes. Continue reading
Lesbians caught in culture clash
Jan 30, 2009 Stuart Laidlaw, Faith and Ethics reporter,Toronto Star
Winnipeg couple's dispute with doctor highlights the growing challenge of balancing rights in Canada. Whether it's kirpans in a Montreal schoolyard, turbans on a Milton job site, polygamists in a B.C. town or lesbians in a Winnipeg doctor's waiting room, opposing cultural and religious rights are giving a rough ride to Canada's cherished multiculturalism. "The groups are clashing like never before," says Robert Mundle, chaplain at Toronto's Rehabilitation Centre. Mundle, an expert on the ethics of religion in medicine, says Canada can expect to see many more faith-based confrontations. The latest involves a lesbian couple in Winnipeg who complained to Manitoba's human rights commission and College of Physicians and Surgeons that family doctor Karmeila Elias refused to accept them as patients because of their sexual orientation. continue reading [See also: Lesbian Couple Claim Doctor Discriminated]
Question: I do not want to seem like a Grinch, but I have an issue I think is worth asking about. You see, I am a person of great religious faith. But I am not part of Canada's majority religion. At this time of year, many of my co-workers ask me if I have done my Christmas shopping yet, or if I am going to celebrate Christmas with my family. The thing is, they do not mean to cause discomfort. Yet these questions make me squirm a little, because I do not know how to answer properly without revealing the nature of my own faith. My concern is I do not think that people should be made to feel different at work based on their religious affiliation. Is there a simple way to handle this?
Dianna Z., Charlettown, Prince Edward Island
Dear Dianna,
It is understandable that you might be feeling a little uncomfortable given your situation. In Canada, approximately 77% of the population is part of to the dominant faith. Depending where you live that percentage can range widely. For instance, in the Greater Toronto Area, which is one of the world's most diverse cities, the number is about 55%. However in many smaller towns the percentage can reach 90% or more.
Thus the holiday period in December can be a challenging time for some. At no other time of year do minorities as a whole feel so marginalized. You can either end up pretending to be in the spirit of the season, which may mean downplaying your own identity, or you could repeatedly reveal your own background. Either way, this can be stressful. conitnue reading
New Multi-faith Place of Worship by Theis and Khan Architects to Open for Whole Community
An exquisitely designed new multi-faith centre for worship and contemplation by Theis and Khan Architects will open in the New Year.
Created within the shell of an existing 1960s United Reformed church, lumen will be used regularly for Christian services as well as offering an open invitation to people of all faiths to use the spaces.
...There are three main elements to the redesign: a cafe clearly visible from the street through a dramatic 8m high window, a new sacred space for contemplation within the main body of the church and a new extension housing three community spaces.
The new sacred space, known as the Shaft of Light is central to the design. continue reading
Tips for Interfaith families celebrating the holidays
... Many interfaith couples struggle with the decision to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, neither or both. Parents sometimes find it difficult to talk to their children about the diverse array of religious traditions that they may encounter. continue reading
Joy to the world is contagious: study ~~ Watch Video
December 4, 2008 CBC News Happiness is contagious, and the more people you know who are full of good cheer, the more likely it is that you're also happy, a study of our social connections suggests.
In Thursday's online issue of the British Medical Journal, researchers analyzed data from more than 4,700 participants in Framingham, Mass., who took part in a heart study from 1983 to 2003.
Happiness was assessed based on scores for four statements:
"I feel hopeful about the future."
"I am happy."
"I enjoy life."
"I feel that I am just as good as other people."
The 60 per cent of people who gave high scores to all four statements were rated as happy, and the rest as unhappy. continue reading
Spiritual and Religious Care Awareness Week (SRCAW) October 19 - 25, 2008, Spiritual Care: A Healing Presence ~~ Celebrations / News:
The South East Regional Multifaith Committee, Ottawa: An Information Breakfast, on October 21
The South Central Regional Multifaith Committee, Toronto: An Information Breakfast, on October 23
"PASTORAL CARE: Listening Presence.” Pastoral Care Week gives opportunities for organizations and institutions of all kinds and types to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry which the caregivers provide. From the 2007 archives:
Sharon Boase,
The Hamilton Spectator
Wounds take longer to heal without companionship
..."Stress delays wound healing in humans and other animals, and social contact helps counteract this delay," said Courtney DeVries, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Ohio State University. "Our goal is to understand the physiological mechanisms by which social support improves health." More...
The government said the bill would help speed up healing and reconciliation by allowing people or institutions to acknowledge when they've done someone harm.
Greetings from Extendicare Cobourg and The Landmark. It's quite unbelievable how quickly the summer seems to have passed and that autumn is fast approaching.
Recently, we were talking about how time seems to move much more quickly as you get older. Perhaps this is why the summer seems to be passing by at warp speed. Hopefully we are in for a long, beautiful autumn before Old Man Winter knocks on our door. Maybe we'll find a way to slow autumn down and make it last longer!
Stuart LaidlawFaith and Ethics reporter, Toronto Star, Sep 18, 2008
In 20 years as a family doctor in Canada and the United States, David McCann has never so much as written a prescription for contraceptive pills. He has never referred a patient for artificial insemination and never given out the name of a doctor who performs abortions.
"Referring a patient for a procedure that violates my conscience also violates my conscience," McCann says. "That's a form of co-operation with evil."
McCann, who is Catholic, hopes to be present today when the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons debates a controversial policy outlining doctors' limited right to refuse to provide medical treatment to patients on the basis of their personal religious beliefs. Continue reading
By Therese J. Borchard
Of all my tools to combat stress-especially the stress of dealing with my illness or someone else's--humor is by far the most fun. And just like mastering the craft of writing, I'm finding that the longer I practice laughing at life (especially at its frustrations) the better I become at it, and the more situations and conversations and complications I can place into that category named "silly." continue reading
One God, Many Names: Extract from the last two sentences (or the bottom line):
"Failure to use “God” conceals our common belief in the God of Abraham and the continuity of the Abrahamic tradition, which are fundamentals of our faith. We must overcome our misgivings about “God” both because of the word’s intrinsic, historical merit and because it empowers us to communicate with our Jewish, Christian, and other English-speaking neighbors in a meaningful way." in A Nawawi Foundation Paper
by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, One God, Many Names
Yesterday, with perhaps more fervour than usual, many Canadians proudly sang O Canada as we, collectively and individually, reflected upon our national identity and heritage. But a growing number of Canadians either gritted their teeth and mouthed a line or two, or fell silent when others sang the phrases "God keep our land glorious and free!" or, in the French version, "car ton bras sait porter l'épée, it sait porter la croix."
Reflecting our history, both versions of the anthem have a clear religious, even Christian wording. Yet, as Canada becomes ever more multinational and pluralistic, are those words still appropriate. The members of our panel are: Michael W. Higgins, Jennifer A. Harris, Lorna Dueck, Sheema Khan, Justin Trottier
Lives Lived and Lived Well: Rev. Stu Schroeder's Bereavement Notice.
(Jun 25, 2008) -- SCHROEDER, Reverend Stuart J. - Died suddenly and peacefully on Friday morning, June 20, 2008. Beloved father of Erika; father-in-law of Mike; grandfather of Ruby and Delilah; fatherly guide to Rich and Boo; brother of Ted, Grant and Mark; stepson of Alice; partner to Henriette Blom and uncle to Aaron, Jake, Kayln, Jim, Dan, Molly, Michael, Annie and Andrew. Stu was a mentor and treasured friend, a chaplain and an advocate of those in need to the end. He will be greatly missed by many, and in many ways. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Multifaith Services and Supports, 76 Scarborough Heights Blvd., Scarborough, Ontario, MIM-2V4--Legacy. Also in THE RECORDcord.com - Obituaries - SCHROEDER, Reverend Stuart J. - Died suddenly and . . . / The Globe and Mail / Prior Lake American.
Sacred space: the final frontier. For one weekend, feel at ease stepping foot into one of the city's many holy places, Toronto Star, May 19, 2008, Christopher Hume
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Mental Illness And Co-Occuring Alcohol And/Or Drug Problems: Supporting Families On The Journey - Family Forum, May 14, 2008, Spirituality Inc. Companies are hiring chaplains for heart-to-heart chats with employees. Their first challenge: skepticism, by CRAIG SILVERMAN, From Monday's Globe and Mail, April 21, 2008
Catholic parish to explain its symbols:St. Jude members to welcome neighbors' questions at an open house, By Holly J. Andres04/04/2008 Building Canada’s Health Capital: Exploring Spirituality and Health: Hope and the Healing Relationship (PDF), Date: May 23, 2008, Conference Location: Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Bill Black Auditorium, 10230 111 Avenue, Edmonton, AB Abraham Festival @ Peterborough, February 29th – March 9th, 2008, “Hearing one another……Seeking to understand” Click here for details See also: Faiths come together By JAMES NEELEY, Peterborough Examiner, Ontario, CA The Dance of Diversity, by Don Shields
A recent news item out of Toronto raised a lot of attention and created much conversation. A Sikh gentleman has taken his case to the human rights tribunal to be allowed to ride his motorcycle without the need for a helmet. This is so that he can continue to keep his traditional head-covering on. Much conversation was also generated as to whether Muslim woman should have to remove their head covering when voting in provincial or federal elections.
These, and many others, are issues that have been previously unfamiliar to us as a nation. It is easy to circumvent conversation by saying that we have never done it that way before or this is our country and our rules apply. But this denies how important ritual and custom are in orientating us to space, time, season and the sacred. They provide a context for our lives and experience. To say that one set of customs and culture can be easily exchanged for another is ludicrous. A balance has to be found between accommodation to a new country’s practices and traditional practices which are of comfort, nurture, and necessary to one’s religion. For this to happen, dialogue and listening must take place. Each participant fears losing something of themselves in the process – this is natural. Yet, as fears subside, and we begin to see one another’s humanity, the nuances of culture and ritual give way to understanding, friendship, and mutual accommodation.
From The Desk of: Chaplain Donald Shields, Coordinator of Spiritual and Religious Care, Markham Stouffville Hospital
McNeil Island prison chaplain struggles with new multiple-faith rule
Tribune.com | Tacoma, IAN DEMSKY; ian.demsky@thenewstribune.com, January 29th, 2008
Tom Suss loves his job. A chaplain at McNeil Island prison, he’s been with the state Department of Corrections for more than 15 years. “It’s really a privilege to work there,” the 63-year-old Catholic priest said in a recent interview. “When there’s the opportunity to facilitate someone’s realization of living differently, of making better choices, there’s just no better high than that.”
Cooks serve cons religious fare Cooks in Canadian jails whip up special religious fare for our incarcerated -- from Rastafarian to Wiccan, By KATHLEEN HARRISThe Ottawa Sun, January 21, 2008
Canada's prison system goes to great lengths to ensure religious faith matches food behind bars.
Housing a diverse population of inmates, penitentiaries must cater to special religious diets ranging from lacto-vegetarian Rastafarians to Hare Krishnas and Buddhist vegans. Correctional Service of Canada policy sets out guidelines for Jehovah's Witnesses, who avoid meat with any blood left in it, to pork-free kosher Jewish menus and special considerations for Sikhs and Scientologists. continue reading
Women Engaged In Religious Activities Benefit From Reduced Anxiety
Religious activity and lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorder. Joanna Maselko and Stephen Buka. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Volume 43, Number 1, Pages 1-86. ISSN 0933-7954; 1433-9285 (Online).
Abstract . For many, religious activity changes between childhood and adulthood. A new study out of Temple University finds this could affect one’s mental health. According to Joanna Maselko, Sc.D., women who had stopped being religiously active were more than three times more likely to have suffered generalized anxiety and alcohol abuse/dependence than women who reported always having been active.
Background. There is growing evidence that current religious activity is associated with less psychological distress, yet research on clinical levels of psychopathology along with lifetime patterns of religious activity remains limited.
Method. In this study, we used data on 718 participants from the Providence, RI, cohort of the National Collaborative Perinatal Project, to test for the association between lifetime patterns of religious service attendance frequency, subjective religiosity, and lifetime psychiatric diagnosis.
Results. For women, but not men, a changing pattern of service attendance (having stopped or started attending services since childhood) was associated with increased lifetime rates of generalized anxiety, and marginally increased rates of alcohol abuse/dependence (OR for generalized anxiety: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.11–6.62; OR for alcohol abuse/dependence = 1.97, 95% CI: 0.92–4.20) compared to a stable pattern of continuous religious service attendance. Conversely, men who changed their frequency of religious service attendance were less likely to have ever met diagnostic criteria for major depression (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31–0.83) as compared to those who had always been religiously active. The rates of psychiatric illness among those who reported never attending religious services were not statistically different from those who either had always been religiously active or those who reported changing patterns of attendance.
Conclusion. These findings suggest that lifetime religious activity patterns are associated with psychiatric illnesses, with different patterns observed for men and women. continue reading
The Search to Connect
In this series on CBC Radio and CBCNews.ca, we explore the question "Where is God today?" - as wide and narrow, and as public and personal as that is.
2007
Canada: Multifaith stamp proves to be hoax
'Canada World Religion Day Stamp news summary,' by Ajit Jain in Toronto | November 15, 2007 03:50 IST: A purported multifaith 0.8 cents Canada postage stamp found its way to the Internet and annoyed leaders of a number of religious groups, but at the end of the day many people discovered it was a hoax."It appears that the whole thing is a hoax and there is no Canada Post stamp like that," Leslie Mezei said in a widely circulated e-mail message.
The stamp was not an official stamp issued by Canada Post. "I believe somebody came up with an idea as to what the multifaith stamp should look like and it got circulated and things went out of hand," Stan Middlestadt, president of the Ontario Multifaith Council said in an interview on Wednesday... Continue reading.
"... So I called up Canada Post trying to confirm the existence of an official World Religion Day stamp, and they said they don’t know of any such design for a commemorative stamp, nor is there such a design in the works. A look at the 2007 Commemorative Stamp Lineup confirms this fact—unfortunately, while the above is a very nice design, it’s not a real stamp."
Muslim airport worker, laid off after altering uniform, takes case to rights commission Nov 17, 2007, John GoddardStaff Reporter, Toronto Star
A few inches of skirt length have led to an airport security guard's suspension. The skirt is too long – not too short – to please the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Halima Muse, a practising Muslim, has been laid off without pay until she agrees to wear a standard uniform that includes either slacks or a skirt falling at the knee. Instead, she has filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission saying she is the target of religious discrimination, as Islam instructs that she dress modestly in a way that covers the body and conceals its curves. "My skirt is not that much different – it's a bit longer," she said yesterday from her home not far from Pearson airport, where she has worked for more than five years. "It's not about style, it's about my dignity." continue reading
OMC's SRCAW Celebrations Week: October 21-27, 2007 -- media coverage
Home celebrates religious Care; Celebration held as part of Spiritual and Religious Care Awareness @ Riverview Gardens. WeekChatham Daily News
Town of Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada - PROCLAMATION
City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada - City Council Proclamation
October 21 to 27, 2007 has been proclaimed Spiritual and Religious Care Awareness Week.
Health Minister Michael Murphy reminds New Brunswickers:
FREDERICTON (CNB) - Health Minister Michael Murphy reminds New Brunswickers that the week of Oct. 21-27 will be observed as Spiritual and Religious Care Awareness Week in New Brunswick health care facilities and throughout Canada.
Pastoral Care Week - October 21-27, 2007 "PASTORAL CARE: HEALING FAITH
Pastoral Care Week gives opportunities for organizations and institutions of all kinds and types to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry which the caregivers provide.
Art plus Islam. Minus controversy
July 14, 2007 ,
Jen Gerson ,
Staff Reporter, Toronto Star
On Monday, Queen's Park will be covered with 75 sculpted prayer mats, part of an ambitious art project on religion in the public sphere.
Unlike so many secular depictions of the sacred, however, this one is unlikely to rock the boat.But is that a good thing?
Pressed in styrene, Alexander Josephson has created a series of Islamic prayer mats, of a sort. They are moulded as if holding Muslims in prayer – and Monday, as the sun rises, perfect, above the Kaaba in Mecca, 75 of these manufactured prayer mats will dot a corner of Queen's Park. Full story
Seeking justice without jail time:
Provincial program gives offenders a chance to change, May 22, 2007, Carola Vyhnak, Toronto Star Staff reporter
Punishing a 15-year-old for threatening staff and students of an Oshawa school could have led to a "worse situation," according to the principal.
Instead, a face-to-face meeting that gave him a chance to accept responsibility for his actions defused the situation and got at the root of the problem, says Mary Shea, principal of Eastdale Collegiate. Continue reading
Faith Community Summit on Pandemic Preparedness and Response
June 20 and 21, 2007, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The potential of an influenza pandemic is among the greatest threats to public health, community life and societal well-being in Canada. Are faith communities prepared to address this threat? As a faith leader, are you prepared?
The International Centre for Infectious Diseases, Canadian Mennonite University, and steering committee members invite you to the Faith Community Summit on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, an interactive forum in which these questions will be addressed. click for details
Douglas Buchanan, The Gates of Horn, December 14, 2006
I recently had a question about using a pendulum from someone who was fed up with nearly all her friends being able to talk to guides, totem animals or the more popular angels. She was in dire need of something to talk to in the non material world and had heard about the possibilities of communicating with the extensive data bank of the subconscious using a simple pendulum. continue reading
Posted at 11:18 AM December 15, 2006
Power of prayer wins out over cash at homeless shelter
HAYLEY MICK, 13/12/06, globeandmail.com
TORONTO -- For more than 30 years, the old All Saints Church has been providing a makeshift living room for people who don't have one.
This November marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. The anniversary is especially timely, said Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, as it is “particularly important to challenge the rising tide of intolerance that we witness today.” Continue reading "25 years of renouncing religious intolerance"
Woman wins job back after refusing to work the Sabbath
DANA FIELDS, Associated Press
SAVANNAH, MO. -- Three years after she was fired for refusing to work on Sundays, a Missouri woman has won back her job at a small town's public library, and her employers have received a costly education in U.S. employment law. Continue reading "Never, never on a Sunday"
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Faith Community Summit on Pandemic Preparedness and Response
MULTI-FAITH CENTRE AT UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO OPENED