Manitobans weigh in on Premier's call for new prayer for Manitoba legislature

 

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew wants to create a new prayer to open sessions of the Manitoba legislature — one that reflects and includes the views of Manitobans of all faiths, as well as atheists.

To do that, he plans to set up a roundtable to consult Manitobans about what kind of prayer they’d like to see prayed before the province’s MLAs get down to business.

If a small online sample of 56 people last week is any indication, what most Manitobans want is no prayer at all. That was the feeling of 71 per cent of those who offered their opinion about the premier’s idea.

 

Meanwhile, faith leaders in the province think it might be best to either have a variety of different prayers—no one prayer could satisfy everyone—or just a moment of silence.

 

Read more about what people think in my April 20 Free Press column.

Photo above: John Woods, Canadian Press 

Why a Mennonite pastor stopped wearing a cross, replacing it with a Pride flag

For years, Jamie Arpin-Ricci, a Mennonite pastor in Winnipeg, wore a cross around his neck as a symbol of his faith. But then one morning last year he put it in a bedside drawer and decided never to wear it again. Instead, he replaced it with a Pride flag pin.

What caused him to stop wearing his cross for a Pride pin? “As a queer activist, I was also increasingly aware of how triggering Christian symbology and language could be to people traumatized by the church for their sexual orientation and/or gender identity,” he said.

 

But it wasn’t only his concern for queer people that caused him to remove it. Arpin-Ricci also thought about Indigenous people, many of whom suffered as children in church-run residential schools where crosses would often be found on the walls or worn around the necks of abusers.

“Now my daily ritual includes putting the pin onto my shirt or jacket with the same care and intentionality that I once reserved for the cross,” he said. “It was an important decision for me, one that I feel absolutely no regret over.”

Read about Arpin-Ricci’s thoughts on no longer wearing a cross, and how it has become a challenging symbol for others (especially some indigenous people), in my latest Free Press column.

 

You can also read his full essay on taking off his cross in favour of a Pride pin here.

Beyond heaven and Hell: Many Canadians believe in the afterlife, but what do they mean by that?

A growing number of Canadians are leaving religion behind. But when it comes to the afterlife, many continue to believe in it. But what do they mean by that? That’s the question scholars who study religion are asking after the release of an Angus Reid/Cardus poll showing that 60 percent of Canadians either believe there is an afterlife, or think it exists.

As one scholar put it: "When people say they believe in life after death, we need to know more than yes or no. They may mean that bodies decompose and become a different kind of energy. This too is life after death, in their view.”

Read about it in my latest column in the Free Press.

Image from Forbes Magazine.

In a post-Christian and secular Canada, is the Good Friday holiday discriminatory?

Is Good Friday a discriminatory holiday? That was the question raised by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) last fall when it published a discussion paper on religious intolerance. 

In the paper, the Commissions suggested Good Friday and Christmas are not only “grounded in Canada’s history of colonialism” but are “an obvious example” of religious intolerance—being the “only Canadian statutory holidays linked to religious holy days.” 

The result, the paper went on to say, is that while Christians are privileged by getting days off for their religious observances, non-Christians may experience intolerance or discrimination since they need “to request special accommodations to observe their holy days and other times of the year where their religion requires them to abstain from work.” 

So why is Good Friday still a statutory holiday in our very secular and post-Christian country? And how could Canada make people from other religions feel more included? That’s the question I address in my most recent Free Press column.

 

Many church leaders in U.S. on wrong side of power, new book asserts

 

“There’s something desperately wrong with the church in America.” 

That’s what David Fitch, author of the new book Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power, says about Christians in that country who support Trump and are part of what’s known as Christian Nationalism in the U.S. 

Fitch, who teaches at Northern Seminary near Chicago, made the comment about those Christian leaders, mostly evangelicals, who seek to use the power of the state to force their version of Christian faith on that country. 

“That is so different from when God’s power is at work,” he said. “But many seem willing to exchange God’s power for worldly power to make the state do what they think should be done.” 

Read about Fitch’s new book, and the way some Christian leaders are trying to shape America according to their Christian beliefs—and what Canadian Christians can learn from the mistakes of their American neighbours—in my recent column in the Free Press.

 

 

 

 

"The fact is that I am a Christian." Alexei Navalny's faith underreported by media following his death

Accolades and tributes have been pouring in for Alexei Navalny, who died Feb. 16 in a Russian penal colony at the age of 47. 

The many media reports about his death mentioned his years of criticism of the authoritarian rule of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the widespread corruption and lack of freedom in that country, and how he spoke against Putin’s war against Ukraine. 

One thing that did not get much mention was Navalny’s Christian faith. By leaving that out, media coverage summing up his life’s work missed “a key part of what made his opposition to Vladimir Putin so powerful.” 

Read more in my Free Press column.

New documentary shows how a mistranslation by the RSV Bible committee shifted a culture and caused harm to LGBTQ+ people

No Bible translation is perfect, but the scholars who created the Revised Standard Version in 1946 got something terribly wrong when—for the first time ever in a Bible translation—they used the word “homosexual” in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, verses that identify those who “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

It was the wrong word. It would have gone unnoticed except for a 1959 letter from a young Canadian seminary student to the head of the translation committee, who acknowledged the error and promised to make a correction.

Due to an agreement with the publisher, a new version could not come out until 1971. By then, tens of millions of the uncorrected version of the RSV were published and sold and the damage to LGBTQ+ people was done—as 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture, a new documentary film, shows.

Read about it in my Free Press column, including a link to watch the documentary.

Your invitation to fund Canada's only faith beat at the Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg is known for many great things: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Folk Festival, Folklorama, the Leaf, the art gallery, the Blue Bombers — even for being the Slurpee capital of Canada. 

Add one more thing to that list: Winnipeg is the only city in the country that has a newspaper that covers religion on a regular basis. 

That’s right; no other daily media outlet in Canada dedicates resources to covering religion. CBC Radio used to do it through Tapestry, a program about religion and spirituality. But the broadcaster cancelled it in December when host Mary Hynes retired. 

So that leaves the Winnipeg Free Press, which has been covering faith since 2019 when the Religion in the News project was created. 

Since that time, over 1,100 stories and columns about faith in the province and beyond have been published — not only on the Saturday faith page, but every day through the whole newspaper and online. 

And it’s all thanks to the financial support from 25 faith groups and organizations, together with the hundreds of people like you who contribute annually to the Crowdfunder campaign. 

As we kick off the 2024 Crowdfunder campaign (see giving info below), here are some endorsements to remind you of how unique and special this is. 

“Sharing positive and engaging stories about how people of faith contribute to the larger Winnipeg story helps build community pride and encourages others to get involved,” said Jeff Lieberman, Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. 

“We appreciate the awareness that it raises about news, events, and initiatives taking place in our community, allowing us to reach Winnipeggers of all backgrounds and beliefs.” 

“Faith coverage in the Winnipeg Free Press offers us all an opportunity to counter prejudice and hate with factual reporting in a compassionate and empathetic format,” said Tasneem Vali of the Manitoba Islamic Association. 

“The stories shared are personal, real, and impressionable, encouraging all communities to collaborate to benefit our neighbourhoods and all Winnipeggers . . . Faith reporting is crucial for our communities to connect with each other creating a safe space for us to ask questions that may not be otherwise addressed.” 

“I strongly support the Winnipeg Free Press and its brilliant initiative to provide faith reporting since it provides a space where people of diverse faiths can share their histories, ideas, and initiatives to positively promote what we have in common,” said Payam Towfigh, President of Manitoba Multifaith Council and Public affairs representative of the Winnipeg Baha’i Community. “This discourse can unite us and create a sense of harmony within our communities.” 

Added Christine Baronins, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “Faith stories in the Free Press provide a counterbalance to the often negative portrayal of the world by the media. Hearing positive and inspiring stories of individuals from different backgrounds striving to make a difference gives me hope, even in these challenging times . . . I commend the Winnipeg Free Press for their innovative approach to faith reporting.” 

“At the Manitoba Buddhist Temple, we support and are grateful for the Free Press coverage of religious news,” said sensei Tanis Moore. 

“We feel it is most important for the general reader to understand the viewpoints of various spiritual and religious temples, churches, and mosques in our city. It reflects the diversity of our population and helps to foster understanding between these groups as well as those who do not follow any form of organized and traditional religions.” 

“Reporting on religion in an ongoing way allows people to come to know their fellow citizens better, to understand the deeper motivations of others’ public words and actions, to grasp the complexity of the interface of differing values, and to grow in a desire for a fruitful public discourse and dialogue,” said Albert LeGatt, archbishop of St. Boniface. 

“Hopefully then reconciliation is fostered, hate is countered, complex poverty is addressed, and civic engagement and peace is advanced. For these reasons, I have a deep appreciation for the robust faith reporting of the Winnipeg Free Press.”

Today we are launching our 2024 Crowdfunder to raise funds to keep the project going. Your contribution of $20, $25, $50 or more will help us keep producing stories about faith in Manitoba. With your support, we will be able to continue reporting about the important role religion plays in the province — in politics, culture, education, health and other ways, and also in the lives of people in Winnipeg and beyond. 

To make a contribution, go to https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/support-faith or mail a cheque to Religion in the News project, c/o Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB R2X 3B6. And thanks!

At play(ground) in the buildings of the Lord

Last month, a mother in Chicago sparked a firestorm on X (formerly Twitter) when she asked city officials to create indoor playgrounds at public libraries. 

“My child needs somewhere to burn off energy without getting frostbite and all the private indoor trampoline parks and such are SO expensive,” she wrote. 

Parents from all over echoed her plea. But most people said having noisy kids in a library was the worst idea they had ever heard. 

As one person put it, “I can’t believe how noisy libraries are these days. Drives me nuts! Can’t even imagine how much worse it would be with a playground in it!” 

Reading the responses, I had to wonder: What about churches and other places of worship? Many have gyms or fellowship halls that sit mostly empty during the week. What if they offered them indoor play spaces, especially in winter? 

A bit of research showed there are churches in Canada doing just that. 

Read my column in the Free Press. 

Photo above: The playground at Creekside Church in Waterloo, Ont.

“It feels like 9/11 all over again.” Manitoba Muslims share how they are coping with the war in Gaza

 

“It feels like 9/11 all over again.” That’s what Natasha Ali, the Muslim spiritual care provider at the University of Manitoba, said about the effect of the war in Gaza on Muslims in the province. 

“Many Muslims feel the underlying message in the media is that we are all terrorists, a danger to society,” she said. 

I reached out to members of the Winnipeg Muslim community to ask how they and others are coping with the war in Gaza emotionally, psychologically and spiritually — and how the community is helping them deal with the situation. 

Read their responses in my Free Press article.

Photo by Mikaela MacKenzie, WFP.

Manitoba Muslim magazine marks 25 years; a forum for the community

 

In 1999, during a casual conversation after dinner, Ismael Mukhtar agreed to assist with the founding of a new publication for the Manitoba Muslim community.

 

“I was just going to help get it started, then leave,” he said of how the editor enlisted his support.

 

But in less than a year, the editor was unable to continue; Mukhtar took it over.

 

“The choice was to either assume the role of editor or let it end,” he said.

 

The publication, called Manitoba Muslim, celebrated its 25th year Jan. 20, and Mukhtar has been at the helm the whole time.

 

“I call myself an ‘accidental editor,’” he said, noting the magazine is “a forum for the community,” tackling issues such as raising children, mental health, Islamophobia, struggles with faith, the role of women in the community and dealing with conflict.

 

Read more about Manitoba Muslim magazine in the Winnipeg Free Press.

Roman Catholic Church Synod on Synodality “most ambitious expression to date of Francis’s pastoral outreach.”

 

“A radical departure from the traditional ecclesiology of the church.” That’s what Michael Higgins, an expert on the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Francis, called the Synod on Synodality, “a church-shaping event, the most ambitious expression to date of Francis’s pastoral outreach.”

 

What makes it different from past gatherings, he said, is how the pope has structured it: as an exercise in listening. This is a change from how the church has operated in the past, Higgins said, noting the Roman Catholic Church is not generally seen as a body that is open to dialogue.

Francis’s goal is to change the way information flows, Higgins said. “He sees it as an inverted pyramid, with the pope at the bottom, not the top, as a servant of the church.” (As in the photo above, with him sitting with the delegates.)

 

Read more about this gathering, which some say is as important as the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, in my most recent Free Press column.

Photo above from EWTN Norway. 

 

 

Listen in on a conversation between Margaret Atwood and Rudy Wiebe

The following doesn’t really fit on this blog, but I wanted to share it.

Wouldn’t it be great to listen in as Margaret Atwood and Rudy Wiebe—two icons of the Canadian literary world—had a conversation together? 

That’s what happened January 25 when CommonWord bookstore in Winnipeg hosted a launch of a new book about Wiebe titled Rudy Wiebe: Essays On His Works. (By Bianca Lakoseljac, who also facilitated the conversation.) 

For me, the highlight of the launch, which was live on YouTube, was the conversation between Atwood and Wiebe. 

It was as if they completely forgot hundreds of people were listening in as two old friends, who had not seen each other in many years, reminisced about the past. 

Atwood began the conversation by recalling the time in the 1970s when she and Wiebe participated in a fundraising event for the Writer’s Union, which was founded in 1973. 

Called “The All-Star Eclectic Typewriter Revue,” it was an evening of satire and humour. Atwood remembered that Wiebe had brought a serious note to it by singing, in German, with Andreas Schroeder. 

“You sang beautiful Mennonite hymns,” she told Wiebe. 

“We sang Gott is de Liebe,” he said. 

“It was one of the hits of the show,” she replied. “Everyone loved hearing those hymns.” 

Atwood remembered when she came to Edmonton to live in 1968. “You told me to get a haircut,” she said, as they both laughed at the memory. 

“We had wonderful friendship all our lives,” she added. “I can’t believe how long our lives have gone on.” 

Atwood went on to recall a time when Wiebe and his wife, Tena, came to visit them on Pelee Island. Miriam Toews, another Canadian author, was there, too. 

Wiebe and Toews immediately “went into genealogy, “as Mennonites do,” she said, adding “the Mennonite gene pool in Canada is quite shallow.”\

They also recalled the start of the League of Canadian Poets, in the mid-1960s, and how they had got a head start on the authors. 

Atwood noted they were ahead of authors on things like how to know what should be in a book contract, and then joked that she didn’t understand why they needed to know that since poets “weren’t going to make any money, anyway.” 

Wiebe went on to say that they were “very fortunate” to be at the start of when people in Canada began to get “excited about Canadian writing.” 

Added Atwood: “When the 60s began, we were told you can’t be a writer in Canada, you have to go to the States, to England, to France.” But after the Centennial Year, 1967, it became possible to publish novels in Canada. 

Before that, she said, there was “no audience.” 

Wiebe added he was told he “had to go to Toronto to be a writer. I refused to go.” 

Said Atwood: “You were first off the mark when it came to exploring Indigenous history. You were an inspiration to the wave of indigenous writing in the late 1980s.” 

Indigenous people, and the experience of immigrants, were “two subjects I couldn’t ever write enough about,” Wiebe replied. 

They then talked about the impact of artificial intelligence on Canadian writing. 

“At this moment, we’re not in any danger,” Atwood said. “AI is a terrible writer.” 

She went on to say that she had given ChatGPT a prompt to write a story set in Winnipeg written in her voice. 

“It turned out this horrible thing about the weeping willows of Winnipeg,” she said, adding it “scraped my children’s books, put it in with other things.” 

The result was a “dystopia,” with “all these extremely sad people in Winnipeg.” 

She also asked it to write a poem in her voice. “That was even worse,” she said. 

“At my age, I’m not worried about that,” said Wiebe, who is 89. 

“C’mon Rudy, hang in there,” Atwood replied. 

She then asked him what he is writing now. 

“I’m staggered by Parkinson’s,” he replied. “I can’t write very well.” 

Atwood suggested he try a voice writing app. 

“I don’t like machinery,” Wiebe replied. 

“Get someone to dress it up like a tree, won’t even know it’s machinery,” she said with a smile. 

Atwood concluded by saying the chance to talk to Wiebe “was a pleasure for me. “You are actually looking very well.” 

“You are looking very well, too,” Wiebe said. “Blessings to you.” 

You can watch and hear the conversation, and other presentations at the launch, here. (The conversation between Wiebe and Atwood starts about about the 31-minute mark.) 

You can also purchase or borrow the book from CommonWord.

In praise of church libraries

When I was a young boy growing up in an evangelical church, the church library was my favourite place. What about libraries today? I decided to ask friends on social media. Find their responses in my recent column in the Winnipeg Free Press—along with a lending option for churches and individuals from CommonWord here in Winnipeg.

Canada's birth rate falling, but not as fast for one group: Religious conservatives

 

Canada is aging. Today, there are about 7.6 million people aged 65 and older in the country. That number is expected to rise to over 11 million people by 2043. 

At the same time the number of seniors is growing, the birth rate is falling. Research by Statistics Canada shows Canada is a low-fertility country, or below the population replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.

If the country’s fertility continues to decline in the coming years, Canada could join the countries with the “lowest-low” fertility rates of 1.3 or less children per woman, Statistics Canada says.

There is an exception to this trend, however. Religious Canadian women have more children than non-religious women. That’s the finding of a new study by Cardus, a faith-based Canadian think tank.

Read my column in the Free Press. (Photo at top by lyle aspinall/calgary sun/qmi agency, via the National Post.)

"A moment to celebrate." Gay Winnipeg Catholic welcomes Vatican change to same-sex blessings, local bishops say they will bless people in same-sex relationships

“This a moment to celebrate.” That’s what Thomas, a gay Roman Catholic in Winnipeg who doesn’t want his last name used, said about a document released by the Vatican last month that allows blessings for same-sex couples.

While the document, titled On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings, says priests can bless same-sex couples, it also reaffirms marriage as being only between a man and woman in the church.

Thomas knows that. But he still welcomes the change.

Until now, he said, the focus of the church has “been on our sexuality, what we do in bed. This rejects that. We are not to be seen as only sinners.”

As for Winnipeg’s two Roman Catholic bishops, they both say they will bless people in same-sex relationships—within the guidelines provided by the Church.

As Archbishop Richard Gagnon put it: “It’s my responsibility to bless everyone,” he said. “It’s part of what I do, it’s a beautiful thing… I want to bless anyone who is seeking God’s will for their lives, not be unwelcoming and turn them away. I want to honour their desire to connect with God.”

Read more of my story about the change in Vatican policy.

Photo above: Same-sex couples take part in a public blessing ceremony in front of the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany on Sept. 20 (Credit National Catholic Reporter, AP/Martin Meissner)