A lunatic question: Whose side is God on in the Middle East when it comes to war?

As a rule, I try to refrain from writing about the Middle East. The conflicts in that region are mostly geopolitical, not religious. But every now and then religion leaps to the forefront and can’t be ignored. 

That’s what happened during the so-called “12-day war” between Israel, the U.S. and Iran, when leaders of all three countries invoked God and their respective religions to justify their actions. 

It started with Benjamin Netanyahu, who was followed by Donald Trump. And then came Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—all of the invoking God as being on their side against their enemies. 

Which raises several questions, starting with: If, as these monotheistic religions claim, there is only one God, who does that God listen to when asked to bless the wars of one country or another? 

Or maybe, as Mark Twain wrote, that's a lunatic question.

Read more in my recent Free Press column.

100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada; time for another "united" church movement?

 

Turning 100 is a significant milestone for people — and for denominations. That’s what the United Church of Canada did on June 10, this year. 

It was on that date a century ago that Canadian Methodists, Congregationalists and the Presbyterians came together to form the new denomination.  

A big reason for the merger was to reduce duplication of effort and resources; so many little towns and villages across the country had multiple churches from different denominations. There was also a desire for greater Christian unity and collaboration. 

Today, Canada is a less religious place and the challenges are different as the country's over 300 denominations lose members and see churches close. But the need for unity and collaboration is as great as back then, or even more. Is time for some 21st century visionaries to step forward to promote a new kind of “united” church in Canada today?

Read about it in my Free Press column.

A "symbol of healing between Indigenous people and the church." Grandfather Rock, sweat lodge unveiled at Archdiocese of St. Boniface

After smudging and a prayer for the Creator’s blessing, a grandfather rock and symbolic sweat lodge were unveiled Friday on the grounds of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface bishop’s residence.

The 1.5-metre-tall M’shoomis Asin, or grandfather rock, was donated to the archdiocese by a parishioner five years ago. The symbolic sweat lodge was welded by students at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate.

Also unveiled at the ceremony was a panel about sweat lodges and grandfather rocks, which Indigenous people believe are sacred because they contain generational knowledge and a spirit. 

A panel with information about the grandfather rock appears in English, French, Lakota and Ojibwe. A second panel, in English and French, describes the role of sweat lodges in Indigenous tradition and culture.

 

Read my story in the Free Press.

Photo above: Elder Clayton Sandy and Archbishop Albert LeGatt stand in front of the Grandfather Rock and symbolic sweat lodge. 

Our Whole Society Conference tackles topic of fostering hope in a divided world

How can people today find hope to promote and sustain collective action? How do we tackle the challenges facing the world and work towards a more positive future? What role can diverse faith traditions play in helping us face the most pressing demands of our time? 

These were topics addressed at the June 15-17 Our Whole Society Conference by people such as former Minister of Global Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy, international human rights lawyer Payam Akhavan, and environmentalist Elin Kelsey, author of the book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think Is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis. 

The theme of the conference, which is sponsored by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation (CIC), is Fostering Hope in a Divided World. It was held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. 

Read an overview about the conference in the Free Press. 

Read about the presentation by Lloyd Axworthy in Canadian Affairs.

Read about the presentations by Akhavan and Kelsey in Canadian Affairs.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation makes available first 140 Oblate priest's personnel files

 

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has released the names of the now-deceased Oblate priests who worked in residential schools in Quebec, Ontario and western Canada. 

“It’s a significant step forward,” said Raymond Frogner, head of archives and senior director of research at the centre, which released the scanned personnel files of 140 priests on May 29. “It gets us one step closer to a complete understanding of the residential school system.” 

The files were released in collaboration with OMI Lacombe Canada, formerly known as The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, or Oblates, who ran 48 residential schools. 

Father Ken Thorson, executive director for OMI Lacombe, is “deeply grateful” for the collaboration between the Oblates and the centre to make the files available. “We recognize that this is only one part of a long and painful journey,” he said. “And we remain committed to continuing this important work.” 

Read about the release of the files in Canadian Affairs. 

Photo above: Oblate priest Père Carriere with residential school students.

 

 

Our Whole Society conference to explore how to foster hope in a divided world

How can people today find hope to promote and sustain collective action? How do we tackle the challenges facing the world and work towards a more positive future? What role can diverse faith traditions play in helping us face the most pressing demands of our time? These are the topics to be addressed at the Our Whole Society Conference at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, June 15-17. 

The theme of the conference, which is sponsored by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, is “fostering hope in a divided world.” 

Read more about the conference in the Free Press.

"God must like old people. He keeps creating more of them.” Thoughts about seniors and why so many are ignored by the church

 

“God must like old people. He keeps creating more of them.” So quipped Scott Tolhurst, a former pastor who, over the course of his 48 years in ministry, developed a heart for service to seniors. 

Current demographics prove him right. According to Statistics Canada, seniors are the fastest-growing group in Canada. But it’s not just society that’s greying; so are churches. 

According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, in 2024 there were more churchgoers older than 65 than younger than 35 in U.S. churches — and likely in Canada, too. 

Despite the rising number of older adults in congregations, many churches are still mainly focused on serving younger people and families. Some want to see that focus change. 

Read about it in my recent Free Press column.