On the eve of the Thanksgiving long weekend, I was waiting in the early morning ferry line up in Snug Cove, making my usual way from Bowen Island to UBC when someone knocked on my car window. A little startled,…
The Bell: Election reflection
Category: Justice
The Bell: How will your next meal reflect your values?
Over dinner with friends a few weeks ago, conversation got around to how we navigate through life-altering crossroads. One friend shared advice that intrigued me about making decisions based on our values, not our circumstances. In difficult moments, certain decisions…
SPCA at 200 years: a majority of the founders were activist Christians
The SPCA was in the news last week as it announced plans to build a new animal behaviour centre on Vancouver Island which “will assist fearful, under-socialized animals in need of significant behavioural support become prepared for life in a…
The Bell: Very little guide of mouth
In the song ‘Straight Street,’ J.W. Alexander and Jesse Whitaker say, “Well I used to live on Broadway, right next to the liar’s house, my number was self-righteousness and a very little guide of mouth.” This song is about conversion, a…
Legal challenge threatens religious freedom of Christian hospitals
The former President of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada recently commented on an important issue facing St. Paul’s Hospital and other faith-based institutions across the nation. The ability of a Christian hospital to maintain its Christian ethic is now facing…
Leave No Child Behind – the fight against human trafficking
July 30 is designated as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, and this year’s theme is “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.’ According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, one in three…
MAiD lawsuit poses a serious challenge for St. Paul’s and all Catholic hospitals
Providence Health Care has accepted that a government-run ‘clinical space’ will provide euthanasia right next to their new St. Paul’s Hospital complex – but that is not good enough for critics who insist that patients who choose MAiD (Medical Assistance…
EFC welcomes UN Special Rapporteur’s report on prostitution
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) supports a groundbreaking international report that recognizes prostitution as a system of exploitation and violence. The report by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls recognizes that prostitution is both intrinsically linked…
Local groups welcome asylum seekers while governments debate funding
While BC Premier David Eby and federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller are debating support for asylum seekers, local groups with strong roots in the Christian community quietly carry on their very practical support of these new arrivals. Eby started off…
MAiD in Canada crisis: A series of Catholic reflections
The Roman Catholic Church has been steadfast in opposing MAiD, along with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and many other – but far from all – Christian groups. Here Paul Schratz, editor of The B.C. Catholic introduces a series about…