John G. Stackhouse Jr.'s Blog, page 20

Learning from Rwanda

This is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the massacre in Rwanda, a quarter-century since 800,000 people died at the hands of their neighbours. The Walrus recently ran recollections of survivors, and the tales are harrowing. Two features of this story give the Canadian Christian … Continued

Evangelicals, Ethics, and Supporting Donald Trump

Evangelicals—at least, we white ones—are having a hard time in the public eye these days. Perhaps you’ve noticed. Jerry Falwell, Jr., president of Liberty University in Virginia, hasn’t helped things. His support for Donald Trump was early and has remained … Continued

Is Yoga Dangerous?

Recently, a mother in suburban Toronto protested when her daughter received yoga instruction in a public school class. A Roman Catholic, the mother was worried that her daughter was thereby being indoctrinated into the Hindu religion. Was she? I’ve taught … Continued

Is Canada a Secular State?

Some have asked about getting hold of a hard-to-obtain article of mine: “Of Course Canada Is a ‘Secular’ State—Just not Secularist and Only Partly Secularized,” Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law/Revue de droit parlementaire et politique 7 (July 2013): 189-99. So … Continued

The Charlie Brown Christmas Problem

Charles Schultz’s classic TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was originally broadcast in 1965. And, a generation later, the problem at its heart remains as problematic as ever. Poor Charlie Brown keeps searching for the true meaning of Christmas amid … Continued

“Creation versus Evolution”: Is This a Real Issue?

School boards in an uproar. Parents protective of their children. Teachers defensive. Students confused. The furore over creation versus evolution has been going on for almost a century and a half since Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species (1859). Recently, … Continued

Why Slain Missionary John Allen Chau Might Be a Martyr

[The following appeared this week via Religion News Service] Now that many more details have emerged about how John Allen Chau prepared for his fatal foray onto the shore of North Sentinel Island, it has become clear that fair-minded people … Continued

Gay-Straight Alliances, Secrecy, and the Public Trust

The word out of Alberta about Gay-Straight Alliance clubs (GSAs) hasn’t been good of late. According to the Calgary Herald, the Alberta Court of Appeal this week heard that in at least two instances, children were taken away from school … Continued

Some Advice for Students at “Crunch Time”

Farmers work harder during harvest than at any other time. But they also work happier, because they see every day the literal fruit of their year’s labour. Students during end-of-term put in far more hours per day studying than they … Continued

Should Missionaries Just Stay Away?

The recent death of young martyr John Allen Chau has focused world attention on the legitimacy of Christian missions. Chau arranged with local seamen to get him onto one of the Andaman Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean, North Sentinel … Continued