John G. Stackhouse Jr.'s Blog, page 21

Why Gretta Vosper Isn’t the (Main) Problem

We here at “Context” have been looking again at the Gretta Vosper phenomenon, especially the “church refuses to defrock aggressive atheist” oddity that has garnered a lot of attention in the secular media as well. The United Church has taken … Continued

Gretta Vosper and the United Church of Canada: What’s Going on?

Self-declared atheist Gretta Vosper held on to her pulpit in the United Church of Canada last week as denominational executives decided to forego a full inquiry into her fitness for office. According to the United Church Observer: “A Toronto Conference … Continued

Does Location Equal Importance?

NASA recently celebrated the end of the unlikely long run of the Kepler spacecraft. Sent up in 2009, this marvelous flying telescope lasted well beyond its projected mission terminus and slipped off to sleep, and out of communication with Earth, … Continued

Immortality Will Be . . . Boring?

It is astonishing, and depressing, to encounter again the blithe arrogance of certain members of my class: the highly educated pundits who assume that all right-thinking people agree with them. In a recent article in the very interesting journal Aeon, … Continued

Are You Checking All the Ingredients?

My wife and I once enjoyed a fabulous vacation in France. It was our 25th wedding anniversary and we had saved carefully for three glorious weeks in that amazing land. Food, of course, is one of the great pleasures of … Continued

Eminent Scientist Concludes God Doesn’t Exist–Again

Stephen Hawking gets one more chance to give “Brief Answers to the Big Questions” in his new book, finished after his death last March by friends and family members. And in this book he assures us that there is no … Continued

Who Can You Believe?

It’s too good not to be true. It’s easy to feel that way when you come across a news article, Facebook post, speech, or seminar that coincides nicely with your strongest convictions. Unfortunately, what psychologists call “confirmation bias” inclines us … Continued

The Latest (Un-?)Reasonable Accommodation

It seems like a headline from The Onion, the American satirical website that daily tests our credulity, but it’s real: “U.K. student union bans applause in favour of ‘jazz hands’ because clapping could ‘trigger anxiety.’” Surely, one thinks, we have … Continued

Troubled in Toronto?

Did the Middle Ages just appear on the streets of Toronto? Last week, Muslims around the world observed the day (“Yom”) of Ashura, the tenth day of the month of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. For most members of Islam’s … Continued

News Flash: Dog Doesn’t Bite Man

Exactly zero news agencies would bother reporting that a local man encountered a dog who didn’t bite him, as he had feared it would, but gave him a friendly lick on the hand instead. Yet friendliness has shown up recently … Continued