Rick Warren’s Predicament, Obama’s Chilling Cleverness
What does it mean when the pro-life pastor blesses the pro-choice president. As we move each day closer to the Age of Obama, few things have been as chilling –…
Pope says financial crisis demands rethink on global poverty
Pope Benedict XVI ushered in 2009, a year "marked by uncertainty and concern for the future", by calling for a major overhaul of the current global economic system and by…
A creation myth for the 21st century
Did anyone ever ask IVF children whether they wanted to go through life as genetic orphans? This month, a court in British Columbia, Canada is expected to certify an important…
Seal pup silliness
Regulations are piled upon regulations in Canada about killing seal pups, but there is no law about abortion. Maybe I should make a New Year’s resolution to avoid spending so…
Walking in a demographic winter wonderland
Why are people averting their eyes from the coming collapse of population growth? Demographic Winter is an independently produced film describing the consequences of the population collapse of industrialized countries.…
Children want to ban divorce
If they could make the rules for the world, the first thing British kids would do is ban divorce. That is what under-10s said in a poll conducted for the…
A reform-minded education secretary?
Barack Obama’s choice for education secretary offers hope for a change in America’s schools. Would Chicago Public School CEO Arne Duncan make a good secretary of education? There are reasons…
The educational reform we need most
Smarter teachers? More parental involvement? More computers? Better assessment? Healthier lunches? Nope. Try harder-working kids. School reform has become a real yawner. Even in the face of falling test scores,…
Gays angered by Pope’s stand on ecology
If we don’t trash the physical environment, do we have a right to trash the moral environment? If nominations for the best bright idea of 2008 are still open, I’m…
An indulgence of adult desires
Surrogate motherhood isn’t about forming families; it is about satisfying adult desires. Nothing like the Christmas season to remind us how selfish and adult-centred we should be. No, you’re right.…
Titanic China has an appointment with an iceberg
The headlines proclaim China’s growing financial power. But its ageing population may scupper its ambitions. China Rises, the blog of Beijing correspondent of McClatchy Newspapers, Tim Johnson, has a post…
Is there a natural right to same-sex marriage?
The people of California, Arizona and Florida recently voted to amend their state constitutions to defend the age-old truth that marriage is the life-long union of a man and a…