Everyday For Life Canada: February 2017

"Significant Days" in Ontario schools: it's all so relative, secular and confusing

The Toronto District School Board establishes for each school year a calendar and calls it, "Days of Significance 2016-2017" Here's how the board website describes these days:

This calendar highlights selected secular and creed-based days of significance and is provided as a resource for schools and others when planning educational or other activities. This list includes creed-based observances and holidays, as well as, significant events and celebrations, public holidays, and other important dates that should be considered when planning events, tests or exams, and other activities. ...

Feb

No need to discern divorce and adultery

You may have read recently that the superior of the Jesuit order Fr. Arturo Sosa Abascal stated that when Jesus speaks about divorce believers should not assume they know what the word means. Fr. Abascal says that the meaning in the New Testament of divorce, and we can add adultery, isn't clear.

Feb

Family Day: do build the domestic church

In Ontario, today we celebrate Family Day. For most people, this will just be another secular holiday. But it's also an opportunity for families to make it truly a family day. We live in a province that is pushing to remove the words mother and father from birth certificates. The same Liberal government implemented in 2015 a radical sex curriculum that undermines the traditional family. School children are no longer to be identified as boys and girls.

Feb

A great night for democracy in Canada

This past Wednesday night was great evening for freedom of speech and democracy in Canada. A rally was held at Canada Christian College to oppose Motion 103. The House of Commons is presently considering passing Motion 103, and approved, it will essentially make it illegal to criticize Islam. The motion will legislative force the Canadian government to condemn "Islamophobia," with no definition of what the general term means.

Feb

Keeping students safe in schools

The Registrar Michael Salvatori of the Ontario College of Teachers argues that Bill 37, the Protecting Students Act passed in 2016 will keep students safe from teachers who commit sexual crimes against them. What he should really be telling the public is that the law will it easier to revoke the teaching certificate of teachers who are found guilty of sexually abusing students. We don't need a new law for this. It should be plain common sense. But all this makes good optics with the public.

Feb

Giving thanks and praise to God

Just days ago we celebrated the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. On February 11, 1858, a beautiful woman began appearing to Bernadette Soubirous. She was fourteen years old. Bernadette was a poor French girl. The grotto, where the woman dressed in a radiant white dress girded in blue, was known as the "pigs shelter." On March 25, in one of her appearances she told Bernadette the her name was "The Immaculate Conception." In total, there were 18 apparitions over four months.

Feb

Helping students to soundly think for themselves, Part III

One of the most important family goals that parents have is to raise good children that think for themselves and to help them live healthy lives. Chrisitan parents have an added responsibility to pass the faith to their children. Parents can best do this by being good role models. Parents need to give children an example of being good Christians who practice the faith and make sound decisions for the entire family.

Feb

Alberta's Prism teacher curriculum guide belongs in the trash can

Parents who think that the sexual indoctrination of students in Canadian schools would soon go away are completely wrong. The situation continues to get worse. Just look at this recent example of what's taking place in Alberta.

Prism is a new resource published by the Alberta Teachers' Association (union) and the provincial government.

Feb

Helping students to soundly think for themselves: Part II

In 1994 during the Year of the Family, St. John Paul II issued a very instructive document called, Letter to Families. It's a spiritually rich resource that sets out a practical strategy for parents to teach their children about the truth, love and faith. In this post, we will focus on the section titled "Education," but I urge parents to read the entire work because it's truly a great plan that parents can use to help them raise children who will serve God and think for themselves.

Feb

My apology to President Trump and to Americans

Dear President Donald Trump,

You're now the 45th president of the United States. As a Canadian, I want to apologize for the lack of support that has been given to you and the new administration by the Canadian government, both before your election and since your inauguration.

I apologize that the Canadian government did not back the US decision to cut funding to international organizations which perform or promote abortion.