McGrath gives Dawkins rebuttal at Wycliffe College
Wendy Elaine Nelles
Special to ChristianWeek
TORONTO, ON—Oxford theologian and scientist Alister McGrath made a timely appearance at Wycliffe College on the University of Toronto campus, rebutting renowned atheist Richard Dawkins who was in town to promote his bestselling book The God Delusion a week before.
The Refresh continuing education conference for clergy and laypeople was billed as "a conversation about the reason for the hope that is in us," based on 1 Peter 3:15.
Keynote speaker Alister McGrath entered the fray as anti-religion wars heated up in Canada. A recent Maclean's cover story "Is God Poison?" describes how "a new movement blames God for every social problem from Darfur to child abuse."
North Koreans choose Trinity for language study
Trinity Western University linguistics professor Phil Goertzen cannot explain why a group of avowedly atheistic North Koreans should choose Canada's largest Christian university as the place to hone their English-language skills.
Three middle-school English teachers and one university professor, along with three North Korean government officials, were on campus for six weeks during March and April. The project was funded by the Canadian branch of English Language Institute China (ELIC).
It may be the first time a North Korean delegation has ever traveled to Canada for educational purposes, let alone to a Christian campus.
Read more >
Dewert leaves Miracle Channel following extramarital affair
Well-known Canadian Television evangelist and founder of the Miracle Channel Dick Dewert has resigned as its president because he was involved in an extramarital affair.
Board chairman and interim CEO Ray Block, says they also accepted the resignation of Dewert's wife and co-host Joan Dewert, who will "stand with her husband."
He accepted Dewert's resignation because he and the station do not condone Dewert's actions, says Block. Miracle Channel has offered counselling assistance to the couple. There was no word on whether assistance would be offered to the other woman; some reports saying she had connections with the channel.
Read more >
available in our PRINT EDITION
Third Quebec case re-ignites assisted suicide debate
The arrest of Stéphane Dufour on May 15 on charges of helping his uncle commit suicide has again raised public debate on the issue in the province. This third publicized case in Quebec in the last 18 months has lead to renewed requests for federal legislation allowing compassionate acts of assisted suicide.
Dufour had become the lone caretaker for his uncle Chantal Maltais who was was in advanced stages of muscular dystrophy and suffering continuously. Family members interviewed by the press since the arrest said Maltais had decided to die and had in fact made several unsuccessful attempts. His repeated requests to friends and family members to help him end his life had left him isolated from most people who became reticent to see him.
Full story in our print edition >
Permit requirement “redefines” Church, activist warns
Churches risk losing their ability to function as “the outward expression of God’s love” if they continue to fail to correct the misconception that all they do is “worship within the four walls,” says Don Hutchinson, legal counsel for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
“We don’t communicate well what we are doing,” he says. “People don’t realize we are not just a building on the corner, but we are providing an asset to the community.”
Full story in our print edition >
Experiment pays participants to go to church
Drew Marshall, host of the spiritual talkback program “The Drew Marshall Show,” says he is “tired of cookie-cutter, spoon-fed Christianity,” and has decided to do something about it.
Earlier this spring he launched “The Five Church Experiment,” a project that involves paying a non-Christian to attend five Toronto-area churches during the month of June and present his or her findings live on July 7.
Full story in our print edition >
|
