Where the Rubber Hits the Road

I've always been a fan of Conrad Black. He is the anti-typical Canadian: forceful and blunt in his opinions which he freely shares. But I fear in this column that his opinion is 'on the mark'. We (the Western democracies) are headed for massive economic trials ahead. Our only hope in Canada is that we are at least doing what needs to be done to put our own fiscal and monetary policies on a solid footing for the future... assuming the Americans don't sink us as they walk the path to insolvency. Conrad Black: A world of financial ruin | Full Comment | National Post

A story is told of a young businessman sharing a compartment on a train with an elderly gentleman. When he noticed that the old fellow was quietly and intently praying with his rosary in his hand, the young man chided him for his 'superstition' and told him that science had rendered the beliefs of religion irrelevant. “How did you come to discover that?” the old gentleman asked. His companion didn't really know how to answer the question fully right then and there, so he offered to send him a few texts and public lecture notes on the subject for his enlightenment. “What's your address?' he asked “I'll send you the material via the Post Office.” The old lad rummaged in his coat pocket and produced a tattered business card which read ' Louis Pasteur, Paris Institute of Scientific Research .' Louis Pasteur was the nineteenth-century giant of microbiology who proved the germ-theory of disease and invented the rabies vaccine. His humility certainly didn...

Here is a site dedicated to posting stories of the discrimination against Christians in Europe. I offer it as evidence of my contention that we are facing a major clash of cultures/religions in the near future here in Canada as well. Observatory - Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians

I pray that Canada and the USA will heed these lesson being offered in Europe and will be more demanding of Muslims to respect the rules of our cultures. If we follow the path of pure appeasement as Europe has done (although France is trying if not yet succeeding in this struggle) we will face these same crises here. Religious tolerance is key in our countries... tolerance tied to respect for the law (including property laws).  Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : Muslim demonstration inside cathedral was not offensive to Catholics, Spanish court rules