Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Most people think that the Supreme Court of Canada 'legalized' assisted-suicide with its recent ruling this February. In fact, the justices with the 9-0 ruling did something more. As a result, this judge who had been convicted of his wife's murder, might actually be able to go free. You see, what the Court actually did was strike down a section of the Criminal Code which read: No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted on him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibility of any person by whom death may be inflicted on the person by whom consent is given. This means that it is now legal to use 'I did it because they wanted to die' as a defense. This is more than just legalizing Doctor-Assisted Suicide. It's the enactment of full-on euthanasia with the concomitant risk that people will be killed without their consent - with the legal blessings of the highest court in the land. At the risk of being accused of being an alarmist...

The Coming Demographic Winter | Crisis Magazine

And now we begin paying the price for our inadequate birth rate as there are fewer and fewer people to pay into our social and pension programs. Who pays for longer lifespan at core of retirement debate - The Globe and Mail

"According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of raising a child to the age of 18 is now a breathtaking $226,920. For sake of perspective, a Ferrari 458 Italia Coupe will set you back $225,325. Like the former, it too may end up living in your garage long after its 18th birthday." It's sad when we begin to measure people (children in this case) against material things. Yet, this is exactly what has led to the demographic collapse in western nations birthrates. Click on the link below to read the entire article. CTV News - How much does it cost to raise a child today?

Overpopulated of Olderpopulated? A Consideration of Some Suprising New Demographic Trends | Archdiocese of Washington

Canada's demographic time bomb

As predicted: abortion has become a preferred method of contraception. Why take a pill and play with your hormone levels? An abortion is the answer for far too many. These statistics are telling us that a time when we are beginning to experience a the negative effects of the emerging demographic failures of the past (too many pensioners - not enough younger workers), over 1/3 of all pregnancies in Ontario are ending in the termination of the unborn. I appreciate than many believe that a woman's right to choose should be completely unrestricted and absolute. I disagree. From my perspective, it is an issue of human rights - the right to life of the unborn. Demographic information such as this only adds to the weight of evidence that there have been unintended and negative consequences for society through the maintenance of the holding of 'choice' over 'life', consequences that must be addressed by both sides in these great debates. Someway, somehow we all need t...

“ The Catholic Church in the United States is the safest environment for children in the country. Period.” So says George Weigel, theologian, historian, biographer of Pope John Paul II and media commentator representing what is perceived as being the 'orthodox' voice of today's Roman Catholic Church. Weigel has never been accused of dodging the difficult question facing the Roman Catholic in these challenging times and he didn't disappoint when he recently agreed to share his thoughts on some of the challenges facing contemporary Catholic values and practice. Joan & George Weigel (Note from Fr. Tim: In the interest of transparency, let me state up front that I've been privileged to share a friendship that stretches back over 20 years with George. We've spent many a summers evening together on the Quebec side of the Ottawa Valley, usually in the company of our mutual friend, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, (R.I.P). While those conversations maintain th...

A sign of the times in Britain. Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : Mohammed is UK’s most popular baby name

There is a demographic crisis looming for Canadians. We are not reproducing enough children to replace the population. This means that the financial tax burden on the generation now trying to make their way into the workplace (a daunting enough task these days) will be called to make enormous tax payments as we have already spent the money that was supposed to pay for the last of the boomers and Generation X'ers pension and health benefits. Governments have emptied a large part of our accumulated contributions to pay to cover huge deficits. We are not unique. In some countries like China, which enforced a 'one child' policy, the right to use abortion as a gender determinant has resulted in far more males than females. Given the inherent patriarchal nature of western societies, it is likely that the same results would appear in Canada, especially as more and more families are making the decision to have one (or no) children. These are the results of our societal experi...

George Weigel has been stating for years (read The Cube & the Cathedral ) that there is a demographic time bomb that is ticking in the heart of Christian Europe, and to a lesser degree in North America. The SoCon Blog has posted an additional article which elucidates this point with up to date statistics. Click here to read this posting. What is the nature of this demographic bomb? It is the high birth rate among adherents of Islam and the sub-replacement birth rate among Christians. If this trend continues for even one generation, most countries of the western world will be on the verge of becoming Muslim states. Maybe the best resolution that Christians could undertake this new year is to propagate!!