09 Sep 2011 Christians vs. Capitalism?

By Michael Wagner, Originally published in the November 2010 issue of Reformed Perspective magazine (www.reformedperspective.ca), pages 7-9: The capitalist West has the highest standard of living in human history. But despite this, capitalism is under constant criticism. Certain intellectuals and activists blame it for many human problems, especially poverty, since there remain many poor people in the West.

10 Aug 2011 A Society of Entitlement

André Schutten - With the riots in London making front page news, I found the comments of Kelly McParland pretty bang-on.  A society built on entitlement, where the government exists solely to give me everything I need, nay, everything I want, will eventually suffer. What we see in London and in the United States markets now, and saw in Greece only a few months ago, it all screams the self-centered entitlement mantra. As stated so eloquently elsewhere, "This Greek tragedy holds lessons for all world economies, Canada’s included. A Leviathan state will ultimately be crushed by its own weight, not only that of its ballooning debt, but the attitude that underpins its largesse. When the government cares for citizens from cradle to grave, individuals lose the will and ability to support themselves. They also routinely bite and cheat the hand that feeds them: The state may be responsible for everyone, but no one takes responsibility for the state."

06 Jun 2011 Cardus Analysis of Federal Budget

True, the political uncertainty of its passage has been removed, and the rhetoric of stability dominates, but there is good reason to believe underneath this rhetoric the government is preparing for a coming storm in Canadian politics: one which they intend to shape and survive. The increased emphasis on expenditure review and the advanced targets for returning to surplus are just two indicators that this budget is really about battening down the hatches and rolling out the foundations for shaping tomorrow's social architecture....

22 Mar 2011 Cardus Budget Analysis: Good News for Economy, Ho-Hum for Society

OTTAWA, March 22, 2011—Ray Pennings, Director of Research for Cardus, suggested that although the details of today's Canadian federal budget will likely be overshadowed by the immediate political considerations, the budget should also be examined for the vision of prosperity it presumes for society. "The progress made in reducing spending and restoring financial stability needs to be accompanied by the recognition that social enterprise, charities and natural communities including families also must flourish if Canadians will enjoy prosperity," said Pennings.

07 Feb 2011 Make the Tax System Fairer for Families

By Dave Quist, National Post: Feb 7 2011: As speculation grows about the upcoming federal budget, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty recently commented that he’d consider pension reform to help seniors struggling to make ends meet. He then specified that he wanted to assist “particularly some single, older Canadians who are not entitled to the Canada Pension Plan, because in their day they worked at home, raising children.” Read more ...

09 Dec 2010 A little Orwell with your union dues?

Karen Salick (Canadian Constitution Foundation) Winnipeg Free Press, December 9, 2010:  Historically, labour unions have done a remarkable job of persuading the general public that unions toil for the benefit of the average worker.  But in a case currently unfolding in Alberta, a group of 29 average workers has rejected that thesis, and the union doesn’t like it.

07 Aug 2010 Great News: Funding Cuts to Former Canadian Government’s Feminist Network

Commentary by Real Women of Canada ,OTTAWA, Ontario, August 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Canadians may not realize the extent to which successive Liberal governments have developed a vast network of left-wing government dependent organizations to promote liberal causes.

14 Jul 2010 Debt & Immorality

The examples that Churck Colson gives may be American, but the message is just as relevant to Canada. In this video, reference is made to a study called Kudzu Government. We highly recommend that you check it out (click here) and consider printing off a copy. It will be a great resource to go through personally, as a family, or a Bible Study. ...

16 Jun 2010 Our Role in Public Debt

In the chapter of the Bible most often associated with civil government and politics, Paul urges us to “let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another” (Romans 13:8). In Canada and throughout the world, people are demanding that their leaders provide more and more services even in the midst of tough financial times. But this kind of spending has consequences. Public debt is fast-becoming the number one problem facing many countries in the world today. Consider these figures: