Eat more salad, Drink more water...

Happy New Year.

There are changes happening in everyone's lives... the change of the calendar always inspires new actions, resolutions, goals.  It's an arbitrary new beginning, but it never ceases to inspire many of us onward towards something different.  In past years I've listed goals in this space and I always create a small list to help my scattered dreamer mind focus as life rushes around me.
On Winter Solstice I sat for an hour by my altar and focused on goals, wrote down my dreams, meditated on what I could realistically expect from myself at this season of my life.

In truth the new year began for me sometime after Autumn Equinox of 2012.  I felt a new daring, energy that I may have never felt as concisely before in my life.  It was telling me to take chances, to step outside my comfort zones, to believe that I could make my life happen.

I've been a bit surprised with some of the realities of this new energy.  Balancing art making with homemaking is not easy.  Keeping it all in hand has brought countless opportunities to learn.  I've learned more about myself and my limits, learned about how much I can expect from others, gosh more lessons than I've even completely absorbed at this point.  

Over the years this blog has been a repository for whatever my mind and soul felt compelled to share.  That is changing as I endeavor towards new territory in my career and eventually with my spiritual work and home life.  For now things will look much the same but when my website launches sometime this year (not putting too much pressure on myself in terms of dates) I will be moving my creative and art musings to a new blog connected to the site.  This blog will remain my personal journey with my family and for more directly pagan writings, although my artwork and spirituality are very closely tied so we'll have to see how that develops.  This new direction is exciting and feels very right for this moment.

And speaking of this moment or tonight to be exact I'm thrilled to announce that I'm in an art show.  It is a group juried show with the theme of Earth.  I worked away during October to produce a quilted piece and was just beside myself when I was accepted.  Details for the show can be found here.

So this is a new year, and a new world for me filled new horizons to explore.  I feel along way from art school and a bit out of my element but that is what challenges are all about.  So to tie my title into this post I have many aspirations for this year, two are as simple as eat more salad and drink more water, others are as complicated as find concrete time for creating and forging new working relationships in the art world.   But they are all open and fresh and offer many adventures down the road.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

The Power of "We"

Today is Blog Action Day.  A day when thousands of bloggers from around the world blog around a central theme in the hopes of inspiring thought and creating a collective consciousness.

This year's theme is The Power of "We"
There are many ways to interpret this theme, what it has brought up for me is getting back to the basics of human understanding.  Why is it that individuals so often stay apart and separate? Why do we isolate ourselves and focus on division, differences?  The further away we have moved from our communal struggle for survival has brought us to where we are today: drawing imaginary lines on land, putting up fences and signs to keep others out, closing our blinds so no one can see into our home, hiding secrets and pain from our loved ones...
All the while when doing this we feel bad.  It doesn't make one feel nice to push others out constantly.  So to compensate we watch tv and spend our time on social media.   Instead of talking face to face we text and post on Facebook.  But don't worry I'm not here to bash the internet or condemn the media.  All I'm talking about here is the ability to form connections.
What we have lost in being where we are today is the ability to hold ourselves and others accountable for focusing on division and isolation.  Strangers can attack others in horrible and degrading ways when they remove themselves from a sense of "we"  It's easier to lash out when you don't have to look someone in the eye as you are putting them down.  The shadow side of social media is that this happens, although I think it has always happened with gossip and the like.  Social media magnifies the problem, makes harassment illusive and anonymous.  No better example of this can be found than Amanda Todd's story.  This young woman was harassed and manipulated by an anonymous internet lurker who blackmailed her and circulated a video of her.  Then he sent this video to peers who ridiculed her and drove her into depression.  How one man manipulated countless teenagers to torment this girl which then pushed her to suicide is beyond me.
Our power, the power of caring, real people is to stop predators from finding our children.
We can protect our kids.  We can stand up against bullying, and force accountability from those around us.
400 people worldwide have sent the RCMP information regarding this crime.  Adolescence is a tough time of life.  Trying to figure out who you are, trying to make it through...human contact, real people connecting on a personal and deep level is the only thing that bolsters the spirit against the isolationism of our society.
If someone can back you into a corner alone it is far easier to attack you on any level.
If you are surrounded by love; strong people of character, people from different age groups and backgrounds you are lifted up.  Strength in numbers, support from the power of "we".
Our power is to link together and connect to each other.
Our power is to care for those around us as we would our own self or our own children.
Our power is to seek solutions and hold each other accountable for actions that do not support the nurturing of humanity.
And perhaps most deceptive of all is that our power is to see through the manipulations of outside factions that may be trying to use our fear and self-doubt to control us to their ends.   Somewhere inside those factions are people who need to connect to their own humanity, their own inner truths.  When they do they will no longer be able to target others because they will feel its wrongness and if they can't see their wrong doing we will be there to show them their errors.  We will hold them accountable.
That is the power of "we."

a quick mention

Just wanted to let you all know that one of my photos is featured at the Rhythm of the Home blog this week under the theme of warmth.  Have a look and join the Flickr pool if you want to contribute a new theme is chosen each week.

Looking deeper: Northern Gateway Pipeline

How does one begin to talk about the power of large corporations?  Their shear mass, their money to hire talented wordsmiths, lovely artists and fund projects with the "downtrodden" to distract us from what they are really doing.  After seeing this commercial I simply could not keep turning my head in disgust anymore.  Honestly, the capacity that Enbridge has to gloss over the reality of what they are doing is remarkable.  The details of what this means for the communities that will be impacted and the habitats that will be destroyed to make one pipeline to carry oil and another to carry condensation are just small blips in what they consider to be their "ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, habitat remediation and protection."
Doesn't that sound lovely.  They destroy one habitat and then fund other groups that are working to protect other areas.  I guess as long as they don't need to build a pipeline there then it's a great place to conserve.
The nitty gritty details of this pipeline are as follows:
A 36" in diameter pipeline will be built from near Edmonton Alberta to Kitimat British Columbia.  This pipeline will traverse the Rocky and Coastal Mountain ranges, many communities and end up at the port in Kitimat where the oil would then be transported to Asia on tankers that will have to navigate through the narrow channels and fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest.
The oil is coming from the Alberta Oil Sands (often referred to as the Tar Sands).
The oil is going to be used in countries that are growing in their need of this non-renewable substance rather than looking harder for alternatives.  In the meantime the ecosystems that will be destroyed to build this structure can never be repaired.  Permanent damage for 560 permanent jobs and 525,000 barrels of oil per day for 30 years.
If there is an oil spill, leak or damage we can not count on Enbrige to responsibly clean up the oil.  Their reputation in this area is not sterling.  In fact it's as dirty as oil.  So the people of this province need to stand up and say no.  Of course our current government, sensing the storm of discontent already raining down about this project are now changing the rules left, right and center to prevent the people from having our say.  Apparently if it comes to Harper's precious oil tycoons all bets are off and the projects will be done whether Canadians like it or not.  The Northern Gateway project is one of three plans to bring more oil through our province.  The other two are another pipeline project run by Kinder Morgan (which just happens to literally run through my back yard) and CN Rail plans on taking oil by train to ports as well.  Does this sound like a country with a "demonstrated commitment to improving environmental standards" or a country that is being denigrated by corporate interests and short term dollar signs?
 I'll leave it up to you to form your own opinion as I have.
If you'd like to stand up to this you can check this out.
And if you'd like to see just what we stand to loose please watch the film below.

the end of an era

Please indulge my little journey down former television addict lane.  Yesterday as I'm sure you know was the last Oprah show.  As everyone has kept reminding me Oprah's influence in the world is certainly not disappearing.  But the vehicle of her show which has brought countless hours of change to the world is no longer in its original format.  Weekdays at 4 p.m are altered forever.  I wouldn't call myself an ultimate viewer but the show spanned 25 years and definitely influenced the way I see the world today.  Oprah's fundamental message of finding your true self and living from that place is one that I share.  And I applaud the work she does and her charity efforts.  She has put her money where her values are.  It seems strange to me that my kids will not see her show as a part of their formative years....perhaps it is just another reminder of how time moves forward whether we are ready or not.

Progress with Climate Change Legislation

Today I stand up to applaud the opposition parties in Canada for dragging Steven Harper and his Conservative cronies kicking and screaming into the reality of climate change.  On May 5th the third vote on bill C-311, The New Democrat Climate Change Accountability Act passed in the House of Commons by a vote of 149 to 136.  Finally Canada is not lagging behind in implementing legislation to deal with climate change and its inevitable effect on our country.  The David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, Sierra Club of Canada and Climate Action Network have all worked towards this bill passing and support the measures it introduces.   Some of the measure that this bill puts forward:

• Cuts greenhouse gas emissions – 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% by 2050
• Mandates the government to set regulations that ensure targets are met
• Punishes polluters who break regulations
• Ensures government accountability with publicized 5 year target plans
• Establishes independent reviews to ensure government measures reach targets

The work is not over though.  This legislation now has to pass a Senate vote.   This is a crucial time in the process since in 2008 the Senate was set to debate and vote on the bill just before Harper called an election which killed it in its tracks.  It is so important that we keep a watch on this because the Senate has 105 seats 51 of which belong to Conservatives, 49 Liberals and 3 Independent/others.  If the Conservative Senators all side with Harper and they have just 2 Liberals or others on their side this could not pass.  The House of Commons and the Senate must "agree" on legislation for it to pass.  Here is a list of senators in Canada I urge everyone to contact any and/or all of them to get action on this bill.  I will be letting my voice be heard on this issue.  I feel that it is my duty as a mother and a human living on this good earth.

Democracy lives here.  Let's make sure it's working!
And if you'd like to devote 8 minutes of your life to watch democracy in action take a look at this.




 

Half the Sky Live Event

I wanted to share the details of a great event happening across Canada and the U.S. My friend Janet at Livin' La Vida Vegan sent me the info (thanks again Janet!)

"a one night event inspired by stories from the New York Times bestseller “Half the Sky” by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Celebrate International Women’s Day and be inspired to help women and girls everywhere turn oppression into opportunity. Featuring musical performances, celebrity commentary and the world premiere of “Woineshet,” a short film by Academy Award® winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. Also with appearances from, India.Arie, Maria Bello, Diane Birch, Michael Franti, Dr. Helene Gayle, Angelique Kidjo, Nicholas Kristof, Marisa Tomei, Sarah, Duchess of York and others. Experience Half the Sky on March 4, 2010 at 7:30 pm"

Click here to find a theater near you and view the trailer

I'm going to check it out. It's a great way to make a contribution (tickets are $10) to the work that CARE is doing to help women around the world.

Where I've been...

Viewing art in the city core::

shuffling through crowds::

spending the day on a sunny & warm mountain cheering::

watching Shaun White win the Snowboard halfpipe gold::

walking with my family in glorious weather::

and making my brother-in-law a 30th birthday cake (it tasted better than it looked!)::

A Quick Hello

image found here

I just wanted to check in with you all. Things have been a bit hectic this week: cleaning, working, and celebrating. Vancouver is hosting the Olympics and my brother-in-law ran with the torch on Wednesday and we were all very proud of him. My sister and another brother-in-law arrived today from Montreal and will be staying with us for the week. I hope to pop in now and then with some photos of our time during this once-in-a-lifetime event. The opening ceremonies blew my mind with the beauty and symbolism of the dancing, light show and music.
I was not a supporter of the Olympics coming to Vancouver but I am making the best of this situation. The spirit is all around us, athletes who have worked so hard to achieve their dreams and our culture, the culture of Canada on display for the world. Amidst the war of protesters and corporate slogans our city is seeing right now I am trying to live in the gray area between being a stick in the mud and a cheerleader. We are attending two sporting events and will be soaking up some patriotism and some fun too. I hope to pop in tomorrow with some art to share that was inspired by Valentine's Day. Happy Weekend.

Getting back on my Soapbox

Lately as I was thinking of my posts for this month I realized that I had not done many political commentary writings in the last few months. When I looked at my records I saw that I haven't written any political commentary since Blog Action Day which was in October, so a two and a half month break I've (unconsciously) taken but I'm going to get back at it.

There is an important place for politics and social issues in my life and being. I believe the adage that the personal is political. What my government does, what people with power in society do effects me. Their decisions can change the course of my life and that of the ones I love. That is why I write about what is going on in my town, country or the world. My intent is not to appear as an expert but to share information that I feel is important and to give others some resources to search out answers for themselves.

Chasing Domestic Bliss is about many things and I think that makes it hard to attract readers but I write from a deep place and one that is as complex as my personality. I can't compartmentalize myself or subdue my passions to exude a certain feeling that may attract more readers. So I hope that if my political rants are not your thing that you will just skip them and come back when you feel compelled to read. I am very grateful for everyone who posts comments and for the people that read here, this blog has come to mean a lot in my life and I am so grateful to have this avenue in which to share.

During the months leading up to the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit that took place in December of 2009 there was an electricity in the air that held hope for environmental activists. I first heard about it when listening to Treehugger Radio's podcast with Bill McKibben. McKibben turned a scientific discovery into a global movement with the website 350.org
The importance of this number is that scientists have determined that in order for life (humanity) to be sustained on this planet we can not exceed 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. The science in more depth can be found here. 350 ppm is the safest place for the levels of carbon in our atmosphere to be and right now they are at 387 ppm. That means that climate change is happening faster and that is not a positive thing for countries living at sea level who face the possibilities of losing their homes altogether.

The reason that Copenhagen was filling so many with hope was that this was a chance for the leaders of the world to come together and create change. A global day of action was held on October 24th 2009, people from all over the world (181 countries) came together to say we need this dealt with, this is the issue of our times. But when the summit rolled around in December skepticism crept into me. As each day passed and I listened to the news I became more convinced that nothing was going to happen. Political maneuvers, jargon and the bureaucratic ridiculousness that grows like bacteria in most world politics took over and we were left with a non-legally binding accord and a bunch of men in suits shrugging on podiums. For more details of why the summit did not reach a solid agreement you can read more here.

I think the reason that I did not write about this until now is because of how pessimistic I feel about it. I prefer to share positive ideas and thoughts and look at issues optimistically. What makes me angry about this is that science has proven a number and people are still apathetic. There are even those who still question that climate change is even happening despite mountains of evidence. When I look at my son and think of the future I am sometimes paralyzed by the way we can all be so naive and take this earth for granted day after day while life as we know it gets closer and closer to extinction. I do some things to change this and I need to do more. What do you do?

Quickie

Just a reminder that the new Pagan Pages is up. This month Pagan Parenting Everyday discusses family values beginning with Thankfulness. Enjoy.

Behind the Pomp: Pagan ceremonies & the Olympic torch

I was so thrilled to see the images of the Olympic torch being lit in Greece on Thursday. As you may or may not know the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are here in Vancouver this February. Representatives from Vancouver, tourists and dignitaries from around the world were witness to the ceremony that took place at the Temple of Hera where a theatrical group lead by an actress playing a high priestess made some prayers to Apollo and Zeus and passed the "sacred" flame and an olive branch to a Greek runner. I though the visual was lovely and I let my brain imagine a real ceremony and meaning behind the words, many moons ago. The eternal flame portion of the games was created for the 1928 Amsterdam games. Detailed in this article:

According to recent research by Bob Barney of the University of Western Ontario's International Centre for Olympic Studies, the mystical flame has its origins not in glorious Greece but in the rites of Freemasonry, and its belief in the regenerative power of fire.

"Jan Wils, the architect of the Amsterdam stadium, was looking for inspiration," Prof. Barney says. "And so he turned to his lifelong infatuation with the Masonic order."

When you get down to the nitty gritty of it all, well, this ceremony is a fabrication. The actual torch relay portion of the Games in which the flame is carried throughout the host country originated during the Berlin 1936 Olympics when the Nazis ruled Germany. In short they fabricated it. They admired the strength and power of Ancient Greece and even conveyed some propaganda about Greece's sacred sites being created by Nordic immigrants.

Does this remove the meaning for me? Well, I can't say I'm a huge Olympics bandwagon girl anyway. I think that each year they become less about the ideals of peace between nations through the glories of sport and become more corporate and more political. I still feel misty when that Canadian national anthem plays...but I don't put much stock in that feeling for long.

The interest in this story for me was that somewhere deep down we still feel our pagan roots. Some dramatist somewhere thought, how lovely to put some stunning women in gowns, with simple stones, and a modest fire container and have them pray to the old gods. And the result is something that visually struck me and probably many others who aren't pagans as well. I wish those priestesses would have been real ones and I wish that the ideals that the Olympics represent were real too. I hope they are real for the athletes because they are the ones that I care about when it comes down to it. They dedicate themselves to their sports and work very hard to make their dreams a reality. Apparently the only pagan ceremony that happened around the Olympic games in ancient times was the sacrifice of 100 oxen on the altar of Zeus.

Somehow I doubt that would move us to the same degree.

Quickie

Just a quick note to say that Dawn at The Domestic Witch has posted an interview that she did with me. So head on over for a visit. I have been loving her October Blog Party. Hopefully she'll have it again next year so I can get my act together and join in.

And don't forget to check in tomorrow for Blog Action Day.

Guest Blog Post Today

Please head on over to Mrs. B's 31 Days of Halloween Giveaway and check out my guest post today. My topic was apple bobbing....and I had a great time researching it.

For anyone visiting today from Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, Welcome! And thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you find something interesting to read and come back again.

Stroller Safety

Two days ago our city was witness to a tragedy. A woman walking with her two-year-old daughter in a stroller was struck by a turning truck and the little girl was killed. The most recent details to the story can be found here. I can not imagine the grief that this mother is feeling as she recovers from her injuries in hospital and according to his lawyer the truck driver is distraught and feels terrible. And of course he should.
This story compelled me to write about the importance of stroller safety when out walking. I sometimes think that far too many pedestrians are unaware of how easy it is for a driver to hit us and why we must be vigilant at all times.
Before I had my son and I took my daily commute to work, which included walking a few blocks to transit and then again a few blocks to my workplace, I was reminded time and time again that drivers are distracted and have limited visibility for pedestrians. This led me to develop a system that kept me from being hit several times and I have enhanced it even more now that I walk with a stroller.
-First of all never wear ipods or earphones of any kind while walking with a stroller. You need to be able to hear. All of your senses should be alert. Try to stay in the moment as much as possible and use your instincts to keep you and your precious cargo safe.
-At crosswalks and stop signs always make eye contact with the driver of the car. Make sure that they know that you are there, that you are crossing and make sure that they acknowledge that you have the right of way. Never assume that they see you. They often do not. Especially if the visibility is bad due to weather or low light.
-In this unfortunate case there was apparently a construction company that had blocked off the sidewalk and the woman was using the roadway. On a quiet suburb street that may be fine, but if you are in a urban environment with heavy traffic consider turning back and finding another route. It will add time but wouldn't you rather arrive at where you are going? Assess the risk but often times it is probably too high of a price to pay.
-When you are waiting for a light to change etc. keep the stroller as far back from the curb as possible. This may be challenging on crowded city streets but other pedestrians are usually mindful of parents with children.
-When crossing the road at a blind corner or curve I always back onto the street so that I am on the road first. I am taller, easier to see and if someone was coming I could just jump back on to the sidewalk.
-Know your routes. I ran into this problem recently when I went to the downtown core. I had not been to this particular area in a year or so and it was totally changed with construction everywhere. I ended up having to carry the stroller over stairways and was walking by loud jackhammers. The following week when I had to return to the same place I took a different route.
-Don't try to multitask. This links back to the first point but don't try and chat on the cellphone, drink a coffee, push the stroller and carry shopping bags. I know it's hard not to try, we've all done it but it is so risky. If you drop something in the middle of the crosswalk how will you pick it up? Keep it simple, stay safe.
-Equip you stroller with reflective devices. Our stroller brand has reflective strips all along it but those bike lights that flash or bike reflectors are a great idea. Getting the attention of drivers is key.
-Try to take your walks at lower traffic times in the day. Rush hour means tired, anxious and often angry drivers are out there and are just trying to get home. Schedule your walks for later morning or early afternoon. Not only is it more safe in terms of avoiding being hit by a car it is also less car fumes for you and your child to breathe.
Horrible accidents like these can not always be avoided. Sometimes we check all the ticks but we still get hurt. The best we can do for our kids is to be as safe as possible, but in the end we can't avoid getting out there and enjoying the world. I try and take nothing for granted as a pedestrian and I also try to be a very alert and present driver, so that I am not in danger and so that I don't put anyone else in danger either.

Lawns and Bees and change, oh my!

My mother's lovely garden and pesticide free lawn

This summer has brought about some interesting developments in my local community. The first is a short article in Burnaby Now where their headline was: "Is the lawn out of style?" and for many important reasons I think that it is. The article mentions a suburb of Sacramento, California, that has a Cash for Grass program, encouraging locals to remove their conventional grass lawns and replace them with drought-resistant plants. This is a sustainable option for areas with water scarcity. Lawns are a strange obsession in suburbia, driving people to use pesticides and other horrible chemicals to have perfectly groomed green grass that you never even see people walking on. Another wonderful option for use in cities and suburbs for conventional lawn space is for growing food. The price and demand for food is rising, you could use your lawn space to grow a small garden and feed your family fresh vegetables for a few months. This article mentioned that many California initiatives are adopted here in BC and they could see the Cash for Grass program being introduced here in the next few years.

A development that has been initiated here in Burnaby, by a unanimous city council is that homeowners can keep their own bees. Bee populations are on the decline worldwide and so this will allow us to help bees and encourage their vital survival. Some homeowners expressed concerns about bee stings, but bees rarely sting and are only interested in pollinating their hearts out. Many people mistake bee stings for wasps or hornets.

In Vancouver they have voted to allow homeowners to raise their own hens for eggs, also a great way to provide fresh food for our families. Not yet being a homeowner I can not get rid of my grass lawn, erect a bee house or have my own chickens but I try and do my part just the same. I planted annuals and perennials this year that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and I am growing tomatoes and green peppers in pots on my balcony. I am very encouraged to read articles from my community that show positive changes happening in the mindset of homeowners. Cities and suburbs must adapt their tiny patches of earth to make them as sustainable as possible. The benefits are endless and depending on how climate change affects us in the years to come these changes may become a matter of survival.

Are We There Yet?

Today is Equal Pay Day in the United States. As far as I can tell there is little press about it in Canada. Despite our laws promoting Equal pay for equal work there is still a wage gap between men and women. According to the Fair Pay Campaign run by the National Women's Law Center:

April 28, Equal Pay Day, marks the day in 2009 when the average woman’s wages will finally catch up with those paid to the average man in 2008. The day serves as an important reminder of the persistent wage gap and the urgent need to take action to ensure that women can receive equal pay for equal work

If you live in the U.S. please visit the National Women's Law Center's page for advice on how to take action. For a Canadian perspective on the wage gap you can visit this site.

We are not there yet. As a stay-at-home mom I feel that this issue still applies to me. Whether you stay at home or not our homemaking, mothering and general day-to-day work is not valued by the almighty dollar in this culture. If you had to pay someone to do all the unpaid work you do it would add up to thousands of dollars: a cook, a cleaner, a nanny, an accountant, a gardener, a shopper, a driver, a counselor...the list can go on and on. Even in some Scandinavian countries where the gender gap is smaller this situation still prevails:

Women perform between 65 and 70 per cent of the unpaid work, even if they are in full-time gainful employment. Marriage or cohabitation immediately increases the amount of housework for women, whereas it does not make much difference for men. There is a clear generational distinction in the caring patterns, as men of younger generation share more responsibility for housework (quote source)

My message here is not one of doom and gloom. We need to face this situation together as men and women, as partners, as friends. Our society has been designed to suit men. We need to change that. The pace, style and goals of our culture are not in sync with the needs of women, children or men. We need more time to spend with our husbands, fathers, friends etc. And we need the work, the hours and hours of unpaid work that women do without even thinking about it sometimes to be accounted for in our culture. And for those of you who work outside the home and make on average about 78 cents to a man's dollar... let's keep on working until that is no longer the case. This is an unacceptable ratio and our generation can change this.

Atheist ads it's about time...

You may have been hearing about the recent approval granted to the Toronto based Freethought Association of Canada to run ads on the Toronto transit system. These ads will say:
"There is probably no God. So stop worrying and enjoy your life." These ads originated in Britain and so far the only out-cry received was a Christian bus driver who refused to drive his bus. Other European nations have had some criticism from various religious leaders, but overall the reaction has been small.
Here at home, Charles McVety the president of the Canada Christian College and the Canada Family Action Coalition put in his two cents in an interview, as reported by the Globe and Mail. Mr. McVety called the ads "attack ads" saying he was all for free speech "on the surface". Now I could not find anymore context for the interview and so I can only take these short sentences as Mr. McVety's opinion. I did look at the Canada Family Action Coalition's website and read their "Primary Principals" and found several statements to "attack" several of my values.
What I'd like to discuss though is the idea that doubt or questioning the existence of God, should not be regarded as a threat to one who does believe in God.
First of all, I can not see how this statement attacks anything or anyone. It does not say: "Christians are silly" or "God is a fairy tale" or "You are stupid if you believe in God." All it does is put out there for anyone who would like to ponder the question or who may have thought it in moments of doubt and was to ashamed or embarrassed to speak it out, that what they are questioning may be true. Realistically some people struggle with this question often, some think they have decided that they do not believe only to realize that when they actually pose the question out loud to themselves they aren't sure they know the answer and others never give it a passing thought. I remember my transition on this question vividly. I asked the question out loud and came to the realization that I did not believe in God. I believe in a universal spark, the essence of a life force, but I don't believe in God in any of the interpretations that religions offer. This was a pivotal moment in my spiritual path for many reasons but the most important one was that I ceased to look outside of myself for answers.
So this leads one to ask: What threatens Mr. McVety about this question?
Does he fear that those who follow Christian values and ideas blindly will in turn begin to think? I for one would see this as a bonus to his faith. Wouldn't a religious leader want followers that were sure. Wouldn't he want Christians to deal with their doubts and come through that with a renewed faith in God? Of course if one questions one may, as I did, decide that they in fact do not believe...but how does that threaten him if his beliefs are strong?
Unfortunately this brings one to the conclusion that Mr. McVety's beliefs are not only for himself, but for everyone. Which makes his statement about being "all for free speech on the surface" all the more disturbing. Because one has to conclude that he means that free speech is fine for his ideas but not for those of others.
The film Doubt makes some wonderful points about this idea. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a Catholic priest in the 1960's who gives a Sunday sermon about spiritual doubt. The point he makes is that one should not fear that doubt will lead one away from God, but have faith that you will find that he is with you in spite of it.

I know you may be saying, but aren't you the atheist pagan? And yes, I am. But in the interest of being non-judgemental and not to mention that I am not insecure in my own truths, I really want to encourage freedom of speech and I want to encourage organizations like the Freethought Association of Canada to continue to ask these questions. Far too many people secular or religious do not question their values and beliefs or their religious leader's values and beliefs. We all have a mind of our own for a reason. Just as one should not blindly spend in this consumer culture, one should not blindly follow a religion or spiritual path, just because so and so does, or that's what you were told to do. I would also like to point out that there are lots of Christian messages on billboards and signs, people handing out fliers at subway stations and trying to spread the word. It's about time that some other ideas were put out there for all to see and ponder. That is the beauty of this society and we should all be thankful to have it.