The following is my observations and reflections from attending an All Candidates Forum for the riding of Parkdale-Highpark. Click here for an overview on the candidates for this riding. While this post will obviously be specific to this particular On…
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Progressive Proselytizing: On Objective Morality
Most moral theories are predicated, at their root, by various assumptions or axioms which in turn cannot be derived independently. That is, there does not seem to be some cosmically significant, absolute grounding for morality that simply and unques…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Abortions are not always a big deal
When it comes to abortion, I sometimes feel the pro-choice side of the argument gives up half the argument to the pro-life side by agreeing to the framing that abortion is actually a weighty decision.
For some people, of course, it is a weighty decis…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Religion and Language Part III: On Agnosticism
In previous posts on this series on Religion and Language (on deism, in part I; one morality, in part II), I have looked at the way careful attention to the language used to describe religion makes many different religious arguments vacuous. As we sha…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Language and Religion Part II: On Religious Morality
In the second installment of Language and Religion, we look at the question of absolute morality and some of the confusions that result from issues of semantics and language. Previously we looked at deism, in part I, and will look at agnosticism in pa…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Religion and Language Part I: On Deism
This post is the first part of a three part series on the intersection of language and religion. This first part introduces the concepts and focuses on deism; part 2, on religious morality, is coming shortly; part 3, on agnosticism, is coming shor…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: McGuinty’s immigrant pledge is simply bad politics
McGuinty has recently made an election pledge to provide $10,000 dollars in support for businesses that hire immigrants. Regardless of what one might think about the policy itself, it is a tactical error in a political campaign and will almost certainl…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: The Words We Use For People Who Do Not Believe In God(s)
Agnostic, Athiest, (strong and weak), secularist, naturalist, humanist, non-believer, pantheist, positivist; the list of terms used to describe people who do not believe in the existence of a deity is quite large. Words, and what they connote, matter a…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Libya Rebel Leader Underscores Our Deep Hypocricy
When it first became clear that NATO actions in Libya were going to far exceed the UN mandate of a no-fly zone to protect civilians and would instead be a massive and sustained bombing campaign on all kinds of military targets in support of the rebels …
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Sarah Palin: The epitome of the celebrity politician
It is that time again when my fingers twitch and compel me – struggling with my sense of decency – to write another blog post about Sarah Palin. I have tried to stop, honestly, but like any good addict I cannot. I think what is so compelling to me abou…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: More Shameless Progressive Conservative Attack Ads
Looks like the PC`s have bought another slew of advertising for Google search terms with almost any combinations including “Liberal Party” or “Ontario Liberals” and the like having an on-top PC ad linking to the website www.liberalreview.ca.
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Progressive Proselytizing: NDP vs Liberal Leadership Election Procedures
We are at a unique position not seen in a long time when both the NDP and the Liberals are set to elect new leadership and are currently led by interim leaders. Following Jack Layton’s death, the NDP will hold its leadership vote in January of 2012 and…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: The False Dichotomy of Emotionalism vs Rationalism
There is this bizarre perception in our society that we are somehow in a great conflict between forces of emotionalism and rationalism. The idea here seems to be that going too far into the side of emotionalism is bad, destructive and leads to irration…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Cheri DiNovo and Biblical Views of Homosexuality
I don’t want to detract from the tone set in my previous overview of the religious leanings of Parkdale-Highpark candidates, but I feel compelled to address a particular interview with NDP incumbent Cheri DiNovo on the bible. As great as her religious …
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: 2011 Ontario Election: Religion in the Riding of Parkdale Highpark
Religion usually isn’t a dominant issue in Canadian politics. While there is certainly a general correlation with higher levels of Christian religiosity among conservatives, prominent debates over religion as the key polarizing issue is quite rare. Dur…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Green Energy Proposals Part II: Party Positions
In Part I, I sketched an overview of the consequences of various green energy proposals. Because it is election season in Ontario, let me note the following party observations with respect to these various green energy proposals.
Firstly, Conservative…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Green Energy Proposals Part I: An Overview
With a variety of different green energy proposals floating around, it is worth recalling what the various schemes are and what their advantages and disadvantages are. In Part I, I look at an overview of the particular at the systems being implemented …
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Israel/Palestine Overview
The Israel/Palestine issue is a particularly difficult topic to talk and write about simply because it is such a poignant, polarizing and established issue. Within a few sentences, western commentators on the issue quickly get lumped as either “pro-Isr…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: The Power of Provinces and the Importance of the 2011 Ontario Election
When Stephen Harper won a majority in the federal election he did this first and foremost by attracting a large body of voters who had not voted for him in the past and may not in the future. Discussions of the political seppuku committed by Liberals a…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: The Concept of Infinity
It is often suggested that the human mind is incapable of conceiving of the concept of infinity. I would submit firstly that in many ways the concept of a finite universe is actually as hard if not harder to conceive of and, further, that looking deepe…
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