Despite a facelift, the Salvation Army hasn't changed

Ten years ago, I implored people not to donate to the Salvation Army. 

This was because, at the time, the Canadian chapter was evangelical and despicably homophobic. I decided to check whether they had changed in the decade since.

Unfortunately, it has not.

The Salvation Army Canada's  Official Position Statements (2007) (the most recent version I could find) shows they believe that not just marriage, but also sexual intimacy, should be limited to between a man and a woman.

• "We believe that the family is ideally rooted in the biblical concept of a marriage covenant of one man and one woman." (Page 7) 
• "biblical standards calls for chastity outside of heterosexual marriage and faithfulness within it." (Page 9)
• "The Salvation Army believes marriage is the covenanting together of one man and one woman for life in a union to the exclusion of all others." (Page 13)
• "The Salvation Army affirms the sanctity of sexual relationships based on the teaching of Scripture. The Bible presents sexual intimacy as a gift from God that is ordained and blessed exclusively within the context of heterosexual marriage." (Page 14) 

That is an explicit denial of same-sex equal marriage. The Salvation Army Canada affirms that no LGBT people should have sexually intimate relations.

But that was over a decade and a half ago - well before I wrote my initial essay. Perhaps they are no longer (quite as) homophobic.

Three years ago, Forbes published The Salvation Army Wants You To Believe They’ve Changed, citing the organization’s "long and horrid history of discrimination." They have quite the history of anti-LGBT actions. 

What of the Salvation Army in Canada today?

Their current mission statement begins with, "The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ". Similarly, the Salvation Army Vision ends with, "building communities that are just and know the love of Jesus." So it's clearly a proselytizing Christian organization. Any organization that wants to appeal to all segments of Canadian society (such as police services, grocery stores, and retailers) should steer clear. 

Though the Salvation Army's Values emphasize non-discrimination and valuing everyone, this one of their four values: "Hope: We give hope through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ." This not very welcoming to non-Christians.

Further proof that The Salvation Army is a proselytizing organization, trying to get as many people as possible to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, can be found by looking at the "Corps Health Stream" portion of the program of their 2023 Inspire conference. It includes workshops such as, "God Space: Making the Most of Every Opportunity to Start Spiritual Conversations" and "Faith Formation: Helping People with Disabilities Connect with Jesus". It also includes biblical apologetics: "But Didn't You Know the Bible Says...? A Study of the Scriptural Texts Often Used to Challenge Women in Ministry". Their leadership stream has a workshop called, "Jesus-Centred: Serving with Jesus at the Centre of Who You Are and What You Do". 

The Salvation Army is clearly an organization by Christians, for Christians, seeking to convert as many non-Christians to Christianity as possible.

Anyone who doesn't believe that to be the case need only look at the Salvation Army's Doctrines page, any line of which will be sufficient to convince any reasonable observer. 

I'm not the only one who thinks so. Canadians are tiring of the Salvation Army's bigotry and proselytization: they are critically short of volunteers in Winnipeg, Burlington, Victoria, and West Kelowna.

To be clear: as a religious organization, the Salvation Army is perfectly within their rights to use their resources to spread the "Good Word" in an attempt to get more people to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It is inappropriate, however, for any governmental entity (including those operating at arm's-length, such as police services or the LCBO in Ontario) to partner with a sectarian group like the Salvation Army. In addition, private corporations should rethink their partnerships with the Salvation Army. Any organization that wants to give presents to the poor (a genuinely charitable aim) should find another group that does charitable works (there is no shortage) and partner with them instead.  

If someone from the Salvation Army asks for a donation, politely decline and tell them you will make a contribution to a genuinely charitable organization - one that does not endorse bigotry and seek to convert the world to their faith. 

Podcast for Inquiry S02E25: A century of Humanism with Gordon Precious

 Gordon Precious was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1924. As a teenager he became a born-again Christian but as he travelled the world he began to question why he believed his faith was the only true one. As his 100th birthday approaches, Gordon shares his insights on vaccines, technology, humanism, and death. 

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Calgary Police Service provides Honour Guard to Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast

I wrote the following article for the December edition of Critical Links, the monthly newsletter from the Centre for Inquiry Canada. 

Calgary Police Service provides Honour Guard to Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast

You might recall "Bob", the Calgary Police Service Sergeant who has had his complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission officially recognized (see articles from the June and August Critical Links). While we wait for his case to be heard, CFIC learned from Global News that "On Oct. 19, members of the [Calgary Police Service] honour guard escorted keynote speaker Nigel Hannaford to his seat at the Calgary Leaders Prayer Breakfast, as part of the opening ceremonies." There are several things problematic about this decision by the CPS:

• According to Global News, last month was the 55th year of the Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast. There has been no demonstrated safety or security need for a police presence at any previous event.
• The purpose of the CPS Honour Guard is to represent the service. Some events, such as the Stampede parade and Remembrance Day, always have an Honour Guard. Other events are at the discretion of the Honour Guard Executive and the Chief. That the leadership of the Calgary Police Service gave its implicit endorsement to an organization that "affirms our faith in God through prayer, testimony, scripture reading, and fellowship" lends credence to Bob's claim that the CPS favours Christianity over other faiths. The police service must remain neutral in such matters of religion, as the Supreme Court ruled in the Saguenay case in 2015 (listen to or watch the Podcast for Inquiry episode on this topic) and affirmed in the Trinity Western University decision in 2018 (read my analysis of the TWU ruling). While the CLPB has every right to endorse Biblical teachings and exhort government to follow Christian precepts, CPS providing an Honour Guard to the CLPB is a violation of state neutrality and should not recur. 
• The content of this year's keynote address, by Nigel Hannaford, contains much that must make many active Calgary Police Service officers uncomfortable (at best):
•  Hannaford rails against many Canadian laws. He describes Medical Assistance in Dying as "Doctors killing people", in violation of the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Murder". He pities the "Christian doctors [who] find themselves up against the government" about abortion. He even takes aim at the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, lamenting that "The Bible-based morality that you grew up with, that once informed Canadian law, was quietly but explicitly rejected in 1982 [when the Charter was adopted]." CPS officers are sworn to uphold the law. Why would it endorse someone who is asking his audience to reject it?
• He claims that there is "No proof that Christians murdered indigenous children" in residential schools. While there is much to be learned about the extent of abuse, there are thousands of documented deaths at residential schools (see the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission). And while he does call for "these sites to be examined," referring to unmarked graves, notably absent was a call for the release of records from the Catholic Church, which continues to refuse to allow access to its voluminous documentation relating to Canada's residential schools. First Nations members of the Calgary Police Service (among others) doubtless would not approve of Hannaford's remarks.
• Hannaford calls for Canada to become (or return to) a theocracy. He says, "Once, Canada's laws reflected a Biblical understanding of truth. [...] Then Canada adopted the Charter. Their [nine Supreme Court justices] job now is to interpret the law with the Canadian consensus, not the Bible." Later, Hannaford regrets that "We are now finding that Canadian law is often, and increasingly, at variance with our Bible-based worldview." Again, while individual Calgary officers are welcome to attend such an address as private citizens on their own time, why did the CPS endorse the Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast, and by extension its keynote speaker's call for Bible-based law in Canada? 

The decision to provide an honour guard to Nigel Hannaford at the Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast shows tremendous disrespect to the diverse community CPS is tasked with protecting, as well as offending a sizable proportion of its own members.

Bob's human rights complaint against the Calgary Police service because of its "Christian-default" practices continues to wind its way through the system. If you know an Alberta lawyer with human rights experience, please contact Leslie Rosenblood, CFIC Secular Chair. 

Podcast for Inquiry S02E24: Gretchen Morgenson on her book These are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs -- and Wrecks -- America

What is Private Equity, and how does it work? Gretchen Morgenson (@gmorgenson) is a Pulitzer-winning journalist whose latest book is These are the Plunderers. Gretchen exposes the bad and often illegal activities of Private Equity firms, and tries to explain why they have been allowed to get away with it for so long. She describes how Private Equity firms operate behind the scenes to ensure the loopholes that substantially reduce their tax bills are never closed, and details recent events that might give cause for hope. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E23: Solomon, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Gandalf: All fictional! With David Fitzgerald

After years of research, David Fitzgerald has come to a surprising conclusion: that all the main characters in the world’s major religions are entirely the product of human imagination. While many have long doubted the supernatural feats that religious figures are purported to have done, the assumption that these are grounded in at least a kernel of historical fact is widely held. David explains how the stories we are familiar with today accreted over time, and the utter lack of evidence that any of the major figures of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, or Buddhism ever actually existed. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E22: Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff: Do cities listen to the Supreme Court?

Is secularism church-state separation or government neutrality in matters of religion? What does state religious neutrality look like? When the Supreme Court of Canada issues a ruling, is that the final word? What is the difference between a welcome, a traditional greeting, a cultural practice, and a prayer, especially in the context of indigenous nations and reconciliation?

Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff (@TealePB), research coordinator at the British Columbia Humanist Association, answers all these questions and more. His team at the BCHA contacted every municipality in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario to determine whether they are in compliance with the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2015 Saguenay ruling, which unambiguously decreed that opening municipal council sessions with a prayer was unlawful. He describes how some municipalities try to sneak in religious content with “stealth prayer”, and why ecumenical prayers, non-denominational prayers, or rotating prayers from different religious groups, are bound to fail if the goal is to have an inclusive democracy.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E21: Dr. Evelyn Forget believes Canadians need Basic Income

 Dr. Evelyn Forget is Canada’s foremost expert on Basic Income, and the author of Basic Income for Canadians: From the COVID-19 Emergency to Financial Security for all. Dr. Forget describes what Basic Income is, and how it differs from UBI (Universal Basic Income). She talks about the results of a Basic Income pilot conducted in Canada, and answers the question: If Basic Income is such a great idea, why aren’t we doing it already? Finally, Dr. Forget explains what a Canadian Basic Income program would look like. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E20: Seth Andrews, host of The Thinking Atheist, on Christians acting in un-Christian ways

Seth Andrews (@SethAndrewsTTA) is the host of The Thinking Atheist, a very popular podcast and online resource for nonbelievers. Seth talks about his life as an evangelical Christian and what led him to leave his faith. We talk about how many Christians embrace seemingly un-Christian beliefs and policies, and what Humanists need to do to make the world a better place.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E19: “Don’t be Evil” no longer applies, with Paris Marx

Paris Marx (@parismarx) is a critic of Silicon Valley business practices and the impact they have on workers and society at large. Paris writes the Disconnect newsletter and hosts Tech Won’t Save Us, an award-winning critical technology podcast.

In today’s episode, Paris explains the flaws in each category of the tech sector, including:

• Blockchain and crypto currencies - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Tether
• Asset-light service firms - AirBnB, Uber, Lyft
• Amazon
• Fully digital free services - Google, Facebook / Instagram, Twitter / X

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E18: SciComm in the time of Covid, with Tara Moriarty

Dr. Tara Moriarty (@MoriartyLab) was happy being a research scientist, studying how Lyme disease bacteria travel to different parts of our body using the bloodstream. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and she saw a vast need for disseminating accurate information to the public. So she founded COVID-19 Resources Canada and learned on the fly to become a science communicator. Dr. Moriarty describes the reaction from the scientific community and the public, and shares some surprising statistics about the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E17: How Minds Change with David McRaney

On this week's Podcast for Inquiry, I speak with David McRaney (@davidmcraney) about his book, “How Minds Change”. We explore how social context is critical when people form their opinions. People don’t change their minds in a vacuum, and David describes how network effects lead to social cascades, such as how widespread resistance to equal marriage flipped to widespread acceptance in an astonishingly short period. David quizzes me about the most recent movie I watched as a demonstration of how to get people to think differently. We discuss the role of truth in persuasion, and the utter failure of the “information deficit hypothesis”. You can learn more from David via his podcast You Are Not So Smart and on his website at davidmcraney.com. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E16: Catherine Dunphy on Humanist activism and the Kimberley project

Catherine is a humanist activist, and believes the two go hand in hand. Catherine talks about the inherent tension within the Catholic Social Justice Movement, and her own journey out of Catholicism. She describes the link between Christofascism and Incels (see her article in Free Inquiry). Catherine’s activism today is focused on The Kimberley Project, a Canadian charity dedicated to the prevention of violence against women. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E15: Escaping North Korea with Eunju Kim

How does one survive in an authoritarian regime, where you are sent away for education if the frame holding a picture of the Dear Leader gets dirty? When no one has enough to eat? Eunju Kim is the author of A Thousand Miles to Freedom, which describes her harrowing escape from North Korea to Seoul. She discusses how the Kim dynasty is worshiped in North Korea, much like a God. Eunju details how escaping from North Korea is much harder today than it was when she fled. Today Eunju works for Freedom Speakers International, helping North Korean refugees settle into their new lives in South Korea. 

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Podcast for Inquiry Diatribe #2: Catholic Health Care “Ethics”

In this second episode of Leslie’s Diatribes, I sound off on the Health Ethics Guide, a publication of the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada. Employees in Catholic health care facilities in eight provinces are told to sign this code of ethics every year, and many do so without reading it. Leslie highlights some salient aspects of its contents, and encourages those who object to what it demands to refrain from agreeing to it.

The opinions expressed in this episode are mine, and do not represent the Centre for Inquiry Canada or any other organization.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E14: Homophobia in Catholic Schools with Tonya Callaghan

Why do publicly funded Catholic schools exist in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta? Does the government or the Church actually run them? I speak with Dr. Tonya Callaghan, author of Homophobia in the Hallways, about systemic homophobia in Canadian Catholic schools. We discuss the long struggle to establish Gay-Straight Alliances, the oddly selective enforcement of Catholic doctrine, and the contradiction at the heart of professing compassion for all at the same time as demanding lifetime celibacy from those with same sex attraction. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E13: Dana Korneisel on tetrapods and her book, “Dana Digs Dinosaurs”

What is a tetrapod? What is a homologue, and how does it differ from convergent evolution? Dana answers my many questions about animal development from embryo to adult, talks about her research on amphibians and axolotls, and how her book, “Dana Digs Dinosaurs”, was inspired by the excitement of a seven year old. 

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Sudbury Inmates on Suicide Watch Offered Only the Bible

Back in April, I spoke with Jenny Lamothe, a reporter for Sudbury.com, about a terrible policy at the Sudbury Jail: inmates on suicide watch can read nothing except the Christian Bible.

“There is no evidence that I have ever encountered that indicates that religious texts are effective in helping those who have suicidal ideation,” I told her. “As someone who is greatly in favour of evidence-based treatment, I would hope that our penal system would use those materials that have proven efficacy for those in dire need. So the policy of restricting access to religious materials makes no sense to me, because there is no evidence that it will achieve its stated goal.”

Ms. Lamothe also noted that Canada subsidizes "religious charities to the tune of $5 billion a year."

Read the full article on Sudbury.com. 

Secular news from May 2023

The following article appeared in the June 2023 edition of Critical Links, the monthly newsletter from the Centre for Inquiry Canada. 

A roundup of secular news from the past month:

• Canada’s Coat of Arms no longer features religious symbolism. The Canadian Royal Crown that sits atop the Canada Coat of Arms has been redesigned. The new Crown features Canadian imagery (maple leaves and a snowflake) instead of religious symbols (crosses and a fleur-de-lis). While the change has little practical impact on Canadians (personally, I couldn’t recall what Canada’s Coat of Arms looked like before reading about the redesign), it’s refreshing to see Canada slowly and steadily weaning itself off its erroneous self-conception as a Christian nation. 
• Iran hangs two convicted of blasphemy. It is for good reason that “theocracy” is generally considered to be a pejorative term. Countries where religious authorities run (or significantly influence) the government tend not to respect human rights (consider Iran, Afghanistan, and Russia, among others). In the midst of an uprising wherein Iranian women are publicly removing their hijabs in record numbers (despite severe repression from government authorities), Yousef Mehrad and Sadrollah Fazeli-Zare were executed for “burning the Quran” and “insulting the Prophet of Islam,” according to the country’s judiciary. Fortunately, because Canada repealed its blasphemy law in 2018, Iran can no longer point to Canada for moral cover. 
• Forced-birth organization makes short list for federal funding. The Canada Student Jobs program is in the news again. In 2017, controversy erupted because federal funds were being funneled to organizations that would force a woman to give birth against her will (they refer to themselves as “pro-life” groups). The government revised the rules, but in a way that religious groups claimed restricted their religious freedom. After another overhaul of eligibility criteria, Priests for Life has recently made the short list for federal funding. Priests for Life has not yet been awarded any money, but it will be interesting to watch the government attempt to balance women’s rights with religious freedom. 

Podcast for Inquiry S02E12: Justice-Centered Humanism with Roy Speckhardt

Roy Speckardt is the past executive director of the American Humanist Association. We speak about his latest book, Justice-Centered Humanism. Conversation topics include:

• Roy’s journey to Humanism
• How to get Humanists involved in activism
• How Humanism leads to Social Justice
• Environmentalism
• Sentientism (referencing PfI S02E06 with Jamie Woodhouse)
• Secularism

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Ontario Takes First Step to Merge Public and Catholic School Boards

The following article appeared in the June 2023 edition of Critical Links, the monthly newsletter from the Centre for Inquiry Canada. 

Ontario Takes First Step to Merge Public and Catholic School Boards

Of course, the Conservative provincial government doesn’t describe its actions as a merger of the public and separate school systems. But with the introduction of Bill 98, section 195.1 gives the Ontario Education Minister the power to “direct two or more boards to enter into an arrangement” to share “use of a school site, part of a school site or other property of a board.”

This is a tacit admission that having a distinct Catholic school system leads to waste on a scale sufficient to warrant a legislative fix. The financial argument against a fully funded separate school system is compelling on its own: Ontario spends approximately $10 billion each year on Catholic schools, and could save $1.5 billion annually by having a single publicly funded school system for each official language. CFIC also objects to the separate school on ethical grounds: It is inherently discriminatory, violates secular principles, hampers students’ quality of life, and worsens educational outcomes. 

The Ontario government clearly understands that the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable. Bill 98 is a small, tentative step in the right direction. Write to Ontario Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, and tell him the bill does not go far enough. When the province holds consultations in your community, ensure your voice is heard. Public and separate school boards should share not just their buildings, but also their curricula, oversight, and administration. The Ontario public and separate school systems should be merged. 

Are You (Or Do You Know) An Alberta Lawyer With Human Rights Experience?

The following article appeared in the June 2023 edition of Critical Links, the monthly newsletter from the Centre for Inquiry Canada. 

CFIC was recently contacted by a Sergeant (I will use the pseudonym “Bob”) in the Calgary Police Service (CPS). He brought to our attention that many of CPS’ informal practices assume its members are Christian by default.

A few examples of how Christianity is embedded in the CPS:

• When the CPS built a new headquarters a little over a decade ago, it included a chapel. The design clearly makes it a Christian room of worship, with an altar, pews, stained-glass windows, and a Christian saint prominently displayed. A CPS document describing its intended use listed predominantly Christian ceremonies (“wedding services, baptisms and christenings”). While lip service was paid to other faiths (“Any or all of the rows can be removed to accommodate special purposes, such as First Nations ceremonies, the placement of prayer mats for Muslim prayer services”), the document makes clear that the standard, default, and assumed use of the chapel was for Christians and Christian rites. 
• Before getting married, Bob and his fiancee took the CPS couples’ course, intended to assist officers and their partners with their relationships. The instructor — a psychologist (with inflated credentials) under contract for 23 years with the CPS — stated couples with previous sexual partners cannot achieve the same level of intimacy as those that “saved themselves” for marriage. While a common Christian trope, there is no evidence that couples without previous sexual partners have happier, healthier, or longer relationships. 
• The instructor also stated LGBT couples would need a separate course “because of the number of sexual partners they have” and “they would make the straight couples feel uncomfortable.”
• Bob asked to provide a secular invocation at a service dinner in lieu of the customary Christian grace. The request was grudgingly granted, but the management team made it clear such efforts were unwelcome (loudly proclaiming “Amen” after the invocation).
• The CPS has a District Chaplaincy program. However, unlike the Canadian military (listen to Podcast for Inquiry with Marie-Claire Khadij to learn more about the Canadian Armed Force chaplaincy program), all 13 chaplains in the CPS are Christian pastors. There is no representation for other faiths, First Nations people, or the non-religious.
• Some of the CPS chaplains represent the Billy Graham Association, which believes (among other things) in evangelizing Christianity and that “marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.” Needless to say, this is hardly inclusive of non-Christians and members of the LGBT community. 

The CPS has made some improvements in recent years:

• The chapel was renamed Memorial Hall (likely as a result of a complaint filed by Bob). 
• The “intimacy” portion of the couples’ course has been removed.
• The CPS instituted an official policy of religious neutrality (which has since been removed).
• Recruits are no longer invited to seemingly secular ceremonies that turn into a Catholic mass, though the CPS still hosts Catholic services including a Christmas Eve mass).

Nonetheless, in many respects the Calgary Police Service remains a “Christian-default” workplace. Bob has faced retaliation in ways subtle and overt for his attempts to make the CPS a more inclusive, welcoming, and secular institution. Therefore, in September 2021, Bob submitted an official complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

The AHRC has reviewed Bob’s complaint, and has accepted it as valid (most files are rejected at this stage). It will therefore proceed to a conciliation hearing (yet to be scheduled). 

CFIC will be writing a letter of support for Bob’s case, outlining the legal requirement for the Calgary Police Service, as an agent of the state, to respect the principle of secularism: not privileging one faith over another, or belief over non-belief. 

If you know an Alberta lawyer with human rights experience, please let me know at rosenblood@centreforinquiry.ca.

We will keep you apprised of Bob’s case at the AHRC in future editions of Critical Links.

Podcast for Inquiry S02E11: Misogyny in Humanism with Srishti Hukku

Do people in the Humanist movement live up to their stated ideals? How does sexism and misogyny persist within Humanist circles? Srishti Hukku has been a humanist activist for close to two decades, and shares her experiences and insights with me in a personal and penetrating conversation. 

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A video recording is also available:

Podcast for Inquiry S02E10: Secular Buddhism with Noah Rasheta

Noah Rasheta integrates Buddhist philosophy into every aspect of his life. We talk about Secular Buddhism, and compare and contrast Buddhist teachings with Christian thought and Stoic philosophy. We also discuss Noah’s book “No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners”, delving into some aspects that I heartily agreed with and others that required further clarification for genuine understanding. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E09: Recovering from Religion with Steve Ironside

Steve Ironside is the Ambassador Program Director for Recovering from Religion, an organization dedicated to providing hope, healing and support to those struggling with issues of doubt and non-belief. Steve describes the several services RfR offers free of charge to people trying to reconcile aspects of their lives that may not be fully consistent with their faith. Recovering from Religion hosts RfRx, a secular-themed event modeled after “TED talks”, every Monday at 8 PM ET. 

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A video recording is also available:

Podcast for Inquiry S02E08: Marie-Claire Khadij is the Canadian Armed Forces’ first Humanist Chaplain

Marie-Claire Khadij (FB, IG, Twitter) was born into a devout Roman Catholic family, and was a practicing Christian for much of her early life. She describes her journey from faith to agnosticism to Humanism, as well as how and why she joined the Canadian Armed Forces - first as a Roman Catholic chaplain, and then as its first Humanist chaplain. Learn more about becoming a Humanist chaplain through Humanist Canada. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E07: Philippa Carter: What is a Religion?

Philippa Carter (@PhilippaCarter) has her PhD in Religious Studies, is a professor within McMaster’s Society, Culture & Religion degree program, and teaches a course called, “What on Earth is Religion?” Yet there is no simple answer to this straightforward question. The conversation ranges from religions to cults, philosophies, creeds, and worldviews, with stops at free expression and secularism along the way. 

If you enjoy this conversation, you might also like the Podcast for Inquiry episodes featuring Catherine Francis, Caroline Russell-King, and James Turk.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E06: Jamie Woodhouse on Sentientism

Jamie is a leading advocate for Sentientism (“evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings”) as a worldview and as a global movement. Jamie and I discuss what Sentientism is along with its philosophical, ethical, and practical implications. Learn more through the Sentientism Podcast and YouTube channel, the global Sentientism Facebook community, and on Twitter: @JamieWoodhouse and @Sentientism.

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A video recording is also available:

Podcast for Inquiry S02E05: Chris Shelton on Scientology and destructive cults

Chris Shelton was raised within the Church of Scientology, which he left a decade ago. Since then, he has dedicated his life to helping those seeking to escape coercively controlling environments. In this episode of Podcast for Inquiry, Chris explains how all cults use the same playbook to recruit and keep members, techniques to which we are all susceptible. Chris shares how one can avoid falling for the traps they set, and how to recognize if you might already be in one. You can learn more about Scientology and cult recovery on Chris’ YouTube channel.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E04: Allan Offenberger on Fusion Research: What We’ve Achieved, What Remains to be Solved

In December 2022, fusion research achieved a major accomplishment: more energy resulted from a controlled fusion reaction than was put into it. Allan explains why this is more a symbolic milestone than a sign that commercial fusion is imminent. Allan describes the current state of the art in fusion research, and the many ways fusion differs from fission, the existing nuclear energy technology. Fusion is moving from science to engineering, and many technical hurdles must be overcome before fusion, for all its promise, can make a significant practical difference in the world. 

For more information, visit the Fusion Energy Council of Canada, ITER, or the Fusion Industry Association. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02B01: Leslie Rosenblood on Humanism in Children and Women's Rights

The Centre for Inquiry Canada was invited to give a presentation on Humanism in Children and Women's Rights at the third International Humanism Conference for Social Justice in September 2022. I spoke on Humanism in Children and Women's rights. This bonus episode of Podcast for Inquiry is my speech at the conference.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E03: What does history say about the accuracy of Bible stories? With Dr. Joshua Bowen

Dr. Joshua Bowen (@DJHammurabi1) is an Assyriology scholar and author of "The Atheist Guide to the Old Testament". Josh describes his journey from fundamentalist evangelical Christianity to atheism, and what motivated him to write two volumes (so far!) of the Atheist Guide. We discuss the Old Testament book of Exodus, and its correspondence to what we know of the time from the fields of history and archaeology. You can learn much more about Josh’s work on his YouTube channel, Digital Hammurabi. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E02: Ashley Esakin explains how you - yes, you! - can be a gardener

Ashley Esakin is passionate about plants, and provides advice about how anyone - rural, urban, even those who live in apartments - can start their own garden. We talk about how seeds both sense and manipulate their environment, efficiency and environmental challenges in modern agriculture (and how they are being addressed), and some common myths and misperceptions about gardening. You can learn more from Ashley on her YouTube channel, Gardening in Canada. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E01: What It Means to be Moral with Phil Zuckerman

Phil Zuckerman is a professor of Secular Studies at Pitzer College. Phil describes what the Secular Studies program entails from philosophical, political, and sociological perspectives. Phil is the author of What It Means to be Moral, and we discuss how leading an ethical life does not require a religious foundation. Phil is the Executive Director of Humanist Global Charity, and you can read his most recent articles and essays on OnlySky.  

Listen to our conversation here:

A video recording is also available: