Liberty of thought is an impregnable fortress that no human power can force. Violence can never convince, it only makes hypocrites. When kings take it upon themselves to direct in matters of religion, instead of protecting it, they bring it into bondage. You should, therefore, grant to all a legal toleration. Not as approving everything … Continue reading Radical thinking from an archbishop
France
Big Mistake at McDo
This is a departure from the type of article that I normally post, but I was amused by this account of a crime gone wonderfully wrong. Yesterday (Sunday) evening around 8:30 two young men entered a McDo in Besançon, France. One was armed with a shotgun and fired a load of buckshot toward the ceiling … Continue reading Big Mistake at McDo
Elections
All is quiet on the election front where I live – Canada had a federal election last fall and Saskatchewan had a provincial election just a moth ago. But the media that I read are full of angst and bewilderment about the upcoming presidential elections in the USA and France (this fall in the USA, … Continue reading Elections
Writng tips #2: 10 tips for writing more simply
[I have borrowed, translated and adapted these tips from a French website. That explains the references to French authors, in case you were wondering. These tips are intended for use in writing for the web, but would be useful in many other types of writing as well.] 1. Thou shalt write short sentences. You are … Continue reading Writng tips #2: 10 tips for writing more simply
Very young heros
Recently, in a small town in western France, a father was at home with his two little children, aged five and two, while his wife was working the late shift in a town 12 km away. Suddenly the father collapsed and fell to the floor and did not respond to the questions of the five … Continue reading Very young heros
It’s all my father’s fault
It seems that I've been trying to learn French all my life, always getting a little closer but never quite arriving. I can speak French, but with a wooden tongue (that's a French expression for someone whose pronunciation is somewhat lacking). I fear that my ears may be made of the same material, for I … Continue reading It’s all my father’s fault
Touche pas à nos cornichons!
[Leave our pickles alone!] Alas, but it's too late. Authentic dill pickles are no longer made in Canada. My mother used to grow rows of cucumbers in her garden, plus a short row of dill. She would pick and wash the cucumbers and layer them in an earthenware crock with a few sprigs of dill … Continue reading Touche pas à nos cornichons!
Why isn’t this happening today?
A.D. 1199.— It is stated that at this time the Albigenses, who were one church with the Waldenses, had so increased in the earldom of Toulouse, that, as the papists complained, "almost a thousand cities were polluted with them." With this the lord of St. Aldegonde concurs, when he says: "That notwithstanding Peter de Bruis … Continue reading Why isn’t this happening today?
France this week
Today is the release date in France of a new novel by Michel Houllebecq entitled "Soumission" (Submission). In the book, the French presidential election of 2022 pits the candidate of a new Muslim political party against the candidate of the Front National. The Muslim candidate wins, then goes on to transform the public schools into … Continue reading France this week
Papa Martin, conclusion
The hours went by, the passers-by also. The little stove continued to rumble and Martin, in his chair, still watched the street. The Master did not appear. He had seen a young priest pass by with blond hair and blue eyes, just like Christ is depicted in the portraits in the church. However, while passing … Continue reading Papa Martin, conclusion
Flatlander Faith 