Religion

Somehow…Someway…You Need To See Today’s Glenn Beck Program – September 3rd, 2010

Mulder

I know the lamestream media crucifies him. I know they paint him as a over-emotional right wing zealot. I know that every channel on TV except FOX News disses him. But somehow…someway… you need to go watch his show from Friday September 3rd. His Friday live audience show had three guests. Ex San Diego Charger Miles McPherson, Pastor of the Rock Church and author of DO Something!: Make Your Life Count
Dave Roever, founder of The Roever Foundation and decorated Vietnam Veteran, and Rabbi Daniel Lapin, President of The American Alliance of Jews and Christians.

All three men carry some incredible wisdom and faith. Miles McPherson has brought himself back from being a coke addict and lost soul to being a shepherd for so many other lost souls. Rabbi Lapin is someone who from the first words out of his mouth to the end of his sentences just captivates you with his tone, his accent and most importantly his perspective on things. And Dave Roever, a man who had a phosphorous grenade go off in his hand burning his face at 5000 degrees (half the temperature of the Sun) yet carries the joy of a child in his heart and words.

You will be moved.

You can see all three men speak at Glenn’s website if you are an “Extreme Insider”. They were part of his special event the night before his rally at The Washington Mall last Saturday.

Simply awesome.

Dalton McGuinty Misleads Us Yet Again In Latest Commercial

Mulder

Last night I saw a new Liberal commercial featuring your favourite liar and mine, Yellow Bellied McShifty, the leader of the Ontario provincial Liberal party.

Well in this commercial (and in one other) Dalton says, and I quote:

I believe that taking half a billion much needed dollars from [public] schools to give to private religious schools is a mistake.

Dalton assumes that to fund faith based schools, one must take money out of the current public school system. This is clearly inaccurate and McShifty knows it.

Even the Ontario Public School Board Association noted on page 4 of a 2005 report on the status of school funding that one of their four priorities was:

all allocations are on a per pupil basis while some allocations per “school” would be more appropriate.

This is in line with what my last post alluded to. The schools are currently funded on a “per butt in the seat” basis and funding faith based schools, (of which the majority are Christian but non-Catholic) would only inject money into the current system and not take a penny out of the current system.

Proof That Catholic Schools Do Better Than Public Schools

Mulder

In my previous post, I was asked for proof to my statement:

“The children coming out of the Catholic School system consistently outperform children in the public system”

So I am providing data below based on EQAO test scores. For those who are unaware, the province gives tests at grade 3, grade 6 in reading, writing and mathematics and they have done so since the 2001-2002 school year. They provide detailed information by board and by province.

Looking at this information is very critical at this time because the Liberal government is quietly leading voters down the path of removing the Catholic school system from the offering to Ontarians. It has not been explicitly stated, but it is clear that if they do not support segregated school funding support for all faith based schools, that this is simply an extension as the Catholic system IS a faith based system.

As there are dozens of school boards, I selectively chose ones that had both a public system and Catholic system that overlapped. This is the results which you can go confirm yourself at the EQAO website.

Durham School Board Comparison

Ottawa Carleton School Board Analysis

Renfrew School Board Comparison

Toronto School Board Analysis

Waterloo School Board Analysis

York School Board Analysis

So you can see that YES the Catholic school systems consistently outperform the public systems when put on equal footing in terms of testing and locale.

The only system in which the Catholic system lost out was in Toronto. If math was removed from the Toronto equation, the Catholic school system, again, outperformed the public system.

Faith Based Funding In Schools Is More A Matter Of Choice Than Of Religion

Mulder

I am not as surprised at the opposition to faith based funding from the loonie left as I am surprised at the opposition from some on the right of the political spectrum and let me explain why.

John Tory’s plan to bring in equal funding for faith based schools is not a matter of religion in my opinion. It is more a matter of choice. Right now in Ontario, the province dictates to us (with few special exceptions) what our publicly funded school choices are. i.e. they draw the lines and determine what school zone our children fall into and then pretty much mandate that the children go there.

This undermines one of the tenets of conservatism and that is the freedom to choose. Those of us on the right promote privatization of many things because it leads to competition and that competition leads to the best rising to the top and the worst either faltering or changing their practices to be more competitive.

If we offer public funding to put all school systems on the same level, then those that perform better will be chosen far more often by parents who don’t care about anything except for what is best for their children. It is this choice that will break the stranglehold the public school system has on our society.

Are there great teachers in the public system? Of course there are. But we cannot, by virtue of their job as a teacher, group every teacher into the category of “great”. And the teachers union has become such a strong force, that principals in the public system have little or no power to discipline or fire teachers that underperform. When was the last time you heard of a teacher being fired for underperforming in their duties? It simply does not happen.

The children coming out of the Catholic School system consistently outperform children in the public system. If Ontarians, en mass, return the party that does not believe in diversity of schools, then the door opens for the Liberals to shut down the Catholic School system. What a shame that would be. Closing down the more successful system in order to protect the public system. How better to protect the public system than to free it of competition? There is no quicker way to fail our children than to remove the competition in education.

John Tory has it right. A vote for him is a vote for what is best for our children.

FIFA Human Rights Violation … My (Gr)ass

Mulder

One organization says some must wear the hijab for religious reasons, while some may not.

One organization says they must not wear the hijab for safety reasons and it applies to EVERYONE.

Now whom do YOU think the human rights complaint will be filed against?

This is one of those cases when we just need to stop and slap ourselves.

“I think this is something that needs to be taken up with the United Nations in terms of human rights violations,” Anisa Ali of the United Muslim Women of Canada told CTV Newsnet on Saturday. “We, as Muslim women, have a right to participate in sporting activities just like non-Muslim women.”

Her group will be taking action “ASAP,” she said.

I think what any human rights group’s response to this type of complaint should be that Muslim women are not being prevented from playing soccer, but instead it should be viewed that ALL humans are being prevented from playing soccer with a headscarf.

Since EVERYONE is affected by the no headscarves rule, the only possible human rights violation would be the requirement that all Muslim women HAVE to wear a headscarf when Muslim men are exempt.

Aye, there’s the rub…

FIFA Board Agrees With Me – Soccer And Hijabs Don't Mix

Mulder

Today in Manchester, England, FIFA soccer legislators ruled that a hijab is not allowed under rule 4 of the FIFA succer rules.

An 11 year old soccer player from Ottawa says she hoped her case would make a difference. But now, Asmahan Mansour says she is disappointed following today’s meeting of FIFA soccer legislators in Manchester, England.

A week after she was ordered off the field at a tournament in Montreal for wearing a hijab, Mansour was hoping the International Football Association Board would rule it’s O.K. to wear her headscarf.

However the board states, the issue of a head scarf is covered under rule four of its soccer laws.

The rule says players cannot wear anything that is potentially dangerous to themselves or another player.

This is exactly what I had stated in my blog post earlier today. Rule four does not specifically mention headscarves, but it does have safety guidelines which seem to be the basis for the ruling, and rightfully so.

I can empathize with the young lady who was disallowed from playing, but I played competitive soccer for well over a dozen years and as the father of a soccer player, I know that safety is always of the highest concerns. This decision may not be a popular one, but it is the right one.

Can Soccer And Hijab Mix?

Mulder

Oh no, not another story about the young lady kicked off the soccer field for wearing a hijab!!!

Wait!! Don’t leave. This one is different.

In every story I have read in the press about Asmahan (Azzy) Mansour, the argument surrounds the religious argument, the safety, and FIFA. We hear about the referee being Muslim. We hear about the rules, and we hear about FIFA letting women wear Hijabs in soccer games in Pakistan and Iran.

But do we even know what the rules are there for and if they apply? The answer to this is no, because no one has ever addressed what a hijab is or how it is worn to see if it constitutes a safety risk.

From FIFA’s own website, the latest rules state:

Law 4 – The Players’ Equipment

SAFETY

* A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery)

…

BASIC EQUIPMENT

The basic compulsory equipment of a player comprises the following separate items:

* jersey or shirt;
* shorts – if thermal undershorts are worn; they are of the same colour as the shorts
* stockings;
* shinguards;
* footwear

…

NON-BASIC EQUIPMENT

*A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself/herself or another player
*Modern protective equipment such as headgear, facemasks, knee and arm protectors made of soft, lightweight padded material are not considered dangerous and are therefore permitted

Now my quest was to determine “is wearing a hijab dangerous?” so to do so, I had to see what a hijab is and how it is worn so I did some googling and found a video series put on by The Canadian Muslim. The speaker is clear, articulate, and provides many types of demonstrations on how to wear various kinds of hijabs, oblongs, shaylas, etc.

The two things I noticed about wearing a hijab that had me most concerned are:

a) the pins and b) the wrapping of the hijab around the neck.

There are one or several pins used to keep the hijab in place. Since there is no rule on pins, the only two areas that might address this are the section on Jewellery (which states under no conditions is any jewellery to be worn) and the section on safety. In my mind, the pins alone would be enough to constitute the hijab as a risk to the wearer and, possibly, other players.

The video link below will show you how the hijab is typically worn. I watched both Part I and Part II and for the most part, the hijab is draped over the head with the ends coming under the chin and then being pulled back above the head over the ears (where they are pinned, or they can be draped over the shoulder. In addressing the positions, I came to the conclusion that each and every way the hijab was worn, there is a risk of a third party grabbing it in a way that would create a choking hazard.

In light of these two reasons, I would, personally, say that the hijab should not be worn on the soccer field AS IT IS TRADITIONALLY WORN. Note the emphasis. If there is a style of hijab or a way to wear it that does not use pins, or if there is a way for it to fall apart with absolutely no risk of choking, my view would change. But from what I have seen, I do believe they constitute a safety risk and should not be allowed on soccer fields.

I hope this article sparks someone to develop an “athletic hijab” the way others have developed athletic shoes, athletic bras, athletic socks, etc.

You can see “How to wear a hijab: Part I” by clicking Here.
You can see “How to wear a hijab: Part II” by clicking Here.

Student Crucified Over Crucifix In British School

Mulder

This one earns the Officially Screwed label. A school in Britain has banned a girl from wearing her crucifix and chain.

A school provoked fury last night by ordering a devout Catholic schoolgirl to remove her cross necklace because it posed a health and safety risk.

Teachers demanded Samantha Devine remove her chain and tiny crucifix despite allowing Muslim and Sikh pupils to wear symbols of their religion.

Her family have vowed to fight the decision “all the way” claiming it discriminates against Christians.

I think that this school has one hell of a fight on it’s hands. But mark my words, I have a feeling that the student will lose and that the price will be that other religious wear must also be foregone. i.e. no more Kirpans, no more turbans, no more headgarb for Muslim females, no more yamakas, etc.

I am reminded of my years in highschool where I too was asked to remove my chain and crucifix. For me it only happened when I played in highschool basketball games and practice. I was asked once to remove it during a highschool soccer game but wore it for the majority of games and practices. (without incident I might add).

I understood the safety aspect in a sport or when in shop class, but I see no problem with a student wearing a chain with a crucifix in regular class. Although I am still not sure about Kirpans.

h/t to Backseat Blogger