Civil Rights -- Again

Two days ago, John Lewis, an American congressman from Georgia was interviewed on CBC radio here in Canada. Listening to him brought my mind back to an event in August, 1965 which occurred in Americus, Georgia.

A group of six of us, John Lewis, two black friends, a Jewish woman, with my wife and I, tried to enter an all white Baptist church to worship. We were stopped at the door by a group of church deacons and leaders. John Lewis had some words with them.

Mythology: A modern interpretation

I am an engineer. I have also spent five years studying theology. Now about 50 years later I ask myself, what did I learn during those years in seminary? The one thing that I finally grasped is the role of mythology in shaping society.

What is mythology? It is a story that society tells to itself to explain its raison d'être (reason for being). And what are the characteristics of the mythological story?

Solar energy dialogue: A reply to Mr. McGruer [UPDATED]

My dialogue with David McGruer continues... 

Hello David,

Just a few comments.

Never before has humanity been so numerous and so advanced technologically, which means we have never before spewed so much of our waste products into the atmosphere. At the same time an overwhelming number of scientists say we are the main cause of the well documented rise in global temperatures lately. It intrigues me why anyone should so adamantly dispute this.

US Politics: America and guns

This is about the strange phenomenon of gun laws and usage in the United States. As I see it they are trapped by their own history and traditions. In fact, we are all to some extent trapped by the past of our particular group or nation. The USA story goes something like this.

Israel-Palestine: Response to Robert Sibley op-ed

Click the "Read more" link below to view my response to the following opinion piece in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper.

Link: "Obama sets the stage for another war in the Middle East" by Robert Sibley

Presumably Barack Obama will return his Nobel Peace Prize now that he’s created the conditions for another Middle East war.

Vietnam Trilogy

During the 60s and early 70s, the war in Vietnam was tearing apart US society. Resistance to this war was also creating a whole generation of anti-war activists. The following three articles reflect my thinking at the time.

Solar panels: Our car runs on the sun

The world today is hooked on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels drive 80% of the world’s economy. And yet these energy drivers are inherently dangerous to the planet’s health and our health. So what can one do about it? Here is our story.