BEING WHOLE, IN BODY MIND AND SPIRIT

Number seven of eight children (five boys and three girls), I was born--so my older siblings later told me--on a cold and frosty Tuesday, Jan 14, 1930, into a family that knew what it was to work hard at any job available.

In the so-called "good old days there were no laws against child labor. Nor was it compulsory for children (until 1945) to go to school. Born in 1880, my father went to a church-run school long enough to learn to read and write.

There aren't many news outlets with religious writers these days, so I'm grateful that the National Post has Charles Lewis on staff to shed light on the religious life and experiences of Canadians. I appreciate particularly that Charles seems intrigued by The United Church of Canada.

Intrigued but also seemingly puzzled by a church that refuses to enforce a single “orthodox” point of view. In his eyes, I suspect, we appear to be going out of our way to raise questions that ought not to be raised, or provoke arguments that should be nipped in the bud.