"Edmonton's Christian University" schedules a celebration of a Hindu festival

According to the Indian site Book My Pooja (bold in original):

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is India’s grand festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. Families come together for prayers, feasting, charity, home decoration, and festive joy. It holds immense spiritual and cultural significance across Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist communities.

In 2025, Diwali falls on Monday, 20th October, with Lakshmi Puja as the main highlight of the festival.

Diwali 2025 – Main Date and Tithi Details

Main Diwali Date (Lakshmi Puja): Monday, 20th October 2025
Amavasya Tithi Begins: 20th October at 12:11 AM
Amavasya Tithi Ends: 21st October at 10:43 PM
Lakshmi Puja Muhurat: 6:59 PM to 8:32 PM IST

The 5 Days of Diwali Festival 2025

1. Dhanteras (Dhantrayodashi) – Saturday, 18th October 2025
Worship of Lord Dhanvantari and Goddess Lakshmi
Buying gold, silver, brass, or utensils is considered auspicious
Homes are cleaned and illuminated to welcome prosperity

2. Narak Chaturdashi / Kali Chaudas – Sunday, 19th October 2025

Also known as Choti Diwali
Ritual Abhyang Snan (holy oil bath) is performed before sunrise
In South India, this is the main Deepavali day, marking Lord Krishna’s victory over Narakasura

3. Lakshmi Puja (Main Diwali Night) – Monday, 20th October 2025

Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, and Kuber are worshipped
Diyas are lit to drive away darkness and invite divine blessings
Families perform Lakshmi-Ganesha Puja in homes and businesses

4. Govardhan Puja / Annakut – Tuesday, 21st October 2025

Worship of Lord Krishna who lifted Govardhan Hill to protect devotees
Celebrated with grand food offerings (Annakut) and Govardhan rituals in temples

5. Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya – Wednesday, 22nd October 2025

Celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters
Sisters apply tilak on brothers’ foreheads and pray for their longevity
Gifts and sweets are exchanged in a joyful atmosphere

Why Diwali is Celebrated – Cultural Significance

North India: Commemorates Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya and the lighting of diyas across the kingdom
Gujarat: Marks the end of the financial year, with Chopda Pujan (sanctification of account books)
South India: Celebrates Lord Krishna’s victory over Narakasura
Bengal & Odisha: Diwali coincides with Kali Puja, invoking the fierce form of Goddess Durga
Jainism: Observes Mahavira’s Nirvana (liberation) on this night
Sikhism: Celebrated as Bandi Chhor Divas, marking Guru Hargobind Ji’s release from prison

How Diwali is Celebrated Across India

Lakshmi-Ganesha Puja: Prayers for prosperity, wisdom, and new beginnings
Lighting Diyas: Symbol of light, purity, and spiritual awakening
Decorating Homes: With rangoli, flowers, torans, and lights
Firecrackers: Traditional celebration of joy and the victory of dharma
Feasting and Sweets: Preparation and sharing of homemade mithai like laddus, barfi, kheer
Charity (Daan): Donating food, clothes, or money as part of Diwali dharma
New Clothes: A symbol of renewal and abundance

Modern Tips for a Sustainable Diwali

Use eco-friendly diyas and natural rangoli colors
Prefer green or silent firecrackers to reduce pollution
Gift handmade or local artisan products
Focus on spiritual practices, bonding, and seva (service) rather than materialism

Book Pandit for Lakshmi Puja or 5-Day Diwali Rituals

BookMyPooja offers:

Full 5-day Diwali Puja services, including Lakshmi-Ganesha Archana, Chopda Pujan, Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj rituals
Experienced priests fluent in Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi traditions
Online and in-person pujas with complete puja samagri kits included
Customized pujas for homes, businesses, and gated societies

One need not understand the meaning of all the terms mentioned in the paragraphs above to see that Diwali is a festival of Hinduism and its derivatives, worshipping Hindu deities. One might therefore wonder why The King's University, which bills itself as "Edmonton's Christian University," has the following in its calendar of events for 2025-26 (bold in original):

Diwali Celebration
Current Students
October 21, 2025
All Day
The King's University

This comes as no surprise to this blogger, who has long warned that anyone who thinks that The King's University and similar institutions are actually Christian isn't paying attention to what's going on.

See also my posts:

"Christian" play The Big Picture reduces the Bible to a two-hour production (February 15, 2012)

20 years ago: Activist Supreme Court of Canada invents sodomite rights in provincial legislation (April 2, 2018)

"Edmonton's Christian University" holds a silent online auction (September 23, 2021)

"Edmonton's Christian University" supports United Nations sustainable development goals (January 31, 2023)

"Edmonton's Christian University" celebrates "Pride Week" (March 8, 2023)

This freak is a product of an Evangelical university in Canada

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:24-32

Anyone who thinks that Evangelical universities and colleges are actually Christian isn't paying attention. Lighthouse Trails Research Project published the following letter from a reader on June 27, 2022 (link in original):

I am a Westmont grad from the early 70s, and, with my husband, a Multnomah University alum as well. I grew up in a church closely associated with Multnomah when its slogan was: “If you want Bible, you want Multnomah.” But no longer. We live near the school and have seen the apostasy firsthand. It breaks our hearts.

Westmont was beginning to crack while I was there. Most of the older faculty were still OK but the administration was caving in to vocal students who were very rebellious, especially toward the Christian stance of the school.

We sent a daughter to Trinity Western University in Langley BC in 2000, back when I still believed printed doctrinal statements. She went from respecting the Word of God and loving her parents to becoming a radical socialist activist who excises out of her life anyone who doesn’t support her current values, including us. I don’t know of any of her friends from there who haven’t followed the same path, either becoming indifferent to, or antagonistic toward biblical Christianity. She goes to a social justice episcopal church.

My niece, a pastor’s daughter, went to Texas Christian University, graduating around 2006. She became a Unitarian a few years ago.

The daughter of my husband’s boss is an enthusiastic Biola grad. She is also a shaven head goth who spoke at her grandfather’s funeral, calling up his spirit and having a lovely visit with him over a glass of wine!

We pray for their salvation. I believe the reason our other children still walk with the Lord is because they eschewed college (and debt) for other kinds of career training. The Lord is blessing them.

Colleen

I responded with several comments:

Back in the 1980s, Herbert Schlossberg was quoted as saying that the real mission field was the evengelical colleges, which had largely lost the idea of confronting the world, and instead had largely accommodated it.

I’ve been saying for years that doctrinal statements are often useless; there are many churches, schools, and evangelical organizations that have good-looking statements of faith, but they don’t follow them in practice.

If you want to know how “Christian” an “evangelical” college is, don’t look at its statement of faith; look at the student newspaper and blogs. They’re often full of apostasy, and it’s an indication of the school’s apostasy that they even allow such content to be published. (June 27, 2022)


Further to my comment above, look at any issue of Mars’ Hill, the TWU student newspaper. Glance at any issue, and I dare you to find anything distinctively Christian.

As an example of the apostasy to be found in any issue is in the October 6, 2021 issue. Go to page 12, and you’ll find an article promoting animism.

The arts and culture editor (2020-21) and managing editor (2021-22) of Mars’ Hill was one Carter Sawatzky, a drag queen who occupies several letters on the alphabet pervert spectrum, and is appearing with “gay Christian” Greg Coles at a Preston Sprinkle-hosted conference .

If TWU were actually Christian, characters like this would have been kept out, and Mars’ Hill wouldn’t be allowed to be published (November 30, 2023).


Further to my most recent comment, this is what Carter Sawatzky looks like now [in his profile as a graduate student at the University of British Columbia] (bold in original) (September 25, 2024):

Carter Sawatzky
They/Them
MA Student

RESEARCH AREA Critical Race Studies And Black Studies | Gender And Sexuality Studies | Rhetoric

PERIOD/NATION RESEARCH AREA
Contemporary Literatures

About
Carter Sawatzky (they/them) is a first-year MA student in the Department of English Language and Literatures at UBC with research interests in queer/trans studies, HIV/AIDS literature, and medical humanities. They received their BA Honours English from Trinity Western University where they wrote their Honours thesis on queer strategies of coping with disease and dis/ability through various forms of resilience and resistance in contemporary American literature on HIV/AIDS. Beyond academia, they are also the communications director of One TWU, the independent coalition of LGBTQIA2S+ students, alumni, and allies at TWU.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what your “Evangelical” universities are producing.

This is what passes for "deeper life" at a Canadian Evangelical university

The following requires little comment; it's yet more evidence that anyone who thinks that "Evangelical" universities and colleges are Christian isn't paying attention. The 2023 edition of "Deeper Life Day" at Antichrist Ambrose University (yes, again) took place on October 1 (bold, links in original).

What Is The Purpose Of Deeper Life Day?

The aim of Deeper Life Day is to integrate Christian faith and learning in a way that will help our students flourish in every way. The events of this day embody our spiritual goals for all Ambrose students—formation, discernment, and transformation. We encourage faculty members to participate in DLD, incentivize students to join them on the day, and consider how the themes could be integrated into the courses they are teaching this Fall Term.

PLENARY SPEAKER

photo courtesy of ARIN SANG-URAI

Josh Larsen

Josh Larsen is the co-host of the radio show and podcast Filmspotting, author of Movies Are Prayers and Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror, as well as editor/producer for Think Christian, a website and podcast exploring faith and pop culture. He’s been writing and speaking about movies professionally since 1994.

Morning Plenary: 9:30 AM

Part 1: Christian (Pop) Cultural Engagement

For most North American Christians, engaging with popular culture is no longer an option. This is the air we breathe. How can we do so with grace, discernment, and appreciation?



Morning Plenary:

Part 2: Movies Are Prayers

Movies can be many things: escapist experiences, historical artifacts, business ventures, and artistic expressions. Considered alongside the Christian ideas of God's sovereignty and common grace, they can also function as prayerful expressions of lament, praise, joy, confession, and more.

Lunch: Noon - 1:00 PM

There are only 100 spots for this light-hearted lunch with our speaker. In addition to movie trivia and fun games we will be hosting a COSPLAY competition. Come dressed as your favorite Movie, TV or gaming character. A panel of judges will determine a winner for a chance to win a Cineplex movie night for two (with popcorn and pop). Other prizes will be available as well.

Room: Airhart (1085) I Limit: 100 people

Afternoon Breakout Sessions: 1:00 PM

Engaging The Mind Of Christ (Through Metallica, Van Gogh, And High Mountain Hydrology)

John Van Sloten

John is a Calgary-based pastor, writer, and columnist for the Calgary Herald. His books include, The Day Metallica Came to Church (2010), Every Job a Parable (2017), and God Speaks Science (2023).

This workshop will give you theological tools to help you practice Christ’s presence everywhere. If all things were made through Jesus, then all things (to some degree) reveal his wisdom. Knowing Christ through the bible we can know Christ through creation—through physical nature, human nature, and the cultural creations of human nature.

I Think I've Seen This Film Before: The Death And Resurrection Of Taylor Swift

Glendon Frank

Glendon is a recent alumnus of Ambrose University, having graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature. Since graduation he continues to study and write about pop culture on various platforms. Endlessly fascinated by the intersection of faith and art, he is particularly drawn to films and stories that explore the complexity and nuance of the human condition.

This session is a discussion of the meteoric stardom of Taylor Swift and her career, as well as digging into the themes of love, life, and lament in her lyricism, all through the lens of asking what it means to engage with popular art while considering the Imago Dei. In an age of AI and algorithms where the ethics of art and consumption are at the forefront of our imagination, what does Taylor Swift's unique success mean and how ought we consider it?

Pressing The Right Buttons: Aligning Your Values In-Game And IRL

Alyssa Michaud

Alyssa is a musicologist who works at the intersections of technology, culture, and music. Her research focuses on the dynamics between audiences and artists in today’s technologically mediated society, and she is currently at work on a SSHRC Insight Development Grant in which she is exploring fan responses to digital and holographic concerts. Outside of her work in music research, Michaud once placed third in a national Dance Dance Revolution tournament, has 100% achievements on Steam in FTL: Faster Than Light, and cleared the original Binding Coil of Bahamut before it was nerfed in Final Fantasy XIV.

In 2022, the gaming industry was estimated to be worth $170 billion in global revenues—valued higher than both the global film and music industries put together. In this interactive breakout session, we will critically examine our relationships to this powerful medium by examining the ways in which gaming can foster positive values and also assessing its pitfalls. Through discussions, activities, and lots of examples from the world of gaming, this session will equip you to make more informed decisions about your approach to video games, and unpack the ways in which our controllers can connect us to deeper insights about ourselves and the world around us.

Princess Mononoke And Peacemaking: Studio Ghibli's Prophetic Masterpiece

Julian Erb

Julian is the Director of Community Life at Ambrose and he loves learning people’s stories. He enjoys getting out to the mountains with his family, the Beatles, and yummy food. He also serves part time at Grace Anglican.

How does an anime fantasy epic set in feudal Japan connect to our polarized context and the way of Jesus? We will look into this timeless story and seek to "see with eyes unclouded by hate" and the subversive invitation of peace making.

Afternoon Breakout Sessions: 3:00 PM

On Earth As It Is In Barbieland: Gender Expression, Christianity, And Barbie

Nikayla Reize

Nikayla Reize is the lead pastor of a parish church in Calgary called Awaken. She also serves as a sessional instructor at Ambrose University teaching Old Testament and Biblical Theology. She teaches workshops and seminars at churches around Southern Alberta and especially enjoys teaching on gender, inclusion, and the Bible.

This is a session exploring themes of gender expression in the past (tradition) and in the future (the coming Kingdom of Heaven) with the help of Greta Gerwig's Barbie. Barbie invites us to question the way things have always been done and dream about how they could be in our shared future. We will look at concepts such as patriarchy, matriarchy, and kyriarchy within Western Christianities as we discuss what it means to have the power to communicate ideas and make decisions for others versus being the product of someone else's ideas for how things should be. Barbieland is an imaginary place where young girls can pretend the world could be shaped according to their own hopes and dreams for a life that doesn't fit in a box. Is the Barbie movie envisioning a world that is anti-men or presenting a prophetic lament for a world that is anti-women? No one wants to be an accessory for the fulfillment and success of another and no one wants to be kept in a box. Body sovereignty and embodiment are deeply Christian ideas. Come prepared to discuss the Barbie movie and how the intersections of gender and power depicted there relate to our faith as Christians.

When Songs Become Friends: The Music That Helped Us Through Difficulties, Helped Us Know Ourselves, And Led Us To Solidarity And Healing.

Justin Bills

Justin Bills is a pastor, student and podcast host. Justin grew up in a missionary household in Los Angeles California. Key to surviving a lonely homeschooled upbringing was finding solidarity in music. Bands such as Pedro The Lion, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead and Mewithoutyou became friends to help through adolescence and adulthood. Justin lives in Calgary with his wife and 3 daughters and is a Student at Ambrose.

Faith And Social Media: Navigating The Digital World With Jesus

Bryce Ashlin-Mayo

Bryce is the Dean of Theology at Ambrose. When he is not working at Ambrose, you will find Bryce preaching in Churches, doing Seminars, writing books, or building retro video arcade consoles. Bryce has written several books on social media and digital ministry including, “Age of Kings: Pursuing God’s Heart in a Social Media World.”

What does the Bible teach about navigating a digital world? Let's explore this topic together and delve into the story of King David in the Bible. We'll discover some valuable and enduring lessons on how to live a faithful life in our modern, high-tech world.

Evening Public Lecture: 7:00 PM

In partnership with the Chair of Christian Thought

Location: Central Library Topic: Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror Movies

Why would anyone want to watch horror movies? Why would Christians, in particular, bother with the genre? Combining critical observation and theological reflection, critic Josh Larsen makes the case that monster movies, creature features, slashers, and other fright films artfully reflect our deep worries in a way that resonates with the Christian experience.

How many members of this Canadian Evangelical university's 2023-24 Student Council name the Bible as their favourite book?

For more evidence to cast doubt on the idea that one of Canada's leading Evangelical universities, Antichrist Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta, is a Christian school, look at the biographies of the members of the 2023-24 Student Council, in which they mention their favourite books. One might think that the student leaders of an ostensibly Christian university would automatically choose the Bible as their favourite book, but only one did (and the fact that one did proves that they had the option of choosing the Bible). Ladies and gentlemen, the favourite books of your future "Evangelical" leaders (typos corrected by blogger):

Ambrose Student Body President: Nathan Snow
...
Nathan's favourite book is the Lord of the Rings: Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Ambrose Student Body VP Of External Affairs: Alexsana Butt
...
Alexsana's favourite book is Perelandra by C.S. Lewis.

Ambrose Student Body VP Of Internal Relations: Liam Hawkins
...
Liam's favourite book is the Bible (because it's the only book he reads).

Ambrose Student Body Director Of Community Life: Tessa Stockowski
...
Tessa's favourite book is It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover.

Ambrose Student Body Director Of Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion: Jasmine Joosse
...
Jasmine's favourite books are too many to list.

Ambrose Student Body Director Of Marketing: Diana Hruba
...
Diana's favourite book is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies probably

Ambrose Student Body Director Of Operations: Brett Meeberg
...
Brett's favourite book is Translating God by Shawn Bolz.

Ambrose Student Body Director Of Spiritual Life: Hayley Meijndert
...
Hayley's favourite books are Victorious Mindsets and The God Chasers.

Ambrose Student Body Director Of Wellness: Micaeliah Urquhart
...
Micaeliah's favourite books are The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom and Les Misèrables by Victor Hugo.

Ambrose Student Body Executive Assistant: Randelle Spence
...
Randelle's favourite book is the Secret of the Garden.

I'm not familiar with all of these books or authors, but I have to wonder about anyone who would pick some of them as favourites. It Ends With Us is a romance novel that appears to have domestic abuse as a major theme, if the reader reviews are any indication. Who wants that?

The author of Translating God is associated with the New Apostolic Reforemation, and the book's foreword is by leading NAR heretic Bill Johnson. The fact that it's the favourite book of someone who "would like to enter into pastoral ministry" is cause for concern. Victorious Mindsets is by Steve Backlund, whose numerous books appeal to the same people who buy the books of NAR figures such as Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton.

I can't find any listing for Secret of the Garden; I suspect the proper title is the children's novel The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Flashback: 1998, 2001--more examples of sin finding people out

...and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23b

How embarrassing...as reported by Sun Media and published in The Edmonton Sun, February 11, 1998:

OTTAWA--A retired priest suffered a heart attack during a private showing in a Quebec strip bar, police said yesterday.

Jean-Paul Snyder died last Wednesday in the Champagne Room in Le Mandarin, a strip club in Mont Laurier, about 125 km northeast of Ottawa.

The 71-year-old priest, who was in his street clothes at the time, collapsed at about 10:30 p.m. The dancer, who performed for him in the private room and other club employees tried to revive him before the ambulance arrived.

"Snyder had a lengthy cardiac history," said said Quebec provincial police Const. Gilles Couture.

The priest was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.

Snyder retired from the priesthood in 1992 for "health reasons," said Ottawa Archdiocese spokesman Guy Levac.

Archbishop Marcel Gervais' first thoughts were for Snyder's family when he found out the circumstances surrounding the retired priest's death.

"If on occasion a person makes mistakes or shows a lack of judgment, that does not erase the good done in their life," Gervais said in a statement.

As reported by Associated Press and Canadian Press, and repoted in The Edmonton Sun, April 20, 2001:

Colleagues of a Russian professor, described as a rising star in international law, were shocked yesterday when told he died in Newfoundland after cocaine-filled balloons burst in his stomach.

Gennady Danilenko, who taught at Wayne State University in Detroit, was on his way to Detroit from Amsterdam on Sunday when he became gravely ill aboard a transatlantic flight.

The airliner was diverted to Goose Bay, Nfld., where Danilenko, 45, was taken to hospital. Doctors removed a dozen balloons from his body and he died Wednesday.

An autopsy revealed six of the cocaine-filled balloons had ruptured.

"We were shocked by his death," said Joan Mahoney, dean of the Wayne State law school.

"Edmonton's Christian University" celebrates "Pride Week"

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 18:22

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:24-32

Bold, links in original:

The King's University in Edmonton, Alberta

The King's University is Edmonton's Christian University and serves students and communities across Western Canada and internationally. Its campus is located in Alberta's young and vibrant capital and sits on Treaty Six territory, the traditional home of many Indigenous peoples.
The world can be studied best when acknowledged that it was created by and belongs to God. Come to King's and you'll see friendly, welcoming faces. We do our best to reflect Christ's love and grace to all students. The university receives top rankings and recognition on national surveys for student-faculty engagement, a supportive campus, and quality of teaching. It's no wonder King's boasts of a 98% post-grad employment rate!

Anyone who thinks that The King's University is Christian simply isn't paying attention. In the 1990s, the school then known as King's University College pretended to oppose what they now openly celebrate. Submitted for your approval, the schedule for The King's University's 2023 celebration of "Pride Week":

Pride Week
March 06, 2023
Mar 06, 12:00 am - Mar 10, 12:00 am
The King's University

Join us as we celebrate Pride Week at King's March 6th to 10th. There will be various activities going on all week!

LGBTQ2S+ Space Space Training
March 07, 2023
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
N101

Join us in N101 at noon for LGBTQ2S+ space space training.

Pride Panel Discussion
March 08, 2023
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
N102

Join us for a Pride Week panel discussion at noon in N102.

Living Library
March 08, 2023
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Library

Everyone is welcome to come to the library to connect one on one with individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.

Queer Music Bingo
March 09, 2023
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Level Coffeehouse

Get your bingo on! Join us in the Level for a game of bingo featuring your favourite queer artists and musicians.

In 1981, I heard Old Testament professor Ralph Alexander deliver a series of lectures on David as a man after God's heart, but he started with a lecture about Saul, who was not a man after God's heart. One of the things he said that has stayed with me concerns I Samuel 15, where God commanded Saul to slaughter the Amalekites, including not only all the people, but all the animals. Saul instead saved King Agag and the best of the animals, while claiming that he had obeyed the LORD. Dr. Alexander pointed out that Saul was guilty here of finding something good in that which God had condemned. The same is true for anyone who celebrates and takes pride in sexual practices that God calls abominations, a which connotes condemnation in the strongest possible terms.

See also my posts:

"Christian" play The Big Picture reduces the Bible to a two-hour production (February 15, 2012)

20 years ago: Activist Supreme Court of Canada invents sodomite rights in provincial legislation (April 2, 2018)

"Edmonton's Christian University" holds a silent online auction (September 23, 2021)

"Edmonton's Christian University" supports United Nations sustainable development goals (January 31, 2023)

Trinity Western University promotes events that divide rather than unite Christians

Anyone who thinks that evangelical universities and colleges are actually Christian isn't paying attention; it's becoming increasingly difficult to see any difference between these institutions and the world, especially as the world becomes more anti-Christian. Submitted for your approval, the following items from the events page of Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia (bold, links in original):

27/01/2023 - 10:00 :

Trinity Western University's Lunar New Year celebrations bring students, staff, and the community together at Langley and Richmond campuses

As a global Christian university, Trinity Western is a community of learners representing over 80 countries. This year, during Lunar New Year, a festival celebrated by many communities globally, Trinity Western's Langley and Richmond campuses are filled with activities.

On January 23, TWU's Intercultural Student Programs (ICP) kicked off a week-long series of events for students and the campus community, starting with a Korean Dinner hosted in the Global Lounge (Kuhn Centre) on Monday evening. Students shared laughs and good food while participating in dumpling wrapping and lantern making.

Wema Kibe is a student leader who helped coordinate Monday's community dinner. The third-year International Studies major explained that "Community dinners are a great place for people to not just learn about a culture but to also make new connections. Ushering in the new year with people from diverse places was a great way to do this."

The first activity of the evening was making dumplings, and Wema reflected on the intercultural exchange, "It was fun to see people at different tables creating different shapes. I talked to someone from Japan who made a dumpling the way they do it in her culture, and it was interesting to see that integration."

Student leader Anasthasia Anjanette led participants in making paper lanterns. The activity symbolized "letting go of our past selves" and getting ready for the new year. Wema explains, "Inside the lanterns, they wrote down their wishes for the new year." Prizes were given out to the maker of the best-looking lanterns.

The campus Korean club, Manna, took charge of the cooking and cultural explanations of the food.

On Tuesday, a lion dance troupe graced the foyer of the Reimer Student Centre. Boisterous music and drum beats accompanied the traditional dance performance, which was enjoyed by students, staff, and faculty. Wednesday evening saw student dorms racing through a series of stations across the Langley campus—each station presenting a different game or challenge—in a cross-campus dorm night.

Thursday brought celebrations to TWU Richmond's two sites in Minoru and Lansdowne. Activities included calligraphy writing, trivia games, pastoral care and prayer, and a student dance performance. Dumplings and snacks were served, and red envelopes with a treat and a note of Scriptural encouragement handed out. The MLA for Richmond Centre Teresa Wat attended as well, to share new year greetings with the Richmond campus community.

MBA student Merghani Ahmed expressed that he enjoys studying at TWU Richmond, where the community represents "a diversity of different faiths and nationalities." He also appreciates "the flexibility of classes, and good events, such as today's Lunar New Year event, which are good experiences for students from international backgrounds."

The festivities continued that evening in the Reimer Student Centre, where bubble tea was served by TWU's Student Association (TWUSA), and various booths offered games, conversation, gifts, and snacks.

A week of Lunar New Year events wraps up this Friday evening with a talent show at Block Hall.

30/01/2023 - 09:00

Black History Month 2023 at Trinity Western University

Trinity Western University honours Black History Month this February. Join us as we recognize the importance, impact, and contributions of Black history and culture on a global, national, and local scale.

Find out how TWU is celebrating Black History Month, and how you can participate.

See our month-long schedule of events below:

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Library Event and Book Display – Presentation by Aklilu Mulat, Senior Vice President, Business Operations & CFO, Trinity Western University
February 1 | 11:45 a.m. | Glass Room, Norma Marion Alloway Library

Topic: Blacks' Contribution to the TWU Family: The Ethiopian Connection

Mr. Aklilu Mulat's speech is inspired by his own journey and connection leading to Trinity Western, going as far back to the former emperor of Ethiopia (Haile Selassie), and the visible legacy that the connection created. Lunch provided.

TWU Afro-Caribbean Club (ACC) Games Night
February 2 | 8 p.m. | Global Lounge, Kuhn Centre

Join us in bringing TWU together, especially the student community, for a fun night of games, conversation, and friendship-building. Snacks will be shared.

TWU Chapel
February 3 | 11 a.m. | Enarson Gymnasium

Enjoy a special Praise Chapel worship experience with the TWU BHM Choir.

Black History Month Opening Event
February 3 | 5 p.m. | Kuhn Centre Lobby

Our Black History Month kick-off celebration features music by TWU's BHM Choir and the Kara-Kata Afrobeat Band from Vancouver, alongside talented TWU students Ose Obetoh, David Mutabazi, Eddison Bryan and Tamilore Awonusi.
Warm appetizers and Afro-Caribbean beverages provided.

TWU Chapel
February 8, 10 | 11 a.m. | Enarson Gymnasium

TWU President Mark Husbands continues the Chapel sermon series on Justice.

Black History Month Movie Night
February 15 | 6 p.m. | DeVries Auditorium

Movie: Hidden Figures
See the story of three African-American female mathematicians working at NASA—Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson—whose efforts served to launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a monumental accomplishment in U.S. and world history.

February 19
Black History Month Podcast Interview

Learning Matters: a Bridge to Practice – Episode #50

What do you get when a Communication Scholar, Historian, Geographer, and a Biologist walk into a room during Black History Month?

On the podcast Learning Matters: a Bridge to Practice, hosted by TWU's Scott Macklin, professors and scholars Divine Agodzo, Robynne Healey, Maxwell Ofosuhene and Laura Onyango discuss and celebrate intersections of black contributors to history and issues of diversity, inclusion and reconciliation across the full spectrum of our educational offerings and scholarship. Answering questions such as, What do you believe are some of the unique challenges facing Black students in Christian universities today, and how do you work to support and empower them? In your opinion, what can be done to address systemic racism and discrimination within Christian universities and communities? What are some books or movies that you consider helpful in exploring or learning about black history?

Black History Month Closing Celebration
February 27 | Front of Reimer Centre

Talk by Hon. Justice Olufunlola Adekeye, CON, CFR,JSC (rtd.) Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria 2009-2012
February 28 | DeVries Auditorium

Topic: The Place of Black Women in Leadership in the 21st Century—Experience as a Trailblazer

Hon. Justice Adekeye will share her Lordship’s experience as a Christian woman who helped to break the glass ceiling in the Judiciary of Nigeria. She was the first woman to rise to the High Court of Ondo and Ekiti States, and the second woman (and first in Southern Nigeria) to rise to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which is the highest court in the country.

Throughout the month of February: A display of books written by Black authors will be featured at the Norma Marion Alloway Library.

-----------------------------------

Gender Cafe: EDID, Politics, and Christian Institutions

Christian organizations should be in the forefront of creating and advancing equitable, diverse, inclusive, and decolonized environments. It is a part of our DNA. So, why are we not leading in this endeavour? The problem is that we follow the political and cultural trends instead of forging faith-led approaches to achieving a just and humane society. How are Christians called to lead the work of shaping the Beloved Community?

Dr. Adkins’ talk will be followed by discussion and a question-and-answer period.

It's FREE and open to the public and refreshments are provided.

About the Speaker

Jennifer Adkins, PhD, is Vice President of Inclusive Excellence at TWU. An expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion, she is a key member of the executive leadership team, the University leadership council, and the strategic planning committee, and she provides strategic leadership and counsel to the University. She is advancing TWU’s work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and helping to propel the University forward in pursuit of our shared vision to prepare graduates for faithful lives of excellence.

About the Gender Studies Institute at TWU

The Gender Studies Institute fosters interdisciplinary teaching, intellectual dialogue, research, and collaboration in all areas of gender studies. The interdisciplinary nature of the institute will enable TWU scholars to collaboratively address with students gender issues that come out of every discipline, such as domestic violence, child abuse, and gendered visions of care, exploring how categories such as class, race, and gender intersect, to train leaders who will enjoy and foster restorative gendered relationships. The role of our Christian faith in the working out of gender in all aspects of life will inform our teaching and research.

Lunar New Year has considerable worldly superstition and pagan content; from the article The Lunar New Year: Rituals and Legends at the site Asia for Educators (bold, links in original):

Preparations for the New Year

... Domestically there is a traditional cleansing as well. In decades past, the most thorough “spring cleaning” of the year was initiated as a ritualistic sweeping away of all the evil spirits feared to be lurking in dark corners behind heavy and rarely moved pieces of furniture. Today, the only consideration for the vast majority of Chinese is a spotless presentation of one’s home to the many family members and guests who will be welcomed during the holiday season. Windows are washed, or were repapered in the old days, and the courtyard gate or other wooden parts of the house might be repainted. The old agrarian calendar cites the 20th day of the 12th lunar month as the “day for sweeping floors,” and this date still marks the beginning of the major pre-holiday housecleaning projects in Hong Kong. In much of China, peasants waited until the 23rd (in South China) or the 24th (in the North) to pick up the broom and dust pan. It was on this day that the Kitchen God, or god of the hearth, was scheduled to depart to make his report concerning household activities to the Jade Emperor in heaven. So as not to unnecessarily disturb and possibly offend him, housewives waited until he was on his way before they started moving furniture and raising dust.

Sending the Kitchen God off to heaven was a matter deserving special attention. In residence year-round at the hearth, where he was represented by a prominently displayed picture, or in parts of the South by beautifully calligraphed characters for his name, the Kitchen God observed all the family’s comings and goings. Had they been generous to any beggar at the door? Had they wasted any hard-earned food, which some farmer had toiled and sweated to produce? Measures were taken to insure the kitchen god’s cooperation in giving a glowing report to the Jade Emperor, and thereby winning for the family a little heavenly favor. This included ritual offerings of candies or pastries and wine, and even smearing his lips with honey to make certain that he would only have sweet things to say about the family. Once this was done, the picture of the Kitchen God was torched, and he was off on his yearly journey, not to return until New Year’s Day. The dusting, washing, and scrubbing could then begin. Many believed they should sweep with inward strokes toward the center of the room so as not to whisk any of the family’s good fortune out the door...

...New Year’s Eve

By New Year’s Eve, family members, some of whom may have traveled long distances to return home, gather for a reunion. In preparation for his return from heaven on New Year’s Day, the new portrait of the Kitchen God is hung, as are the brand new door gods, the duilian (door couplets), and any other festive decor. Some southern families place stalks of sugar cane behind the doors. The height and section-upon-section construction of the sweet stalks represented the family’s hope for a ladder-like ascent to new levels of glory in the coming 12 months. Everyone dresses up, preferably in new clothes, and is on best behavior.

Traditionally, on this last night of the year, the male head of the household led the family in making offerings to various gods of the house and to the ancestors. The ceremonies would begin by sealing the cracks around the door with red paper to prevent the last vestiges of the old year’s bad luck from stealing into the house, and any of the family’s good luck from escaping. Respects would be paid to the god of wealth, the gods of the well, the bed, the hearth, or any others with whom the family wanted to remain on especially good terms. The attention would then turn to the ancestors, to whom sacrifices of food would be given along with burning of incense. Each member of the family would kneel in respect before the ancestral tablets, symbols of many past generations, all the spirits of whom some families believed were in attendance that night. In wealthier households, an entire room might be devoted to use as an ancestral hall, complete with altar, while in poorer families, the ancestral tablets might occupy a modest shed in a corner. Just as important was to show respect to one’s living elders. Younger family members would ketou (kowtow) to members of each generation above them, in order, beginning with the eldest. When children showed respect in this way, they were rewarded with red envelopes (hongbao), which contained New Year’s money (yasui qian)...

...New Year Festivities

...It was at this time that the male head of the house in many educated households would write auspicious characters or phrases to be hung at the entrance to the home. Some also waited for this day to approach the ancestral altar for seasonal rites, and to perform ritual ketou...

...In the days after the new year, it is common to make pilgrimages to temples, especially nowadays for residents of Hong Kong. Theater groups and acrobatic troupes perform in the streets at marketplaces, on temple grounds, or at large public stadiums. Dragon dances, lion dances, stilt-walking performances, and folk pageantry are still particularly popular...

...The Lantern Festival

The 15th day of the first lunar month is known as the “Lantern Festival.” The name for this day on the traditional calendar is Yuanshao, which has come to mean the small round dumplings of rice flour conventionally eaten at this time. The Lantern Festival signals the end of the New Year festival period.

Originally, lanterns were said to have been used on this night to help see the gods by torch light. Each family would construct an elaborate paper lantern for this purpose. Now in many parts of China there is great emphasis on the craftsmanship used in making exquisite lanterns in a variety of shapes and styles, which are then often shown at public exhibitions.

All of the events mentioned above appeal to only certain segments of the population rather than the whole. Lunar New Year is of interest mainly to Orientals; Black History Month helps to perpetuate the separation of Negro history from general history; and "equitable, diverse, inclusive, and decolonized" is Orwellian Newspeak for "eradicate everything coming from white people, especially white males." I defy anyone to find anything distinctively Christian in these events--or in allegedly Christian institutions of higher education.

"Edmonton's Christian University" supports United Nations sustainable development goals

Anyone who thinks that "Christian" universities are actually Christian isn't paying attention. The King's University, which calls itself "Edmonton's Christian University," is funded by churches of the Reformed persuasion, but the university long ago went liberal (I'm not sure it was ever sound). Listed among upcoming events is International Development Week Movie & Pizza (bold in original). The blurb is its own commentary:

February 06, 2023
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Cafeteria

For International Development Week, the Micah Centre invites the King’s community to learn about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): what are they, and how can they help us achieve a more just, humane, and sustainable world? You are invited to a viewing of ‘Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times’, to learn about the SDGs and hear about the amazing work people around the world are doing to improve lives in their communities.

Contributors include Don Cheadle, Beyoncé, Michelle Yeoh, Forest Whitaker, Thandie Newton, and Malala Yousafzai.

Examples of "art" produced by students at a Canadian "evangelical" university

Another example of wordliness from an "evangelical" university; as advertised by Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia, November 29, 2022 (bold, text links in original):

2022 In Review: Art + Design exhibition celebrates a year of creative production by TWU art, design, video game and animation students

Newest student exhibition celebrates a year of creative production by art, design, video game and animation students in TWU’s School of the Arts, Media + Culture.

2022 In Review: Art + Design Student Exhibition

Dates: December 2, 2022 – February 2, 2023

Opening Night Artist Talks: Thursday, December 1, 6:15-7:30 p.m.

Location: SAMC Gallery, Norma Marion Alloway Library, Trinity Western University (22500 University Drive, Langley).

This exhibition celebrates a year of creative production by SAMC art, design, video game and animation students. Produced over the course of 2022, the works in this exhibition span the diverse media that students are exposed to in the program, including drawing, painting, animation and digital design. 2022 In Review provides a space to reflect on the growth and learning that has taken place this year as students have honed their technical skills, deepened conceptual capacities, and discovered their authentic visual voice.

A foundational question resonates throughout the work gathered here, a question that is taken up in each of the courses offered in the Art + Design program: what does it mean to be created in the image of a creator God? As these student artists participate in the act of creation, they each reveal the Creator in a unique way. The act of creation draws these emerging artists near to the heart of a God who delights in the beauty and diversity of His creation.

This exhibition is on view from December 2, 2022 to February 2, 2023. All are welcome to join us for opening night artist talks on Thursday, December 1 at 6:15 p.m.

...

About Art + Design at Trinity Western University

We are a community of professional artists, designers, scholars, and students who look at visual ways of creating. Within a variety of interdisciplinary historical, critical, and theoretical contexts, we explore how visual art and design practices can be used to create and critique culture. Our program empowers students to become creative leaders who are able to adapt and innovate in our rapidly changing world. Learn more at Art + Design.

Mojgan Mirzapouralamdari, Untitled, Mixed Media on Canvas.

Zaeya Winter, What We Preserve, Mixed Media on Canvas.

Sofia del Castillo Medina, My Essentials, Acrylic on Canvas.

Yihan (Martin) Wang, Subtractive study, graphite and charcoal on cold pressed watercolor paper.

Cecilia Nguyen, Personal Brand, Adobe Illustrator.

Candace Genesis, Book Cover.

I see nothing in any of these works of "art" that could be said to "reveal the Creator in a new way"--nothing distinctively Christian, depicting the good, beautiful, and true. Most of this "art" is ugly and incomprehensible; I'm reminded of Winston Churchill's description of Graham Sutherland's portrait of him as "a remarkable example of modern art." The work by Mr. Wang is at least recognizable as a can opener (assuming that's what it's supposed to be), and Book Cover is indeed a picture of a book cover. The amount of creativity on display is breathtaking; and these are just the works shown at TWU's website.

Antichrist Ambrose University presents Gilgamesh

Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta is the denominational school for both the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada and Church of the Nazarene Canada. Anyone who thinks that institutions such as Ambrose University are Christian isn't paying attention; they may be "evangelical," but they aren't Christian. According to Ambrose's events calendar (bold, link, photo in original):

Gilgamesh (Classical Theatre Production)

Ambrose Theatre Students

December 1-3, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. & Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 2:30pm

Tickets: $20 Adult; $15 Students/Seniors/Ambrose ID. Please reserve tickets at tickets@ambrose.edu or at the door. Not suitable for children under 10.

Date
Thursday, December 1, 2022

Location
Big Secret Theatre,
Arts Commons
#21 225 8 Ave SE
Calgary, AB

Ambrose Arts Performing Gilgamesh

From December 1-3, Ambrose Arts will be performing Gilgamesh at the Big Secret Theatre – Arts Commons.

We are pleased to introduce our designer, Lindsey Zess. Lindsey is a Metis director, designer, maker and art educator living and working on Treaty 7 territory, primarily Mohkinstsis/Otoskwunee/Calgary. She creates work for both film and theatre, specializing in scenography, directing, devised performance, physical theatre practices and puppetry. Her devising/design methodology places a strong emphasis on the material, mythological and metaphysical.

The production Gilgamesh is inspired by the discovery of the oldest library in the world. A 4000-year-old story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, begins with King Gilgamesh of Uruk leading a life of despicable actions. Finding an unlikely friendship with his rival Enkidu through combat, the two become inseparable, fighting all their battles together. Upon the death of his friend, Gilgamesh sets off on the quest for eternal life. Gilgamesh finds himself attempting to conquer death through treacherous missions assigned by gods and immortals. Laying eyes on his city once more, Gilgamesh comes to terms with his fate and chronicles it as a lesson to those after him.

For more information on the Epic of Gilgamesh, we recommend watching this video!

It's impossible not to notice that the announcement mentions the politically correct race of the designer,as if that's of importance to the production. What is important is the subject matter, which is not suitable for children under 10--ideal family fare for Christmas! It seems odd that a university that claims to be Christian would present a production celebrating Gilgamesh, who has been identified by sound biblical scholars with Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10), a tyrant whose kingdom was opposed to the God of the Bible. For evidence of this, see Nimrod by biblical archaeologist David P. Livingston at Christian Answers. Let's hear it, ladies and gentlemen, for your "evangelical" universities!

Antichrist Ambrose University hosts presentation by theistic evolutionist

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said,... Genesis 3:1

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29-30

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: I Timothy 6:20

Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta is the denominational school for both the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada and Church of the Nazarene Canada. Anyone who thinks that institutions such as Ambrose University are Christian isn't paying attention; they may be "evangelical," but they aren't Christian. From the university's schedule of events (bold, links in original):

The Bible & Ancient Science: Principles Of Interpretation

Date
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Time
7:00 P.M. (Mountain Time)

Location
Virtual (Complete the registration form to receive the link)

Presented by Dr. Denis O. Lamoureux Event

DESCRIPTION
Is the Bible a Book of Science? Christians have answered in a wide variety of ways. Theologian and scientist Denis O. Lamoureux proposes that during the inspiration of Scripture, the Holy Spirit came down to the level of the biblical writers and allowed them to use the science-of-the-day. In this way, the ancient science in the Word of God is a vessel that delivers life-changing, inerrant spiritual truths.

Handout for lecture

Response by Dr. Colin Toffelmire and Q&A to follow

SPEAKER BIO
Denis O. Lamoureux is Professor of Science and Religion at St. Joseph’s College in the University of Alberta. He is also a research associate in paleontology. Lamoureux holds three earned doctoral degrees—dentistry, theology, and biology. His most recent book is entitled Beyond the Evolution vs. Creation Debate. It was written to assist high school students in understanding origins and the Genesis 1 account of creation. This lecture is part of current Seminary students' courses, but the public are welcome to join in for this special lecture.

Dr. Lamoureux has provided a link (here) for attendees to pre-read about the subject. This will help give context to some of the discussion.

Dr. Lamoureux's entry at the University of Alberta website (bold, links in original:

Denis O. Lamoureux DDS PhD PhD
Professor of Science & Religion
St. Joseph's College, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J5
Canada
dlamoure@ualberta.ca

Denis O. Lamoureux is Professor of Science and Religion at St. Joseph's College in the University of Alberta. His appointment is the first tenure-track position in Canada dedicated to teaching and research on the relationship between scientific discovery and Christian faith. Lamoureux's academic specialty focuses on the modern origins controversy.

Lamoureux embraces the time-honored belief that there are two major sources of Divine revelation—the Book of God’s Words and the Book of God’s Works. The Bible and the physical world complement each other. Science reveals How the Creator made this spectacular design-reflecting world, while Holy Scripture declares precisely Who created it. Together the Two Divine Books fulfill each other; alone they are incomplete.

In his online web lecture Beyond the "Creation" vs. "Evolution" Debate, Lamoureux argues that the simple either/or approach to origins inhibits everyone from making informed choices. He asserts that if the limits of both conservative Christianity and evolutionary biology are respected, then their relationship can be complementary. This view of origins is known as Evolutionary Creation. Concisely stated, it claims that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created the universe and life through an ordained, sustained, and design--reflecting evolutionary process.

Indeed, evolutionary creation is a challenging view of origins for many Christians, and Lamoureux shares his struggle to accept this position in a web lecture entitled Coming to Terms with Evolution: A Personal Story. He also writes about his voyage in a book chapter that is online.

Evolutionary creation emphasizes that the Bible is NOT a book of science. Instead, it is a God-inspired revelation that offers inerrant, life-changing, Messages of Faith. Holy Scripture does indeed refer to the natural world, but it features an ancient understanding of nature. In other words, the Bible has an ancient science. In his latest book, The Bible & Ancient Science: Priniciples of Interpretation (2020), Lamoureux presents hundreds of verses revealing that Scripture features the science-of-the-day in the ancient world. Through his 22 interpretive principles he argues that the Holy Spirit descended to the intellectual level of the ancient biblical writers in order to communicate as effectively as possible inerrant spiritual truths. Three of these principles and an explanation of the cover of this book can be found here.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Lamoureux's position on origins, as seen in the comments made by famed atheist Richard Dawkins in this video clip.

Lamoureux holds three earned doctoral degrees—dentistry, theology, and biology. He is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation and cited in the Who's Who of Theology and Science. He is also a member of the Evangelical Theology Society. Lamoureux lectures throughout Canada and the United States in both Christian and public academic institutions. In 2001 and 2006, he received teaching awards from the University of Alberta Students' Union. Lamoureux's award winning introductory course on the relationship between science and religion, CHRTC 350: Science and Religion with Class Notes, Class Handouts, and Class Audio-Slides is available online.

With Phillip E. Johnson, Lamoureux co-authored Darwinism Defeated? The Johnson-Lamoureux Debate on Biological Origins (1999). Lamoureux has also written Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution (2008) and has condensed this book into into a more accessible version entitled I Love Jesus and I Accept Evolution (2009). Lamoureux has debated John Walton, C. John Collins, and William Barrick in Four Views on the Historical Adam (2013).

The Church’s struggle with Galileo's astronomy offers valuable insights for Christians coming to terms with evolution. Galileo popularized the aphorism: “The intention of the Holy Spirit is to teach us how one goes to heaven and not how heaven goes.” Rewritten for the Church today, evolutionary creationists encourage Christians to understand: The purpose of the Bible is to teach us THAT God is the Creator, and not HOW the Father, Son & Holy Spirit created.

Dr. Lamoureux's views appear to be reasonable, until you realize that he denies the historical existence of Adam, which is a denial of the teaching of both Old and New Testaments. According to Dr. David Craig, in his Amazon customer review of Four Views on the Historical Adam:

I Appreciated the personal testimony of Denis Lamoureux's pursuit of truth in the fields of science and theology. He has definitely wrestled with and struggled with all the issues at hand - as a non-believer, as well as a believer in Christ. Lemorourex concludes that his view of evolution disallows for belief in the historical Adam that is revealed in the Scriptures. He argues at length that the realities of history conflicts with modern science. He believes that ancient science (the view of the biblical writers) conflicts with modern science and therefore what we have in the Bible is God accommodating inerrant spiritual truths.

In summary "Lamoureux rejects scientific concordism, the idea that God chose to reveal through the Scriptures certain scientific facts and that modern science, properly understood, can be aligned with the Bible. To the contrary, he says the authors of Scripture had an ancient perception of the world, apparent in their belief in a three-tiered universe, their view of the 'firmament,' and elsewhere. When it comes to humanity's biological origins, the biblical authors likewise had a primordial understanding. They held to 'de novo creation,' the belief that God created man and everything else directly, immediately, and completely, that is fully mature."

Lamoureux argues that Adam did not exist, but that Jesus Christ is a historical person who died and rose again for our sins. He attempts to show how modern science has changed his views on interpreting the Bible through understanding distinctions between ancient and modern science, language accommodation, and his rejection of concordism.

I found his essay to be interesting, but unconvincing. I especially struggled with his weak theological explanation of the historical "Adam" from the lips of Jesus and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. I also struggled with his interpretation of Genesis 1-11 as not being historical. Lastly, I found his interpretation and methodology in arriving at his conclusions insufficient - leaving me with more questions than answers. I agree with C. John Collins assessment of his essay when he writes, "Lamoureux has followed a style of reasoning that is oversimplified, specifically in that he generally poses either/or questions with only two options; he does not consider whether there are alternatives."

This blogger regards the Bible as the infallible, inspired word of God, and anything that contradicts the Bible is in error. Dr. Lamoureux, on the other hand, regards the Bible as being in error if it's in contradiction with what the latest "science" says. It should be noted that Dr. Lamoureux, in addressing the issue of the existence of Adam, is no longer operating in the realm of science, but has moved into the realm of history, where the scientific method doesn't apply. I also find it curious that an "evangelical" professor teaches at a Roman Catholic college.

As for the man Ambrose has chosen to respond to Dr. Lamoureux's presentation, Dr. Colin Toffelmire says, "...we want to try to think the best of these people we disagree with...," but check his Twitter feed, and you'll see that he doesn't seem to think well of Christians and conservatives, and seems to find more affinity with secular liberal intellectuals. In this Dr. Toffelmire reminds me of pseudo-intellectual Tim Keller, who has had a disproportionate influence among evangelicals, but who never seems to identify with real Christians, but always takes the view that's likely to gain the approval of secular New York liberals.

This isn't the first time that Ambrose has hosted a theistic evolutionist; see my previous post Antichrist Ambrose University has theistic evolutionist as guest speaker for its Faith, Life and Learning Days (February 6, 2020)

See also my other previous posts on Ambrose University:

Why is an Alliance-Nazarene college named after a Roman Catholic saint? (March 2, 2009)

The Ambrose-contemplative connection (March 4, 2009)

Ambrose University College trains Nazarene pastors using materials from a company with ties to Mormonism (March 6, 2009)

Ambrose University College and "Transformation" (March 6, 2009)

The Outhouse (aka The Shack) in God's house (May 5, 2009)

Ambrose Seminary teaches contemplative spirituality in 2009-2010 (February 24, 2010)

Ambrose University College hires Jesuit-educated contemplative spirituality proponent as its new president (May 30, 2012)

Ambrose University College's "Jazz Day" provides evidence of increasing worldliness in evangelical schools (March 5, 2014)

Antichrist Ambrose University College continues on its downward, leftward, and Romeward course (March 8, 2014)

Antichrist Ambrose University President Gordon T. Smith continues to promote ecumenism and Social Gospel (February 28, 2018)

Addition by subtraction: The deaths of James Lovelock and Ron Sider

British environmentalist James Lovelock died on July 26, 2022, his 103rd birthday. Dr. Lovelock, a physician by training, was also a climate scientist and futurist. He was best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, the idea that Earth itself is a living organism, with life forms interacting with inorganic surroundings to form a synergistic, self-regulating system. The hypothesis, named after the Greek goddess who personified the Earth, has been criticized by secular evolutionists, but has greatly influenced the increase in pagan nature worship that has become so popular in recent decades. I doubt that Dr. Lovelock is enjoying his present climate and environment.

On July 27, 2022, Ron Sider died at the age of 83. Dr. Sider, a native of Stevensville, Ontario, was involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship while an undergraduate at the University of Waterloo, and worked in apologetics with IVCF after earning a doctorate in history and master's in divinity from Yale University. He founded Evangelicals for Social Action in 1973, which might more accurately be called "Evangelicals for Socialism."

Dr. Sider was perhaps best known for his books Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (1977) and Nuclear Holocaust and Christian Hope (1983). Christian writer Lloyd Billingsley described the former as:

A textbook of zero-sum thinking and statist solutions presented in religious vocabulary. A compendium of economic fallacies. (Billingsley, Lloyd. The Absence of Tyranny: Recovering Freedom in Our Time, 1986, p. 196).

Mr. Billingsley said of the latter:

Nuclear Holocaust and Christian Hope, co-authored with Richard Taylor, is a kind of religious version of Jonathan Schell's Fate of the Earth. Like Schell, Sider and Taylor rely heavily on shock tactics--describing blasts, destructions, bombs, blood, vomit, burns, screams. The front, fictionalized section of the book where this occurs is a combination snuff film and nuclear pornographic novel.

Merchandising comes later, the radical Christian version of Jesus watches and frisbees. Sider and Taylor advocate measures like displaying peace bumper stickers (surely a distinctive Christian approach), keeping photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the coffee table instead of Ansel Adams, buying stationery with a peace motif, and subscribing to the right magazines including the "rigorously biblical" Sojourners whose peace ministry co-author Taylor is a consultant.

To his great credit, Sider at least has the courage to carry his pacifism to its logical conclusion. The book may very well be the world's longest suicide note, suicide being the sure outcome of his nonmilitary defense plan, a new Anschluss on a larger scale.

The assumption is that, once conquered, we can all eventuall settle down to a peaceful, neo-Scandinavian existence. Germany was once thoroughly conquered; they did not so settle down. Sider's arguments for complete, not just nuclear, pacifism are buttressed with proof texts, but remain to me unconvincing.

It appears they are unconvincing to the authors as well. After three hundred gruelling pages filed with countless usages of "must," "should," and "ought," Sider and Taylor make this astonishing statement: "The authors of this book do not claim to have all the answers." Given this it is difficult to see their book as anything more than a public act of spiritual and political masturbation.

(Billingsley, Lloyd, The Generation that Knew Not Josef: A Critique of Marxism and the Religious Left, 1985, pp. 187-188).

I never for a minute believed that Dr. Sider was a Christian; I always figured he was a Communist masquerading as a Christian. When U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivered his "Evil Empire" speech to the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983, it was Ron Sider who immediately formed a group to protest against Mr. Reagan's views. Dr. Sider boasted about his participation in the "Witness for Peace" program in Nicaragua in the early 1980s, in which the participants acted as human shields to impede the efforts of the Contras who were fighting against Nicaragua's Sandanista regime. The actions of the "Witness for Peace" participants had the effect of aiding the Sandanista regime, a regime that committed genocide against the Miskito Indians and was persecuting Christians. For information on the Sandanistas' treatment of Christians, I recommend the book Breaking Faith: The Sandanista Revolution and its Impact on Freedom and Christian Faith in Nicaragua by former Sandanista Humberto Belli, published in 1985.

For more on Ron Sider and Evangelicals for Social Action, see my posts 30 years ago: Ronald Reagan, addressing the NAE, denounces the evil empire--and other evils (March 12, 2013) and 30 years ago: Carl McIntire critiques Evangelicals for Social Action's Chicago Declaration (May 1, 2014).

"Edmonton's Christian University" holds a silent online auction

Bold, links in original:

The King's University in Edmonton, Alberta

The King's University is Edmonton's Christian University and serves students and communities across Western Canada and internationally. Its campus is located in Alberta's young and vibrant capital and sits on Treaty Six territory, the traditional home of many Indigenous peoples.
The world can be studied best when acknowledged that it was created by and belongs to God. Come to King's and you'll see friendly, welcoming faces. We do our best to reflect Christ's love and grace to all students. The university receives top rankings and recognition on national surveys for student-faculty engagement, a supportive campus, and quality of teaching. It's no wonder King's boasts of a 98% post-grad employment rate!

Anyone who thinks that The King's University is Christian simply isn't paying attention; submitted for your approval, the university's silent online auction:

About Our Auction

We are excited to once again host our annual silent auction online to raise funds for student scholarships at The King's University! All auction items have been donated by generous donors, so all funds raised from this auction ill support student scholarships at The King's University!

Last year, we raised over $11,000 for student scholarships and this year we would like to reach higher with the goal of $35,000! With the support of our generous donors and sponsors, you can make a King's education more accessible to our hardworking students! We know you will be able to enjoy winning these wonderful auction items, so please bid generously!

Once again, we are holding our Harvest Banquet online for all to attend for free! Please register so you can receive the link to the livestream and plan to join us on October 2 @ 7:00 PM: https://www.kingsu.ca/about-us/calendar/banquet

The auction includes the following distinctively Christian items; there's still time to bid on them as of the publication of this post, although I doubt any real Christians will be interested.

$150 iava wellness Gift Certificate

Item Description

$150 Gift Certificate for services at Iava Wellness, located near King's on 50th St in Edmonton, AB.
Value: $150.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

And what does Iava Wellness practice? Acupuncture; Massage; Access Bars; Subconscious Imprinting Technique (S.I.T.); and Reiki.

1 Hour Restorative Yoga
in person at Iava Wellness or online via Zoom
Value: $50.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

Item Description

The winning bidder on this item will have their choice of attending an in-person yoga class with Ting Elger at Iava Wellness (near King's in Edmonton) OR a private Zoom Yoga lesson with up to 5 friends.

This 60 minute foundational Yoga class is designed to center and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the "rest and digest". Beginning with comfortable sitting pose followed by easy pranayama breathing technique. This gentle sequence will incorporate arm and upper body movements in a very slow and repetitive manner until there is some calming flow and rhythm. Depending on the class- will progress to sun salutation and standing poses then cooling down to more restorative shapes near the end. This is open to beginner up to advance practitioners and open to requests, modifications and substitutions.

Ting works at King's Development Department. She is a registered Yoga Teacher for adults, children and family. She also loves to paint abstract florals, write little poems, brew kombucha and concocts essential oils & herbs :) . She is a strong believer in radical self care which may look like going for a quick walk or simply taking a deep, relaxing breath. She presently teaches a yoga workshop #SELFLOVE in Iava Wellness.

AlleyKat Brewery Tour & Specialty Glassware
Value: $50.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

Item Description

This Alley Kat Brewery package is perfect for any beer fan in your life. Containing two Alley Kat beer glasses and two sets of brewery tour tickets, purchase this basket to learn how Alley Kat makes their beer, and maybe try some along the way!

There are 2 brewery tour passes for 2 people each, so take up to four people on a great night out.

Blindman Brewing Merchandise
Zip Up Hooded Sweatshirt & Brumate Hopsulator Trio
Value: $75.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

Item Description

This listing is for a Blindman Brewing Zip Up Hooded Sweatshirt and a Brumate Glitter Rose Gold Hopsulator Trio

The package includes:

1. Hoodie (XL: can replace for different sizing if need be)

2. Brumate Glitter Rose Gold Hopsulator Trio

3. Blindman Brewery Stickers

Fort Distillery Canadian Boreal Gin
500mL
Value: $35.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

Item Description

Canadian Boreal Gin is our vibrant take on a pink gin, using haskap berries and local honey for a bright, berry forward, warm & spicy tasting experience, with a honey cinnamon nose, and floral finish. Named for the iconic Canadian Boreal forest, and the spectacular Aurora Borealis, and inspired by the ingredients of Northern Canada and the people who grow them. Raw honey, haskap berries, and organic botanicals, all grown in Northern Alberta, produce a truly Canadian gin.

This item is not eligible for shipping. Winning bidder over of the age of majority must pick up the item at The King's University.

The preceding item is also available here.

Fort Distillery Classic Old Fashioned
Ready to Serve Cocktail - 750 mL
Value: $35.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

Item Description

Our exclusive bourbon blend pairs with mellow demerara sugar and Alberta made bitters for the perfect Old-Fashioned. There’s a reason the Old-Fashioned is called such, as one of the earliest cocktail concoctions developed, and our version is just as delicious, and even simpler to execute. Enjoy the fine and balanced complexity of this traditional favourite, anytime, anywhere.

This item is not eligible for shipping. Winning bidder over of the age of majority must pick up the item at The King's University.

The preceding item is also available here.

Wine Tasting Evening
with Ralph & Angela Troschke
Value: $450.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MDT

Item Description

Wine Tasting Experience with King’s VP Finance, Ralph Troschke and his beautiful wife and King’s student life staff, Angela.

Angela and Ralph have been hosting wine tastings for 29 years. They have hosted over 100 tastings and have been wine judges at fall fairs as well. Ralph was once invited to participate as a finalist in the Canadian national amateur wine tasting championship. They would love to host a wine tasting in your Edmonton area home for 8-10 people.

Our tasting is a fun-filled classroom experience where we will focus on how to taste/evaluate wine and draw comparisons between wines. It is guaranteed to be social and get louder as the evening rolls along.

The evening will consist of:

A 2.5-hour show with one flight of red and one flight of white wines for 8-10 people

4 samples per person of white wine, choice of Chardonnay or Riesling

4 samples per person of red wine, choice of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir

Ralph & Angela kindly request that the winning bidder schedule their wine tasting by June 30, 2022.

Indigenous Cultural Items
from Nordegg, AB
Value: $316.00 CAD
Ends: Oct 3, 2021 - 1:00pm MD

Item Description

Gourd container with dream catcher. Handmade and signed

Talking Stick: handmade with selenite & amethyst beads. Wood burning decoration, "All is possible to those who believe"

Abalone shell, to be used as part of the traditional smudging ritual, said to enhance feelings of peace, compassion, and love.

Smudging feather, handmade with deer hide, glass beads & a wild turkey feather.

Sweet grass. Sweetgrass is one of the main herbs used by Native people. It is often part of the medicine used when smudging along with sage and cedar. Just as sage is used to clear negativity, to cleanse, sweetgrass is used to bring positivity.