Fr. Dn. Andrew Bennett, director of the Cardus Religious Freedom Institute, spoke to the National Post recently about religious persecution amid rising attacks on minority women in Pakistan. Human rights organizations estimate that over 1000 Christian and Hindu girls are kidnapped, raped, and forcibly converted each year in Pakistan.

Parental mindsets have shifted during this extraordinary year. COVID-19 has changed the habits of those in the work force, but parents of very young children have been especially hard hit. Prior to the pandemic, many parents were using childcare services for reasons of work and study. Changing situations demand that one-size-fits-all solutions, especially for Canadian families, whose childcare needs and desires range across a wide spectrum, should be viewed with suspicion, and this file should be relegated to the back burner until the new normal reveals its contours.

The Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) has issued a pre-budget submission to the Ontario government that focuses on open tendering, modernizing Ontario’s skilled trades and boosting apprenticeship investments. A Cardus report, which says that, "The city could generate at least $174 million in savings annually by simply opening up construction tendering to all qualified contractors,” has been cited in the submission.

Given recent narratives around the “evangelical” political movement in the USA, a question arises: Do America’s Christian independent schools contribute to political polarization?David Hunt, Cardus' Education and B.C. Director sheds light on this topic. He mentions that a bottom line derived from a recent Cardus Education Study shows that Churches and religious charities overcontribute to the common good, as do Christian schools and their graduates. Read more:

Many are pushing for a national daycare system on the premise that it would contribute to post-pandemic economic recovery. However, there are more efficient, responsive and creative ways to both meet the care needs of families and spark new life in the Canadian economy. Cardus family research director Peter Jon Mitchell and senior fellow Andrea Mrozek share the reasons in this insightful article.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light an important civil society institution of our country which needs re-examining: Our school system. David Hunt, Cardus’ Education and B.C. Director asks some important questions. What state is the school system in, and how, as Christians, are we to respond where it falls short?

In Langley, township council is considering whether to repeal and even recoup permissive property tax exemptions from any organization that holds events or gatherings while B.C. is under lockdown. David Hunt, Cardus B.C. Director and Education Director says that threatening tax-exemption status of all places of worship due to one congregation’s non-compliance is extraordinarily short-sighted.

Rabbi Reuven Bulka, often dubbed “Canada’s rabbi” is a well known spiritual leader in Ottawa’s Jewish community. More than 2,000 people will be joining in a virtual “worldwide prayer rally” hosted by Congregation Machzikei Hadas following news of his cancer diagnosis. Father Deacon Andrew Bennett, director of the Cardus Religious Freedom Institute, seconded what many in the faith community are saying about Rabbi Bulka. Honoured with the Order of Canada in 2014, Rabbi Bulka is well known as a man who has devoted his life to promoting kindness.

With Christmas just days away, some provinces are finding themselves feuding with churches that are resisting lockdowns meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. “The vast majority of churches have complied,” said Ray Pennings, the executive vice-president of Cardus.Fines and closures have been slapped on a number of religious groups in several provinces, and Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario have been forced to defend their COVID-19 restrictions in court. So far, they have emerged victorious.