“Frank Schaeffer and Dilemma of Evangelicalism in Light of Political Realism”

In 1952, Frank Schaefer was born in Switzerland. He met his future wife at early stage of courtship, and their union blossomed two children during preliminary stage of their relationship. This union was more and less welcomed by his father Mr. Francis Schaeffer, who was a devoted Christian and was spending his entire time preaching gospel to others and his church.

In 1978, Islamic Revolution took place in Iran, (it was supported by former US president Jimmy Carter by accusing Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi for human rights violation, and asked for regime change in Iran. England provided a platform in BBC for Khomeini to foment a revolution in Iran). In 1979, the King or Shah left Iran. Islamic revolution in Iran inspired other Islamic movements to flourish in other part of Islamic nations, and moving secular nations toward theology states. The US itself needed some form of hardcore Christianity in term of fundamentalism and evangelicalism was an answer to the US desire to mobilize its people against the Middle Eastern nations in the name of God. Mr. Francis Schaeffer pioneered political right in the US and Mr. Frank Schaeffer had involvement in shaping the US domestic and foreign policies in a fashion which was compatible with evangelical doctrines.   

It was just matter of time that he observed that how individuals behind the scene were making profit from religion and he despised them, and began to feel that these individuals had tarnished and mutilated image of Christianity. He came to conclusion that all this time was wasted by organizing and preaching Christianity to others. He became delusional about notion of God, and rediscovered God through image of his granddaughter Lucy.

There was a moment of clarity for him that he does not have to committee himself to anything. He can be a Christian and an Atheist at the same time. It was depended on the mood of occasion that he would believe in God or not, and that is what he said during his presentation and that is what is written on his website. However, perhaps there was a deep thought in what he was trying to say to his audiences, and what it may appear on the surface of calamity as winds of provocative thoughts were moving ships in any direction without any aim from anyone. He wanted to think independently and deeply about what God is, and not believing what others are telling him, but discovering God in his journey of life as he did.

“Managing the House of Difference”

This paper discussed in great detail of evolution of Canadian identity.  The idea of Canadian identity surfaced for three reasons. Initially, Canada during World War Two put Japanese in prison camps, and German-Canadians with Italian-Canadians were treated poorly in Canada. The author failed to mention how Chinese workers were treated poorly in Canada to build railways. Secondly, it was during post war area that Canada came to conclusion that it needed muscles to build this nation, and could not glamorous only English culture as a primary culture. It decided to recognize French culture that composed five million of Canadian population and another five million Canadians that they were neither French nor English. Lester Pearson wanted to have bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada, at same time; he wanted Canada not to be regarded as colony of England. He introduced the concept of having a national flag. In 1965, it was approved to have a national flag, and kept some key detail of Jack Union flag which was the red ensign. In 1971, Trudeau finalized multiculturalism within framework of bilingualism.

Lastly, there was an issue of not being American so that Canada would not become part of the US. Sadly, Canadians are moving to the US to gain employments particularly in area of arts like famous actor John Candy. Still, there is more work needs to be done to have a true multicultural society. There is also issue of racism, glass ceiling and other cultural barriers which prevents new comers to join mainstream society.

“Chapter 7: Public Administration and Public Policy”

Living in a liberal democracy society which is claiming to have representative democracy, it needs to live-up to its claim. The system needs to develop a mechanical system which is reflecting will of people to govern. Otherwise, it would lead to state of chaos. The system is seeking measure to develop policies which are going through a filter system.

Stage one is defining policy, stage two is using a model and theory of public policy and last stage is the policy cycle.  Public policy can be defined in terms that whenever there is an issue, there is need to be a solution for that problem. Even sometimes not taking an action against a situation, it is a policy too. Just imagine if a political system would begin to legislate and make laws for everything that we want to do. At some point in future we would leave in dystopia or a police state. These laws and regulation would infringe our cherished civil liberties.

There are ten model of developing public policies. Each has its own strength and weakness. There is one primary factor which cannot be denied that these policies cannot violate constitutional rights of Canadians. Otherwise, these policies would be violate human rights and would hold politicians accountable in a court of law. It can be claimed confidently that neo-institutionalism has a merit for what it claims. The final stage is the evaluation that does it worth taxpayer’s money to support such a program? It is more of value judgment and battle of ideologies between between left and right. The evolution program is encountering problem that how to define credible evidence and how to select sample which is avoiding bias and would present a clear progress toward good life.

“Cultural Globalization”

This portion of the paper is discussing cultural globalization which means sameness.[1] Dr. George Grant would argue that the Liberal doctrine was about universalism and sameness. In 1970s Coca Cola was an international brand name.[2] In 1980, McDonald became an international fast food.[3] Today, clothes, and hair styles “are only one form of cultural expression that permits a blending of ethnic themes and individual choice.”[4] Foods are no longer belonged to one part of the world. Sushi which is a Japaneses food, it can be consumed in most part of the world.[5]

Hollywood plays a major role to spread western culture around the world. Young people watch Hollywood movies and listen to western music that the above entertainment give them source of inspiration to become like western world.

Music is another vital tool to bring diverse people in a common ground. Most people around the world know who Michael Jackson is. His music is available in iTunes for a small fee.[6] The Internet provided social Medias like YouTube, FaceBook and blogs that people can post a video clip of an event on YouTube in order to share it with others around the world, and create concept of globality or global village. If a person feels like to express her/himself online can use a blog and contributes to world of thinking and creating social cohesion among people.[7]

The globalization is facing challenges from Castells “network society and its “systematic disjunction between the local and the global for most individuals and social groups … search for meaning takes place then in the construction of defensive identities around communal principles.”[8] The above ideas are difficult to believe because it is lacking ingenuity impart the real culprits that causes chaos are politicians and corporate that they act behind the scene and causing unrest around the world. It was during June 2010 summit in Toronto, Ontario Canada people who went on protest, and authority responded with iron fist and CBC aired a program “You Should Have Stayed Home” that how people lost their civil liberty in light of globalization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUjY_cCjnD0

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[1]    Modern Governance: The Challenges for Policy Analysis. PG 60

[2]    Brym, Robert. “New Society: Sociology for the 21^st Century”. N.p.: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1996. 15.13. Print.

[3]    Brym, Robert. “New Society: Sociology for the 21^st Century”. N.p.: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1996. 15.13. Print.

[4]    Brym, Robert. “New Society: Sociology for the 21^st Century”. N.p.: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1996. 15.19. Print.

[5]    Brym, Robert. “New Society: Sociology for the 21^st Century”. N.p.: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1996. 15.19. Print.

[6]    Modern Governance: The Challenges for Policy Analysis. PG 66

[7]    Modern Governance: The Challenges for Policy Analysis. PG 67

[8]    Modern Governance: The Challenges for Policy Analysis. PG 67

“The Theory and Practice of Immigrant Multiculturalism”

The policy of multiculturalism has evolved throughout history. Michael Walzer claims that back in ancient Greek times, there were individuals that they could not become Greek citizens and they were accommodated under title of multiculturalism. He also asserted that in 1980s Turkish in Germany were not allowed to become a German citizen, and children were receiving Turkish education in a separate school from German people. This was called multiculturalism. Will Kymlicka in his book “Multiculturalism Citizenship” argued that the current Canadian multiculturalism policy was way better than Ottoman Empire version of Millet system which discriminated against minority groups and it was an illiberal system.

Author of this paper was from Queen’s University and published her work in March 2000. In her framework of proving that multiculturalism was a good policy to practice focused on two areas. One, she asserted that how multiculturalism is working within context of public institutions. Last how multiculturalism is a liberal doctrine and multiculturalism was a source of enrichment for liberal doctrines.

Author stated that Canada, US and Australia for past one hundred fifty years have been accommodating immigrants to integrate in the mainstream society. It is true that in the past one hundred fifty years immigrants have been accommodated in the above nations. It would be vital to understand that these newcomers were coming from European nations that they shared same faiths as them. They were Christians, or Jewish.  They may have been coming from different sect of Christianity like Mennonite sect or Doukhobort sect. They were not Muslims, Hindu, Shinto or other Eastern religions or philosophies. Graham Fuller in his book “A World without Islam” explained that how in 1960s European nations opened their doors for foreigners from the Eastern lands to come to their nations to do manual labours. They came with working visas, and they stayed in that country for a long time, and brought their families to the new homelands. They were different political parties. Particularly, left-wing parties would alter immigration policies in order to gain votes from newcomers. Gradually, the system moved toward accommodation of newcomers. Author of this course pack claimed that Anglo-conformity shifted its policy from assimilation to multiculturalism.

Pierre Trudeau was cited in “The Development of Political Thought in Canada: An Anthology” as a liberalist, who wanted to have a multicultural policy for Canada because he believed national boundaries among nations would erode in distance future due to formidable force of globalization which was taking place. Therefore, he implemented multicultural policy within framework of bilingualism, English and French as official languages. Author takes a steadfast approach toward language that it was not a reason to hold back people from integrating in mainstream society and keeping them in a ghetto situation. In case of Quebec, they can learn French language in academic institutes, and there are times that they cannot speak French outside of Quebec province because others cannot speak French to them. Quebec’s rights are protected under constitution to determine number of immigrants who would reside in province of Quebec, and its provincial boundaries would not be altered so that it would remain as a distinct society. There is language act in place that all government institutes need to provide services in two official languages. There are other ethnic groups in Canada that they are new in Canada and may not be able to speak English or French. Still, Canadian government has been deeply considerate by providing a translator for individuals who require medical assistance or treatment, or a person needs to speak to a public servant and cannot communicate with a public servant in English or French, s/he would be accommodated at no cost. Author suggested that in Israel there was military conscript act in place and people would join the army and would be forced to learn Hebrew language. If anyone would join French Legion, s/he would learn French too. There are certain religious groups that they are distancing themselves from bloodbath; such as, Amish, or Bahai faith group. Canada’s constitution protects them under constitutional law to practice their faith. It is the idea of liberalism so people do not experience life as Doukhobort did in Russia that they faced self-imposed exile under difficult conditions.

Author alleged that there was need for fairness to gradually accommodate newcomers to integrate in the mainstream society without feeling threaten to lose their cultural background. Once, it becomes clear to various cultural groups that their cultural heritages would remain intact; they become eager to join mainstream society. Author pointed a crucial point that these diverse groups are using White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) system, and these ethnic groups may not be familiar with the system. There is need for Affirmative action that recognizes those individuals who are not belong to WASP group and would have same access to employment opportunity as WASP. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom subsection 2 of section 15 granted provisions for disadvantage groups in area of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability. The above system is not full proof because employers in government sectors, as well as, private sectors can deny a position to minority groups who speak English as a Second language by using slang to weed them out of the hiring process. Most importantly, there is no mechanical system to verify integrity of hiring process.  

The Canadian multiculturalism works in three areas:

A) Newcomers to learn English and French language.

B) Respecting liberal-democratic norm, human rights act, individual and sexual rights.

C) Interaction different diverse groups to avoid ghettoziation.

In final thought, the policy of multiculturalism is more of a Yin-Ying philosophy at the time being. There two different entities that they working together within framework of harmony and are ensuring their unity remains at all time.

“Canadian Multiculturalism: Global Anxieties and Local Debates”

Author: Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka

Is multiculturalism an ancient relic of liberal value or a modern concept of absorbing newcomers in mainstream society?

European nation like Netherlands, Germany and Britain multiculturalism failed to accomplish its goal to integrate newcomers in the mainstream society. Now, it is moving toward civic integration, it means that newcomers would deem themselves as a British or Dutch first in public area and would not seek institutional accommodation for integration in society. Particularly, these newcomers are making their own ghetto and cannot move out of ghetto, it causes further social segregation and marginalization in society. There are some critics that they claim there was merit in what the above nations were saying, and multiculturalism in Canada was doomed to fail.

Author of this paper said that ‘Toronto 18’ incident enticed Muslims who were plotting to engage in terrorist act and authority apprehended them. It was true that they were Muslims, and Mr. Mubin Shaikh exposed them to authority their diabolic plan and stopped them to carry their vicious act.  Author stated that there was honour killing in Ontario and victim name was Ms. Parves. There was this side of coin that only one honour killing has taking place since 1971 multicultural policy implemented by the federal government to promote integration of visible minority in Canada.

Interestingly, first generation is developing strong sense of pride for Canada, even their economic prosperity is less, and continually involved in civic and political life. The second generation is making more money due to higher education and speaking one official language fluently, this generation is less socially integrated in mainstream society. It is the third generation fully integrated in mainstream society. Multiculturalism works in Canada, maybe not in Europe.