Book Review: "The Mysterious Epigenome"

TITLE: The Mysterious Epigenome: What Lies Beyond DNA
AUTHORS: Thomas E. Woodward and James P. Gills
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2012, (160 pages).

Here is my review that I have posted at Amazon entitled "Every genome points to an Intelligent Designer." A fuller review is available in my book blog here.



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If the human genome is the tip of the iceberg, the epigenome is the rest of the iceberg. This sets the tone for the entire book that argues for the case of an Intelligent Design, created by an Intelligent Designer. Science alone cannot answer all the questions of life. This book is an opportunity for readers to see that science, health, spirituality need to work together to paint a fuller picture of the human genome, genetics, and the purpose of it all.

We can try to dichotomize life into various compartments. Yet, it is not possible to separate life into spiritual and non-spiritual categories. Everything in life is spiritual. It is like how possible is it to separate our work from our feelings? We are not robots. Every act, every thought, every plan, stems from an intentionality that begins somewhere. Whether we are writing a book, planning a project, or studying for a course, there is a certain intention. The authors ask four basic questions of life that involve the interface of all aspects of life, be it science, health, or spirituality.

• What is life's purpose? 
• What is the point of the universe? 
• Why is there something rather than nothing? 
• Why is humankind brilliantly equipped to pursue such questions - to analyze the conundrum of creation? 

These are questions that can only be addressed when we consider spirituality. Science can explain the 'whats' and to some extent the 'hows.' Spirituality extends the quest to include the 'whys.' I agree a lot with the authors with regards to Intelligent Design. Unfortunately, I feel that the authors could have engaged alternative views more openly, instead of an outright dismissal. What is more helpful is to present an unbiased view and then to offer their interpretations, instead of interpreting for the readers right from the start.

That said, I highly recommend this book for its ability to weave spiritual insights into scientific research. I like the convictions of the authors. I like the clear storylike explanations of the various concepts and terms. I like the integration of scientific research and the constant asking of what does it mean for us in practice throughout the book. This book is clearly a book arguing for the existence of God. It is another piece of evidence that the atheistic position is less and less tenable. It requires more faith on the part of the atheist to believe that such intelligent design and workings of the genome 'simply happened.' For me, there has to be a God behind such intricacies. If you are not convinced about a Creator God behind such Intelligent Design, at least, this book helps keep a posture of being open about it.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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I am grateful to Kregel Publications for supplying me a free copy of the book, without any obligations for a positive review. The opinions offered above are freely given without expectation of any financial compensation.

Nice Quick Way to Share the Gospel

Ever find yourself stuck with what to say when given an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ? Maybe this can help. Taken from Bill Hybels's "Witnessing without Fear," with emphases mine.

"Let me share with you how you can know God personally. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. But, everyone is separated from God because He is holy and people cannot measure up to His standard of holiness. Rom. 3:23 says, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Jesus Christ came into the world to bridge the gap between man and God, to die on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago and pay for the penalty of the sins of the world for those who believe in Him. Romans 6:23 says, "the wages of sin is death, but, the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Alternative religious views have saviors who remain in the grave. No other system offers everlasting life as a gift to those who follow their leaders. None of those leaders has overcome death. No other system offers assurance of forgiveness, eternal life, and adoption into the family of God. Jesus Christ offers you salvation because He died for your sins and rose from the dead. You can call on God and trust in His Son for salvation in the same way a drowning person calls for help and relies on the rescue of a lifeguard. Jesus has promised the gift of salvation -- forgiveness of sins and eternal life -- to all who believe in Him. Romans 10:9 says: "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved".(NIV) © Bill Bright, "Witnessing Without Fear"

It begins with God. It states man's imperfect state. It reveals that man needs help from above. It shares the person of Jesus who came, who died, and who rose from the dead. Whoever believes in Jesus will live eternal life.

Again, remember that this is only an introduction. There are a lot of things to say about it, and lots more to add to it. Nevertheless, always have a personal testimony to go along with it.

conrade

ASSET Leadership

TITLE: ASSET LEADERSHIP
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 7 Feb 2012

Leaders are assets to any organization. Good leaders are great assets. Poor leaders will become liabilities in the long run. Leadership is a challenge anywhere we go. In many cases, leaders are hard to find. Good leaders are harder, even impossible to find. Whether it is a for-profit multi-national corporation, or a small time business, an international non-profit, or an independent charity house, leaders are essential not just to keep the organization running, it is critical to keep it running in the right direction.

This week, I am mindful of leadership matters. In preparing to preach a series of sermons on leadership matters, today I want to introduce a ASSET acronym to describe the kind of Christian leader that every organization needs. The first three, Authoritative, Spiritual, and Sacrificial deal with the requirements of spiritual leadership, and is attributed to J Oswald Sanders, of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. The next two, Encouraging and Toughness deal with the requirements to sustain the leadership endeavour.

"If the world is to hear the church's voice today, leaders are needed who are authoritative, spiritual, and sacrificial. Authoritative, because people desire leaders who know where they are going and are confident of getting there. Spiritual, because without a strong relationship in God, even the most attractive and competent person cannot lead people to God. Sacrificial, because this follows the model of Jesus, who gave himself for the whole world and who calls us to follow in His steps." (J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1994, 18)

#1 - AUTHORITATIVE

Lately, the word 'authoritative' has been given a rather bad name. In countries like Canada, where politicians are voted in and out all the time, leaders are not normally given the respect. Leaders are expected to earn the respect. Many countries in post-Christendom Europe, are still recovering from devastating religious wars that gives religion a bad rap. Authority is frowned upon. The Church's authority are increasingly being questioned. Democratic mindsets insist that authority must remain with the people. Moreover, with some African and Asian regimes that rule their nations with iron-clad harshness, complete with draconian punishment, leadership tends to be feared rather than desired.

According to Sanders, authoritative means direction setting and the planning to get there. Good leaders are not simply interested in maintaining or running mundane day to day matters. They need to delegate and stay focused on things long-term. They remain in touch with daily tasks mainly to ensure that the work done is on track with the mission and the vision.

#2 - SPIRITUAL

What makes spiritual leadership unique from others is because leadership is about leading for God. Secular organizations mainly focus on gains for self or for people inside and outside the organization. It is about people. This is not true of Christian organizations, Churches, or non-profits with an evangelical theme. Spiritual leadership is about leading from a strong relationship with God. The requirement for spiritual leadership is to be blameless.

"An elder must be blameless. . . " (Titus 1:6a)

Sanders gives a helpful comparison of natural vs spiritual leadership.

Natural Leadership	Spiritual Leadership
Self-Confident	Confident in God
Knows Men	Also knows God
Makes own decisions	Seek God's will
Ambitious	Humble
Creates methods	Follow God's example
Enjoys command	Delights in obedience to God
Seeks personal reward	Loves God and others
Independent	Depends on God

[Table from Oswald Sanders's Spiritual Leadership, p29]

#3 - SACRIFICIAL
Sanders makes a third requirement for spiritual leadership: Sacrificial. The key is to be like Jesus. First off, I believe we all need to imitate Christ as best as we can. Yet, the thing is, we are not Jesus. Secondly, I am wary of treating Christian leadership and service as 'sacrifice' because it is more accurately a privilege. I understand what Sanders means when he talks about sacrificial. He essentially means putting down one's elf-interests for the sake of Christ. The world has changed since the 60s-70s era, the time when Spiritual Leadership was first published. Modern readers tend to interpret 'sacrifice' differently than during Sanders's time. Some has unwittingly used sacrifice as an excuse to boast unconsciously of themselves. Remember 1 Corinthians 13:3?

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

Be sacrificial yes. Make sure humility and love are companions to that sacrifice.

#4 - ENCOURAGING

One of the biggest obstacles to effective and long-term spiritual leadership is discouragement. It is not whether it will come. It is a question of when. Discouragement hits at the core of the leaders motivation. When the results do not come, when the people fails to participate in the programs and initiatives, when the sheep leaves the flock, leaders can become discouraged. This is why I add in the word 'encouraging.' It is a verb that is meant to be bi-directional.

Leaders need to disciple other leaders by encouraging them in their faith walk and Christian witness. Through prayer, through regular contact, through building rapport, good leaders will take time to prioritize encouraging their fellow leaders and subordinates. I like this Jewish proverb that is a great encouragement.

"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders."

Likewise, leaders need encouragement too. The organization needs followers who are able to encourage leaders in kind. Have a prayer fellowship where the whole Church regularly prays for their leaders. Remember the words from Paul?

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Tim 2:1-2)

#5 - TOUGHNESS

Finally, leaders cannot be sissies. Leaders need to have a toughness in them. They are not made of sugar balls that dissolve under the first drops of fine rain. They are to be of steely character, not easily swayed or stopped by discouragement. They can feel down for a while. They can take a retreat of an appropriate length. If the break is not forthcoming, they will plan for it. They will tough it out because they are fixated on the Higher Calling, the Greater Purpose. As long as they are able to fix their eyes on Jesus, they will know that it is not their call to give up. It is their willingness to give in to God's timing.

Toughness requires a mental readiness to turn threats into opportunities. When obstacles and criticisms come like bricks thrown at us, catch the bricks and build something with them! Someone once gives this wise advice:

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn."

May we all pray that we have ASSET leaders in our midst. Otherwise, pray to God and ask Him for at least one of each quality. A leader with authoritative vision. A leader with spiritual discernment. A leader with sacrificial and humble spirit. A leader who is encouraging. A leader who can tough it out. ASSET persons are assets that the Church, and any Christian organization needs.

We need ASSET leaders.

conrade

A Few Good Servants

TITLE: A FEW GOOD SERVANTS
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 6 Feb 2012

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

One of the most famous lines said by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, and Daniel Craig is this introduction of the British secret agent: "My name is Bond, James Bond." Yesterday, I joked with one person. "Our name is Bond, Bond Servant." In a twist to the familiar line uttered proudly by the world famous secret service agent, 007, it reminds us that as far as Christian service is concerned, 'servant' is our lastname. We are bounded to one another in love, to God in Christ. We are bonded to Christ in service. The Greek word 'doulos' typically means being under the will and direction of the master. He follows the will of his Lord, his Master, his Superior. Paul, in his letter to Titus, begins with the following,

"Paul, a bond-servant of God. . . " (Titus 1a)

This is significant because of the very nature of Paul's illustrious past as a top solicitor, a famous Pharisee, and a prominent Jew. In a remarkable contrast to his glorious past, he submits himself to a lowly position. Servanthood is a mark of discipleship. Serving becomes a joy because servants of God serve the King of kings. In this article, I want to argue that it is more important for a few good men, than many unwilling people thrust into serving. People are not made for structures. Structures are meant to facilitate serving one another.


A) The Servant Leader

Servant Washing another's feet.
(Credit: gospelcentric.com)

Sometimes I feel the term 'Servant Leadership' is an oxymoron. Can a lowly servant actually lead? The phrase 'servant leadership' was first made popular by Robert K. Greenleaf who published a book entitled: "The Servant as Leader." In that book, the key point is:

"The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?" (Robert Greenleaf)

Robert Greenleaf's inspiration for the Servant Leader concept comes out of a book by Hermann Hesse. In Hesse's "Journey to the East," there is a story of a group of men on a pilgrimage to find the great 'Truth.' Among the group, there is a servant by the name of Leo, a simple servant, but with a great joyful heart. Working behind the scenes, he serves the rest of the group. He serves them in every possible way. He sings to them. He encourages them. Leo demonstrates his servanthood through simple acts of kindness and service. He is diligent. He is cheerful. He caters to the needs of the group as much as possible. Unfortunately, he is taken for granted. Along the way, due to the group's distrust and suspicion of Leo, even accusing Leo of stealing their things, Leo disappears. From that point on, the group disintegrates, and the journey ends abruptly.

A lack of trust and a rise of suspicion spell the end of the servant relationship. The loss of the servant Leo leads to the loss of overall direction of the group. The one big lesson in this story is this: It is the presence of servanthood that sustains the health, the unity, and the purpose of the group. Behind every functioning organization is the presence of a team of people with a servant heart. For that, we need to create a culture of serving one another. Do not look for great numbers of people who are willing to serve as leaders. Look for a few good servants who are not just willing, but MORE than willing. We need a few good servants. In true servanthood, quality trumps quantity. Jesus didn't have hundreds of people. He had only 12 disciples.

B) A Few Good Servants

This ties in very closely to the way Jesus does discipleship. Let those who have, serve the have-nots. Let those who are strong, bear with the failings of the weak. Let those who know, take initiative to share what they know freely and graciously. A few good servants of high commitment and humble hearts are to be intentionally prayed for. It is much better than hundreds of half-hearted individuals who happen to volunteer simply because no one else is doing it. In fact, I am even inclined to suggest that if no one is willing to step forward for any particular ministry, mothball that ministry. I remember a time when no one is willing to head up the Evangelism and Mission subcommittee. I said to the leaders, "Why not just leave it for the year? Structures need to be made for people, and not people for the structures."

We need to pray for a few good servants. We give thanks for those who are serving behind the scenes all the time. Perhaps, instead of 80% of our time trying to look for new leaders, why not spend 80% of the time encouraging our present set of leaders? Encourage them to look for new leaders too. Disciple them. Motivate them from time to time. Build in rhythms of work and rest. Forbid them from serving for a year when they have done a continuous tour of duty for say, 4 years.

As servant leaders, we serve not out of our own strength, we serve out of a recognition of God's empowering us. A few good servants will rock the world. A few good servants will cover greater ground. Just like the proverbial saying, 'too many cooks spoil the soup,' too many mediocre servants spoil the overall effectiveness of the organization.

C) A Few Good Soldiers: Sparta

Recreated scene of the Battle of Thermopylae
(Credit: awesomestories.com)

Let me end with a story. In the fame battle of Thermopylae, mighty Persia with its huge army of hundreds of thousands, found stiff resistance in a small ragtag group of Spartan soldiers protecting a Greek land. Spartan soldiers are trained from young with discipline, grit, and utter courage to brave any kinds of difficulty. When a spartan man goes to war, the wife will come alongside him and motivates him to fight well for the higher purpose of the kingdom. Whole families are behind the Spartan men called to war. With such emotional support, with the intentional training by the military, with the courage of iron sharpening iron within the ranks of the army, the Spartan army is a formidable force to be reckoned with. The recent movie, 300, dramatizes how 300 Spartans manage to hold back more than a million Persian soldiers. Even though the Persians eventually won, the Spartans struck a death blow to the morale and emotional confidence of the mighty Persians.

As servants of God, leaders in the Church that God has given us, we are called to spiritual warfare to defend the kingdom from false teachings, and mediocre lifestyles. We are called to be bold, to be strong and courageous to serve. Let not the numbers or the lack of it discourage us. Leaders of the Church must lead from the Spirit of God.

"We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare before we can serve. We must serve before we can lead." (William Arthur Ward)

We serve because Christ first served us.

conrade

Four Impediments to Prayer (Abba Ammonas)

TITLE: Four Impediments to Prayer
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 3 Feb 2012

Many scholars continue to uncover the richness of the spirituality of the desert fathers. As the modern world runs out of original ideas, one finds that the inspirational and the motivational stuff marketed by gurus all over, often look good on the outside, but bland on the inside. On the contrary, the desert monks' teachings seem so bland on the outside, but full of rich wisdom on the inside. Indeed, the most profound things in the world tend to be simple things.

Bernadette McNary-Zak, an Associate Professor of religious studies at Rhodes College, has formed another bridge to help modern readers appreciate the ancient desert fathers and their wisdom. Through the study of the works of Abba Ammonas, a prominent leader of the monastic movement in the 4th Century, MacNary-Zak gives us a glimpse of how Ammonas practices and teaches spiritual formation. Powerful in spiritual discernment, harsh on sin, sensitive to the movement of God, Ammonas's works are nutritious fodder for those of us students of Christian spirituality. I am particularly intrigued by Ammonas's 4 teachings about the impediments to prayer. After all, in nearly every Church, prayer seems to be a primary spiritual discipline. Embarrassingly, prayer is less of a lifestyle and more of a scheduled prayer meeting, or saying grace over each meal. All of these prayers are nothing if we do not deal with the barriers that inhibit our praying.

With regards to prayer, Ammonas has strong words.

"There are four things, and, if anyone has even one of them, that person cannot be converted, nor does God accept his prayers." - Abba Ammonas in (Bernadette McNary-Zak, Useful Servanthood, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010, 140)

A key point to note with regards to Abba Ammonas is that the spiritual journey is a movement, from imperfection to perfection through union with God.

Impediment #1 - Arrogance
Ammonas says that our default position should not be one of being pleased with ourselves. Instead, we ought to assume that 'his work is not pleasing to God' as a default position. The human nature is no better than the beast because sin has corrupted the original perfect man. This is why the inclination of man is always away from God, and toward self-righteousness. Letting our arrogance run loose with ourselves being pleased with our own deeds is simply anathema with regards to prayer.

"Adornment of the body is the ruin of the soul, but provision for [the body], according to the fear of God, is good." (144)

Impediment #2 - Grudges Against Another Person
Ammonas warns that any attempt to pretend or to hide one's sin against another person, will affect our praying. God will not listen to us. He points out that such people 'deceive' themselves to the point that they think they have a 'portion of mercy or forgiveness from God.' Those of us who tries to rationalize our behaviour by blaming others are only deceiving ourselves.

"If you live with brothers, do not order them about in every matter, but labour with them, so that you may not lose your fruit." (147)

Impediment #3 - Judging Others

Ammonas also warns that those of us who judge others will ourselves be judged. He says that even God the Father lets Christ judge all things. Why should any man then have the nerve to assume a judgmental disposition? One of the reasons why we are unfair judges is because when we judge, very often we highlight the sins of other people, and diminish whatever virtues they may have.

"Have no enmity against another, since your prayer will not be acceptable. Live in peace with everyone so that your prayer may be confident." (146)

Impediment #4 - No Love

Without true love, our prayers will not be heard. Those who are truly loving, will not only have mercy on all, but will also pray for all. Doing good works alone is not enough. One needs to let love motivate the doing of the good works.

"Love is the fulfillment of the virtues; to pronounce oneself righteous is the fulfillment of the passions." (146)

Summary

If we want to pray in a manner that God will hear, we need to watch our arrogance. Let there be no semblance of self-righteousness, but a recognition that our default position is of unworthiness. Second, we need to deal with our relationships. Any grudges, any bad blood, we need to take active steps to reconcile. Then, we need to refrain from putting ourselves in the judgment seat, lest we be judged. Finally, let love be the motivation for our desire to pray. Which comes back to the fulfilment of the greatest commandments: Love God, Love neighbour as much as ourselves.

Let me close with an encouragement from Abba Ammonas.

"Take care, beloved, to observe these commands which have been written down, so that you may be able to be saved with the holy ones who are faithful to the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ." (151)

Let us be mindful of these 4 impediments to prayer. Remove them. Then our prayers will be heard.

conrade

Four Insights About Facts of Sin

TITLE: FOUR INSIGHTS ABOUT FACTS OF SIN

(Michelangelo's depiction of the Sin of Adam and Eve)

Sin is not a very popular topic to talk about. Even Christians are hesitant in talking about sin. Yet, sin is a huge topic with regards to Christian Theology. Barbara Brown Taylor, one of the most popular preachers in the evangelical world even calls sin the 'lost language of salvation.' The thrust of her arguments is about modern preachers who shy away from tackling the topic of sin. I agree with Taylor that sin is not something to be swept under our carpets of decency. It is to be exposed out in the open so that the light of Christ can come and shine, cleanse, and make us whole once again.

Norm Wakefield makes four interesting insights about sin which I thought is worth sharing.

1) Sinning: A symptom of a deeper need

Wakefield points out the way the Apostle Paul uses the word 'sin' in the epistles. The word 'sin' is used as a noun 40 times, and only once as a noun. Nouns essentially point to the source, while verbs point to the symptoms. In other words, one should not be distracted by the bad deeds, evil actions, without dealing with the source of the problem: Sin.

2) Sin: It attaches itself to a legitimate need

This is what makes sin such a dangerous thing. Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden that senses Eve's desire for the luscious fruit. It puts in evil thoughts and seduces the innocent couple to disobey God. What makes temptations like these extremely dangerous is that it is evil but appears like a valid need. Wakefield then highlights the temptation of sexual sins via the need of intimacy. Like a man who is newly married, but worked long hours physically away from his wife, gets seduced by an attractive colleague in the workplace. The need for intimacy is valid, but the supply of the need through adulterous thoughts is evil.

3) Nature of Sin: False Love

The third insight from Wakefield is about the way that sin continues to destroy the true picture of love. The ways are via deceit, distraction, distortion, and ultimately destruction.  The Greek word for 'sin' is to miss the mark. Legitimate needs when mixed with sin will end up distorted. It redefines what love is. It tricks the mind to think that loving self is better than loving others. It turns something good into something less than good, before turning it into something completely bad.

4) Sin Undermines Trust in God, and makes Man Doubt God's Ability to Save

This fourth insight from Wakefield presents the real objective of sin.  The devil knows that when man is separated from God, God hurts. Even though Christ has died for all mankind, and has defeated death and the evil ones at the Cross, sin continues to wreak havoc by sowing seeds of doubt in people. Even believers can be duped into thinking that the Cross of Christ is not enough.

Sin is a huge topic. As I think about the four insights, here are four recommendations on what we can do to deal with each of them.

Firstly, recognize that our legitimate needs have to be met by legitimate sources. When in doubt, don't. It comes back to trust in God to meet our legitimate needs. We must focus on the source rather than the symptoms.

Secondly, discernment is key. Not everything that looks good means it is good. We need to peel away false layers presented to us, through prayer, consultation, and the keeping of God's Word in our hearts.

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Ps 119:11)

Thirdly, we need to distinguish true love from false love. Read through 1 Corinthians 13. Meditate on the fruit of love in Galations 5:22-26.

Fourthly, trust God. Someone once said:

"Don't tell God how Big your storm is, tell the Storm how Big your God is."

Our God is higher than any other. Jesus is our Saviour, our Hope, our Redeemer, and our Lord. Wait for Him.

"As health expels disease, and light swallows up darkness, and life conquers death, the indwelling of Christ through the Spirit is the health and light and life of the soul." (Andrew Murray) 

conrade

Shameful CTV One-Sided Reporting

Recently, CTV did an 'investigative' journalism on a counselling session at one of Vancouver's crisis pregnancy center. The reporter concerned, pretended to be pregnant and sought 'counselling.' Finally, the whole 'investigative report' compresses the entire investigation into a less than 5 minutes video clip shown on national TV. If you watch the video carefully, note the following:

• Pregnancy Pretense: Controversial ethics in question about falsifying one's identity and bringing in hidden cameras to 'expose' a non-profit organization as if the organization is guilty-until-proven-innocent;
• Why only one point of view? Clearly the report is geared toward casting doubts on the credibility of the crisis pregnancy center.
• Biased reporting: The reporter appears to be bent on hammering the organization that is against abortion.

The MP has raised concerns about such one-sided reporting, which clearly goes against the spirit of fair reporting. In the press release, Maurice Vellacort writes:

“It is CTV’s duty, as a Canadian broadcaster, to treat fairly all sides of a controversial issue,... It is no secret that abortion is a controversial issue. Relying almost exclusively on views espoused by abortion providers and abortion advocacy organizations for a story about pregnancy options is like relying solely on the views espoused by tobacco companies and smokers’ rights groups for a story about whether to take up smoking or not,”

CTV is one of the news stations I regularly tune into. I am beginning to doubt its credibility as a fair news station. This type of 'investigative reporting' that is one-sided, seems to be planted by pro-choice activists to unfairly cast the non-profit crisis pregnancy center into negative light is totally uncalled for. I am disgusted by the lack of transparency on CTV's part with regards to humiliating the workers at the crisis pregnancy center. Come on. The crisis pregnancy center needs to be given sufficient room to present their side of the story. CTV has shamelessly cut and past what CTV wants, promote the short 5-minute clip as if that 5-minutes is ALL that the crisis pregnancy is talking about, and worse, creating hypocrites out of themselves. If CTV is so bent on saying that the crisis pregnancy center concerned is NOT giving women sufficient options, why is CTV not giving normal viewers sufficient options to see BOTH sides of the story. Why not show the full clip of the entire hidden camera footage? Why only the short 5 minutes?

I think CTV owes an explanation to ordinary viewers like me to explain why they are doing what they are doing. The media must not take sides. This investigative reporting appears to show only the Pro-Choice side of the story. Shame on you CTV.

c