Reasonable religion

ISTOCK PHOTO

By Michael Bourguignon | Critics might argue that it would take something close to a miracle to inject any sort of 'reason' into the debate over reasonable accommodation, but organizers of an upcoming symposium hope bringing together the right minds at the right time will suffice.

More than 70 such scholarly minds will debate everything from reasonable accommodation to gay marriage during Pluralism, Politics and God: An International Symposium on Religion and Public Reason, co-organized by the Newman Centre of McGill University and the Faculty of Religious Studies and taking place Sept. 13 to 15.

The symposium will include academic panel discussions as well as several public panels with titles such as Religion, Sex and the City and Rights, Religion and the State. McGill Faculty, Staff and students can attend any of the events for free—space permitting—upon presenting their McGill ID card.

Also on tap is the Mini-Beatty Memorial Lecture, with John Witte Jr., Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University posing the question, "Religion and Human Rights: Enemies or Allies?" The Mini-Beatty Lecture takes place Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m., in Room 132 of the Leacock Building.

Web site and full schedule: www.newmancentre.org/pages/rationaltheism.html. News release: www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/news/?ItemID=26097