Jason West
Jason West is President of Newman Theological College in Edmonton where he also teaches philosophy and is the author of How to Become a Rational Animal (Justin Press).
Bio last updated June 17th, 2021.
Articles by Jason West
The Killing of Conscience
By Jason West
November 25, 2019
Defeat of legislation protecting the conscience rights of doctors has Albertans expecting the unexpected from Premier Jason Kenney’s normally conscientious United Conservatives, Jason West contends.
The more significant argument made against Bill 207 was that requiring a physician who morally disagrees with a procedure to refer a patient to another doctor willing to perform it is not a violation of the physician’s conscience rights The argument of many commentators that mandating effective referrals wouldn’t violate conscience rights is just plain false With the death of Bill 207 at the hands of four UCP MLAs, Albertans concerned with freedom of conscience might well wonder if they would have been better off with the previous NDP government on this issue
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Moving Away from Multiple Monologues
Jason West
April 26, 2019
Convivium contributor Jason West, who witnessed the recent Alberta election from the trenches as a constituency campaign chair, says a key lesson of Premier Jason Kenney’s victory is that mud-slinging and name-calling are politically counterproductive.
This also shows the need for communities of faith and political movements that support social conservative views to cultivate and support articulate, thoughtful representatives who can present and defend their views in the public square In this respect, it is worth noting that journalists seemed to ...
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Resolving Differences
Jason West
May 28, 2018
The official founding general meeting of Alberta’s new United Conservative Party sparked friction over a resolution pitting parental rights against the LGBT community. But Convivium contributor Jason West writes the moment could become a catalyst for social conservatives and social progressives to put differences aside and work in good faith for common sense change.
Unsurprisingly the media coverage of the event has focused predominantly on one controversial motion, Resolution 30, which would require schools to notify parents if their children join peer groups that discuss topics of a religious or sexual nature A resolution both sides could support would need t...