Friday, July 31, 2015
‘Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War,’ by Susan Southard - The New York Times
by Susan Southard - The New York Times
There are good reasons for writing a book about the atom bombing of
Nagasaki and its agonizing aftermath. Most people have heard of
Hiroshima. The second bomb — dropped by an Irish-American pilot almost
exactly above the largest Catholic church in Asia, which killed more
than 70,000 civilians on the day and more in the long term — is less
well known.
Nagasaki and its agonizing aftermath. Most people have heard of
Hiroshima. The second bomb — dropped by an Irish-American pilot almost
exactly above the largest Catholic church in Asia, which killed more
than 70,000 civilians on the day and more in the long term — is less
well known.
Credit
U.S. Army A.A.F. photo/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
5 Tips for Spotting Fake News
How not to embarrass yourself or enable internet trolls.
Another day, another controversy from presidential candidate Donald Trump.
And University of North Texas sociology professor George Yancey has had enough.
Yancey logged on his computer and saw this headline: “Donald Trump: ‘If
Black Lives Don’t Matter Here Go Back to Africa.’”Given Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants, Yancey assumed the story was true.
Fed up, he wrote an angry response on Facebook. Then he realized that the story was fake.
“You probably know about confirmation bias,” he told CT. “I was a victim of that. I saw what I expected to see.”
Yancey isn’t alone in being fooled by fake news.
This week, the stock market was hoodwinked
by a story, posted at Bloomberg.market, that Twitter was about to be
sold. The story looked like every other story posted by Bloomberg News,
and Twitter’s price began to soar.
But the story was fake, filled with misspellings and other errors, and before long Twitter’s price began to settle down.
Among other recent fake stories was this shocker, allegedly from NBC News: “Christian Pastor in Vermont Sentenced to One Year in Prison After Refusing to Marry Gay Couple.”
Only the story wasn’t from NBC. It was from NBC.com.co—a fake website, filled with ads, and hosted on an overseas website.
“We are all too gullible,” warned my friend, Ed Stetzer, this week.
Hoax stories like these are likely to become more common as hoaxers
become more sophisticated, warned Dan Gillmor, a journalism professor at
Arizona State who specializes in digital media.
“That means we all have to pay more attention, all the time, and take nothing immediately at face value,” Gillmor wrote.
Here’s five tips on how to spot a fake news story.
Check the source.
Be wary of stories linked to sites ending in “.ru” or “.co” or other
unfamiliar domain names—especially if they are linked to a more
reputable site, like NBC news, says Joel Kilpatrick, founder of Lark News,
a Christian satire site. Those domains—as well as new ones like
.market—are clues that a site may not be what it appears. Other sites
may try to trick you by misspelling a respected news outlet’s name or
leaving out a letter or two.
Another quick signs of a fake news story: “If it includes the words
‘Obama’ and ‘End times’ in the same headline, it’s probably not true,”
says Kilpatrick.
Keep a mental list of fake news and satire websites.
Most people know that The Onion, despite being “America’s Finest News Source” is fake. But it still fools social media users. Less well known are the Daily Currant, LovethatNews.com, DuffleBlog, National Report, and World News Daily Report, which had its own fake “pastor arrested for turning down gay wedding” story this week.
The people who run these sites want to tell you just enough truth to
fool you, at least for a moment, and to have a good laugh with you. Or
at you.
A good fake news story, “walks the elusive but rewarding line between
what is and what could be,” says Kilpatrick. “You want people thinking,
‘This sounds like it could really be true. Is it?’ It pushes reality
somewhat but not too much.”
Be slow to anger.
A story may also be fake “if it voices your inner fears so precisely
that, with a little help, you could have written it yourself,” says
Kilpatrick.
In other words, if a story makes you mad, count to ten and take a deep breath before reposting.
Satire sites are trying to reveal our insecurities and worries, says Kilpatrick.
“That’s sort of the point of good fake news: to take people’s anxieties
and opinions right now, in this cultural moment, and make merciless fun
of them,” said Kilpatrick.
But our anxieties can fool us into mistaking fiction for fact.
Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind, likes to say that “morality binds and blinds.”
“It binds people together into teams that seek victory, not truth,” he
wrote. “It closes hearts and minds to opponents even as it makes
cooperation and decency possible within groups.”
In other words, morality—which informs our gut reactions—is good
because build community. But it also builds competition, where we look
at people who hold different viewpoints as the enemy.
A fake news story can be appealing when it helps us hate the people we want to hate.
Snopes is your friend.
The myth-busting website
has links to hundreds of debunked news stories and urban legends. It
even has a top-25 list of urban legends and fishy stories, such as the
“relentlessly gay” garden in Baltimore and the completely false stories about a Sandy Hook shooting.
Remember the old adage
of the legendary and now-shuttered Chicago News Bureau: “If your mother
says she loves you, check it out.” Look for confirmation of breaking
news—or of some unbelievable story—on more than one site, especially if
the news comes from an unfamiliar source, a social media pastor, or even
from your pastor’s sermon.
Wait for the whole story.
News outlets’ rush for a breaking news often means that the first stories aren’t always the most accurate ones.
That was the case in April 2013, when news broke that the Pentagon had blocked
access to the Southern Baptist Convention’s website. Military computers
labeled the website content as “hostile,” leading to claims of
censorship.
“This is another example of the growing hostility toward evangelical
Christians in the Armed Forces,” retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin told Breitbart.com at the time. (Though his name was misspelled Boykins: a sign that a site didn’t do its homework or rushed to judgment.)
It turns out that the SBC’s website was in fact hostile—because it was loaded with malware at the time, which triggered the Pentagon’s filters to block the site.
Once the malware was erased from the SBC site, the block was lifted and all was well that ended well.
Bob Smietana is CT’s senior editor for news.
The Galli Report ~ July 31, 2014
July 31, 2014
What Are Human Beings For?
Traditionally, creeds and confessions have concerned themselves with
theology proper, that is, doctrines that relate to God, Jesus, and the
Holy Spirit. Secondarily, they have concerned themselves with salvation,
the church, and church order, including the sacraments. In the last
century or so, it has become increasingly apparent that churches will
also need to clarify what they believe about anthropology, that is,
theological doctrines dealing with humankind. This article does a good job of explaining why that is the case now:
Debates about the nature of God, of salvation, and of the Church never disappear, of course. But today, the most pressing heresies—the newest challenges for the Church's teaching and mission—center on the nature of man. | ||
Discerning the Spirits (of News)
Ed Stetzer's "An Embarrassing Week for Christians Sharing Fake News"
was shared on Facebook over 42,000 times. Perhaps that is due in part
to the number of links friends send us that are, well, fake news, or
false news. In an effort to cull out some of that, our senior news
editor, Bob Smietana, wrote a helpful piece on "5 Tips for Spotting Fake News." Forward as needed.
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The Decline of Teen Sex?
Speaking of fake news, (well, it's not exactly fake) there was a
flurry of recent stories about the supposed decline of sex among
teenagers. These failed to take into account the larger picture behind
the new Centers for Disease Control announcement. This City Journal article did a good job of unraveling the truth from the hype.
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How to Get Published 100 Years Ago—and Today
I don't know how many Galli Report readers are aspiring writers, or how
many aspiring writers you know, but unsurprisingly I find writing advice
from successful authors (like Jack London) irresistable, especially when it comes from another period. It's interesting to see how much has not changed in publishing!
The placing of books and of stories with the magazines is a highly interesting performance. I know it was highly interesting to me; vitally interesting, I may say. . .I knew positively nothing about it.
If you are writing the great American novel this summer, take note of London's advice!
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Summer blessings!
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Today's Headlines - July 31, 2015
Go big or go home: how “big” has invaded the church
Christianity Today: Is our obsession with big churches rooted in mission our just our desire for “big”?
China doesn't want to suppress Christianity -- just control it
The (London) Guardian: The real fight is not over whether China will become a country with a significant Christian presence, but who will control the burgeoning churches.
Luther Seminary, Ecumen plan to build senior housing on St. Anthony Park campus
Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Luther Seminary is joining forces with another Twin Cities nonprofit to build senior housing on its 37-acre campus in St. Anthony Park.
Why stay? A new book looks at feminists who refuse to give up on faith
Religion News Service: What to do when deeply rooted religion pushes up against deeply held feminist ideals?
Why might religion be taking back seat in Rick Perry campaign?
Christian Science Monitor: The reason behind Perry's shift might be young voters who are increasingly secular.
Christianity Today: Is our obsession with big churches rooted in mission our just our desire for “big”?
China doesn't want to suppress Christianity -- just control it
The (London) Guardian: The real fight is not over whether China will become a country with a significant Christian presence, but who will control the burgeoning churches.
Luther Seminary, Ecumen plan to build senior housing on St. Anthony Park campus
Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Luther Seminary is joining forces with another Twin Cities nonprofit to build senior housing on its 37-acre campus in St. Anthony Park.
Why stay? A new book looks at feminists who refuse to give up on faith
Religion News Service: What to do when deeply rooted religion pushes up against deeply held feminist ideals?
Why might religion be taking back seat in Rick Perry campaign?
Christian Science Monitor: The reason behind Perry's shift might be young voters who are increasingly secular.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Today's Headlines - July 30, 2015
Trailer released for ‘Spotlight,’ film chronicling Boston Globe's sex abuse investigation
Crux: The first trailer for “Spotlight,” the film chronicling The Boston Globe's investigation of child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests, was released Wednesday.
The pope and poverty
National Catholic Reporter: When Francis talks about the poor, most of the people who hear him have no idea what he is talking about. Most of the people who hear him are, relatively speaking, rich.
Rob Bell's ‘Everything Is Spiritual’ tour explores the evolution of the universe
Religion News Service: Hipster preacher Rob Bell is mashing up quantum physics, Jewish Kabbalah and Catholic mysticism to explain humanity's future evolution.
America welcomes Christians, Jews; atheists, Muslims not so much
Religion News Service: Americans are all for religious freedom -- but disagree on who can claim it.
How do you teach your kids about religion? Multitasking Moms and Dads
Cleveland.com: How do you explain religion to small children? How do you encapsulate, in simple, tangible terms, all that you believe about the world?
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
No Place Like Home
No Place Like Home
In part two of Barna Group's study on Americans and the places they call home, we find some clear differences among generations—but not as many as you might expect. For example, people of all ages say "friendships" are the number one thing they love most about their cities.
What other factors influence people's feelings toward the place they call home? What amenities and opportunities do people prioritize? And how do churches and relationships fit into those priorities?
Read the report here >
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Today's Headlines - July 28, 2015
Can hipster Christianity save churches from decline?
Washington Post: Has the cool-church movement done anything to reverse trends of declining church attendance, particularly among young people? Most evidence suggests the answer is no.
Episcopal church fights alcohol addiction, and they're not alone
Deseret News: Leaders of the Episcopal Church recently voted to study the church's engagement with alcohol in light of a December 2014 hit-and-run involving a now-defrocked bishop.
Editorial: Pope Francis' exhortation to walk on the margins makes us squirm
National Catholic Reporter: Come September and Francis' visit, we all are likely to be shaken to our roots by a much-expanded definition of Catholic orthodoxy and a far more demanding idea of what it means to be countercultural in the United States.
Dying for Christianity: millions at risk amid rise in persecution across the globe
The (London) Guardian: Increase in murder, as well as rape, torture and discrimination, has led the pope to warn of a ‘form of genocide.’
Boy Scouts end ban on gay leaders, over protests by Mormon Church
The New York Times: The Boy Scouts ended its ban on openly gay adult leaders, but the new policy allows church-sponsored units to choose local unit leaders who share their precepts.
Washington Post: Has the cool-church movement done anything to reverse trends of declining church attendance, particularly among young people? Most evidence suggests the answer is no.
Episcopal church fights alcohol addiction, and they're not alone
Deseret News: Leaders of the Episcopal Church recently voted to study the church's engagement with alcohol in light of a December 2014 hit-and-run involving a now-defrocked bishop.
Editorial: Pope Francis' exhortation to walk on the margins makes us squirm
National Catholic Reporter: Come September and Francis' visit, we all are likely to be shaken to our roots by a much-expanded definition of Catholic orthodoxy and a far more demanding idea of what it means to be countercultural in the United States.
Dying for Christianity: millions at risk amid rise in persecution across the globe
The (London) Guardian: Increase in murder, as well as rape, torture and discrimination, has led the pope to warn of a ‘form of genocide.’
Boy Scouts end ban on gay leaders, over protests by Mormon Church
The New York Times: The Boy Scouts ended its ban on openly gay adult leaders, but the new policy allows church-sponsored units to choose local unit leaders who share their precepts.
Ignatius Insight - TUESDAY, July 28, 2015
TUESDAY, July 28, 2015 | St. Alphonsa
ESSAYS and POSTS about the pro-life moment, iconoclasm, Pope Francis, Chesterton and the Jews, Graham Greene, Cardinal Kasper, the Inklings, Little Sisters of the Poor, and much more!
The Pro-Life Moment is Here | John Paul Shimek | The Human Capital project has catapulted the pro-life movement into a perfect storm of public opinion and pro-life legislation.
Iconospasm | Dr. Leroy Huizenga | The rejection of sacred images and statuary is a heresy, understood as such by the tradition east and west. And like most heresies, it rears its head regularly.
The Death of God and the Loss of Human Dignity | Bishop-elect Robert Barron | Untethered from God, man becomes an object among objects, and susceptible to the grossest manipulation by the powerful and self-interested.
The hyperbolic and exhausting papacy of Francis | Carl E. Olson | Many Catholics seem weary of the seemingly constant addresses, homilies, interviews, texts that come from the Holy Father.
Defending the Defender of the Jews | Dale Ahlquist | Ann Farmer's Chesterton and the Jews is a powerful defense of Chesterton—and it shows that Chesterton's prophetic insights about the Jews have been unjustly ignored.
Graham Greene’s Cobbled Road from St. Mary’s | James Casper | Greene's troubled and chaotic relationship with the Catholic faith caused some to question his motives for conversion.
Apocalyptic and Utopian: On Pope Francis' Bolivian Manifesto | Fr. James V. Schall, SJ | The Pope's July 9th address in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, described how terrible things are in the world and how idyllic they can be.
The feeding of the five thousand was just the beginning | Carl E. Olson | Christ's miracle on the mountain was just the beginning; it was, so to speak, a presentation of credentials. It made the people sit up and pay attention.
A Fuller Reading of “The Fellowship” | Holly Ordway | As an intellectual biography and an account of the Inklings as a whole, Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski's new book is very strong—satisfying, engaging, and nuanced.
A Layman Responds to Cardinal Kasper’s Proposal, Part III | Dr. José Durand Mendioroz | An Argentine lawyer and professor of law responds in detail to the arguments and suggestions of Cardinal Walter Kasper.
Russia's Campaign Against Ukraine: Deception, Economic Extortion, and Violence | Dr. Alexander Sich | Putin’s larger goals are to effectively destroy NATO and the EU, and return Europe to an age of nation states—to fundamentally change the security structure of the post-Cold War world.
Using Technology to Educate and Catechize | Jim Graves | My Catholic Faith Delivered, says Executive Director Mike Alex, provides both online Catholic courses and platforms for groups and individuals creating their own content.
Is Less Really More? Reflections on Scarcity in “Laudato Si’” | Michael Severance | What might be the problem with the pope’s economic claim that we should consume less in order to have more resources?
"Human Rights Fanatic": A New Criminal Offense in Europe? | Alberto Carosa | An interview with Roger Kiska, senior counsel and deputy director of Alliance Defending Freedom International.
Denethor’s Ghost: Lessons from "Lord of the Rings" | Thomas M. Doran | Can a story about wizards, elves, dwarves, and goblins teach 21st century believers something that Catholic apologetics, devotional books, and reasoned arguments can’t?
"America" magazine is wrong to raise the white flag | Russell Shaw | The Jesuit weekly appears greatly impressed by the shift in public opinion, including Catholic opinion, that’s swung in favor same-sex marriage in the last few years.
Flannery O’Connor and Catholic realism | George Weigel | The southern sensibility O'Connor shared with writers like Walker Percy and Shelby Foote worked in tandem with her sacramentally-based Catholic realism.
Fr. Lombardi, head of Holy See Press Office, on how he feels about Pope Francis: "Confused." | Carl E. Olson | A "National Geographic" piece also posits that Francis was elected by "more progressive cardinals".
The Little Sisters of the Poor v. The Big Sisters of the Rich | Carrie Gress, Ph.D. | While Planned Parenthood does not call itself a religious order, it clearly has many of the trappings of a passionate and serious cult.
Melinda Gates: 'I'm Living Out My Faith in Action'
Interview
Melinda Gates: 'I'm Living Out My Faith in Action'
One of the wealthiest and most controversial women in the world believes that all lives have equal value. She's willing to spend $3.6 billion a year to prove her point.
Interview by Timothy C. Morgan
Melinda Gates describes herself as an "impatient optimist," something that was nurtured in her while attending Ursuline Academy, the leading Catholic all-girls school in Dallas. Since Melinda and husband Bill created the Gates Foundation in 2000, they have given away $33.5 billion of their massive wealth from Microsoft... continue reading >>
Monday, July 27, 2015
Today's headlines ~ July 27, 2015
How U.S.-style megachurches are taking over the world, in 5 maps and charts
The Washington Post: While the United States may have started the trend, the future of megachurches may lie in the rest of the world.
Push within religions for gay marriage gets little attention
The New York Times: The debate about same-sex marriage that has gotten too little attention is the intrareligious one.
25 years later, houses of worship living up to spirit of Disabilities Act
Religion News Service: Although the ADA didn't require accommodation and accessibility in places of worship, many went ahead and did it anyway.
Boy Scouts expected to end controversial ban on gay scout leaders, volunteers
Washington Post: The governing board of the Boy Scouts of America is expected to lift its ban on openly gay employees and adult volunteers, a decision that is likely to keep the massive youth organization out of court but could divide it further.
The pope's eco-bedfellows
Crux: You don't always see high hosannas to Catholic popes in The New York Review of Books, a literary intellectual magazine once dubbed the ground zero of Radical Chic.
The Washington Post: While the United States may have started the trend, the future of megachurches may lie in the rest of the world.
Push within religions for gay marriage gets little attention
The New York Times: The debate about same-sex marriage that has gotten too little attention is the intrareligious one.
25 years later, houses of worship living up to spirit of Disabilities Act
Religion News Service: Although the ADA didn't require accommodation and accessibility in places of worship, many went ahead and did it anyway.
Boy Scouts expected to end controversial ban on gay scout leaders, volunteers
Washington Post: The governing board of the Boy Scouts of America is expected to lift its ban on openly gay employees and adult volunteers, a decision that is likely to keep the massive youth organization out of court but could divide it further.
The pope's eco-bedfellows
Crux: You don't always see high hosannas to Catholic popes in The New York Review of Books, a literary intellectual magazine once dubbed the ground zero of Radical Chic.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
The Galli Report ~ July 24, 2014
July 24, 2014
Realistic Progress on Race
After the horrific events in Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston, we
read and witnessed an outpouring of righteous outrage. I for one was
glad to see how so many whites and African Americans voiced anger over
the racism that remains deep in our nation's veins. I would hope that we
might express outrage over every great evil.
Outrage unfortunately traffics in exaggerations, over-simplifications, and naÏve proposals. The New York Times' David Brooks respectfully pushes back
against mere outrage in his open letter to Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of a
book Brooks calls "a great and searing contribution to this public
education" on race in America: Between the World and Me. I take more or less the same approach in a recent CT essay,
where I propose that if indeed racism is so embedded in our culture as
to constitute our nation's original sin, we might never "completely
eradicate it" as many plead for. That doesn't mean we don't quit
trying—any more than we quit dealing with any other sin—from theft to
murder. But it might help us create solutions that keep the worst
effects of racism at bay, without inciting the frustration that leads to
violence or despair.
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Why We Pray for Abortionists
I believe it is vital for us Christians to recognize and name our
"enemies." Our temptation is to believe that love requires that we think
of no one as an enemy. But this is mere sentimentalism and, more
importantly, not love. Our enemies are real and many, but this is no
reason to be afraid or angry or self-righteous. It is only to live
realistically and to love genuinely.
I found a good example of this in "Pray for Those Who Persecute You,"
a clear-eyed look at abortion providers. Let's face it, such people are
taking innocent lives ruthlessly, but as the author notes, this should
elicit in us more than moral outrage. There should be room for the
deepest compassion, because with every unborn child mutilated and/or
killed, these abortion providers are losing something essential:
Anyone who can casually discuss tearing children to shreds while having lunch and a good cabernet is a victim of the father of lies. Anyone who thinks that divvying up murdered bodies does "a little bit of extra good" is a captive subject of the dictatorship of relativism. This video reminds me that anyone who traffics in abortion loses a vital and beautiful spark of humanity. Evil coarsens us and deadens us—robs us of the freedom life offers.
This is a terrible, terrible loss for their souls. It's not an
unredeemable loss, for our gracious and powerful Lord can redeem and
restore anyone, no matter how far gone. In the meantime, we are called
not just to moral outrage, but to prayer for these people, and for the
state of their withering souls. Who knows whom God might save next?
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Private Writings from a Terrible War
Readers of The Galli Report know of my ongoing fascination with World
War II. Those similarly fascinated will want to look at two recent
revelations/discoveries. The first are telegrams sent to Hitler
during the last days of the war, telegrams that sent him into a rage
and apparently convinced him to commit suicide. The second is the diary of a young girl who endured the ravaging seige of Leningrad
that killed 700,000—800,000 inhabitants, a quarter to a third of the
city. At one desperate moment, she writes of an older woman:
[Aka] is just an extra mouth to feed. I don't know how I can even bring myself to write such things. But my heart has turned to stone. The thought of it doesn't upset me at all... If she is going to die I hope it happens after the 1st [of January], so we'll be able to get her ration card.
Perhaps I'm fascinated by the less-than-noble reactions of people in
desperate times. I can easily see myself thinking/saying/doing similar
things if I were transported to those brutal days. It isn't pretty to
witness human wretchedness, but it does suggest the depths of the evil
for which Christ died, and makes the Cross that much more glorious.
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Real Life in the 'Bigs'
Like most young boys, I dreamed of playing major league baseball
someday. I only got as far as playing high school ball, but it wasn't
too many years into adulthood that I recognized how life in the big
leagues might not be all glamour. This brief book review fills out some details of what the professional baseball life feels like to the men and their families.
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Grace and peace,
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Today's Headlines ~ July 25, 2015
What religion can teach climate scientists
Boston Globe: Bill McKibben on the New England roots of religious environmentalism.
The hidden ethics battle in the Planned Parenthood fetal tissue scandal
Religion News Service: In a flood of outrage over Planned Parenthood videos some key points have washed out of attention, ethics experts say.
Head of ND Episcopal Church says he cannot ‘in good conscience’ allow gay marriages
Fargo (North Dakota) Forum: North Dakota Episcopal Bishop Michael G. Smith, said in a church newsletter this week that he plans to resist the new policy when it goes into effect Nov. 29.
Priests no longer needed as digital Antarctica embraces online religion
The (London) Guardian: Better internet connection in Antarctica has left New Zealand's Catholic priests out in the cold as more US station staff find spiritual solace at the click of a mouse.
Perfection rarely comes from politics
National Catholic Reporter: Attacking public policy because it is not perfect is one of the most common practices in American politics. It is easy because no public policy is perfect, say the Rev. Thomas Reese.
Boston Globe: Bill McKibben on the New England roots of religious environmentalism.
The hidden ethics battle in the Planned Parenthood fetal tissue scandal
Religion News Service: In a flood of outrage over Planned Parenthood videos some key points have washed out of attention, ethics experts say.
Head of ND Episcopal Church says he cannot ‘in good conscience’ allow gay marriages
Fargo (North Dakota) Forum: North Dakota Episcopal Bishop Michael G. Smith, said in a church newsletter this week that he plans to resist the new policy when it goes into effect Nov. 29.
Priests no longer needed as digital Antarctica embraces online religion
The (London) Guardian: Better internet connection in Antarctica has left New Zealand's Catholic priests out in the cold as more US station staff find spiritual solace at the click of a mouse.
Perfection rarely comes from politics
National Catholic Reporter: Attacking public policy because it is not perfect is one of the most common practices in American politics. It is easy because no public policy is perfect, say the Rev. Thomas Reese.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Disinterested and Resistant
Interview
How to Persuade the Disinterested and Resistant
Os Guinness shares apologetics lessons from the masters.
Interview by Tim Stafford
Clearly we're at a stage in Western history where we need the church to be persuasive. Public life has grown more secular. Private worlds have become more diverse, and we have a mounting hostility against us... continue reading >>
The paradox of a pro-life church without paid parental leave
By Jennifer Mertens
U.S. church employees considering parenthood, choose your diocesan employer carefully. While some dioceses have paid maternity and paternity leave policies, a startling number lack any such guarantees.
U.S. church employees considering parenthood, choose your diocesan employer carefully. While some dioceses have paid maternity and paternity leave policies, a startling number lack any such guarantees.
Or paste this link into your browser:
http://ncronline.org/node/
http://ncronline.org/node/
Find all past columns from young writers at Young Voices.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
American Religion ~ July 22, 2015
American Religion
Summer Series  The Future of Faith in America How will the American religious landscape look in five years? How will a growing "spiritual but not religious" population or the emerging Atheist movements shape the contours of belief? Learn what several faith traditions have to say in this Patheos Summer Series: The Future of Faith in America. |
Islam Ahmadiyya Chattanooga Shooting: Islam Does Not Condone Violence by Haris Raja Painting Islam or 1.6 billion Muslims as violent is a fallacy. Violence must be understood on a case-by-case basis, not on someone's skin color or religion. |
Formerly Fundie 10 Ways to Determine If Your Christianity Has Been Americanized by Benjamin L. Corey #5: If you advocate cutting government programs for the poor but don't actually tithe yourself. |
Seeking Shanti Ethics of Vegetarianism: Evangelizing for the Environment by Padma Kuppa The positive impact that going meat-free can have on climate change is seldom discussed, says Padma Kuppa. |
Catholic to the Core Second Planned Parenthood Video: Exec Talks of "Less Crunchy Technique" for Extracting Organs by Marge Fenelon Although Mary Gatter says repeatedly that it's "not about the money," she's advocating for a "less crunchy technique" and is willing to raise prices to get her Lamborghini. |
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
CT Direct ~ July 21, 2015
Cover Story
Dear Pastor, Can I Come to Your Church? Inside a new experiment on evangelicals, mainline Protestants, and race.
Bradley Wright
In a multiethnic church in Columbus, Ohio, white members addressed their minister by his first name. Black members viewed that as disrespectful, believing he should be addressed as "Pastor." Conflict also broke out over disciplining children during worship services... continue reading >>
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Friday, July 17, 2015
The Galli Report - July 17, 2014
July 17, 2014
Good Words Are Good Words for All
Progressive. Affirming. Accepting. Welcoming. For many, these words, when used in connection with church, are a sign that someone has "gone liberal." Not necessarily. This author thinks they are synonyms for biblically grounded grace.
He pastors a church that rightly uses these words in the context of the
church's historic teaching on sexual ethics. How refreshing to hear a
voice for what we at CT like to call Beautiful Orthodoxy.
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Checking the Hispanic Pulse
Evangelical Hispanics are on fire. This year's National Hispanic
Christian Leadership Conference (in late April) attracted some 1,500
leaders to network and strategize about bringing justice and the gospel
to bear on US society. This month, Hispanics were a major force in what The New York Times called "An Evangelical Revival in the Heart of New York," a lead up story on an impressive festival featuring evangelist Luis Palau. (Here is the Time's report of the event itself, and a critical review of the Times coverage.) Hispanics are acting like they are the energetic heart of contemporary American evangelicalism. They just may be.
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The Addict Near You
In the next few months, you are going to see and hear more and more
stories about both heroin and pain medicine (e.g. Oxycontin) addiction.
Like "Obituaries Shed Euphemisms to Chronicle Toll of Heroin" and the NPR piece on "Heroin Use Surges, Especially Among Women and Whites." This is due partly to the shocking rise in overdose deaths, but also to the book Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic, which is a riveting account of a surging problem with many tentacles.
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Another Newsletter Near You
Okay, I'm biased. I think Katelyn Beaty is the best CT print managing
editor since, uh, the last one. Even better than the last one. She
regularly displays good judgment and insight into a variety of issues.
Which is one reason I'd recommend checking out her new newsletter, The Beaty Beat.
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The Social Media Savvy Pastor
There was no social media when I was a pastor back in the day. But these 10 Social Media Posts Only the Best Pastors Send are a humorous reminder of the temptations all pastors face, even with no social media.
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Grace and peace,
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