Marilyn Kopp, a member of Feminists for Life, makes the case that abortion represents a failure of feminism as its proponents conceived it for the first century or more of the movement. One early feminist wrote, "[It] is degrading for women to treat their children as property, to be disposed of as they see fit."For more on the history of feminism, don't miss this CAPC post: The F-Word: Why Feminism Is Not the Enemy … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: How Segregated Is Your City?
August 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The results displayed on this map are fascinating to see. Zooming in, out, and across, you can see clusters of color, colors representing races. If you have time, check out the map and see how your city displays racial segregation. … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: “Freedom’s Ring” Illuminates the Artistic Brilliance of the “I Have a Dream” Speech
August 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
It's easy to forget how powerful influential Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech (delivered 50 years ago today) was, but even easier to forget why. This was an incredibly well-crafted and thoughtful speech, a work of rhetorical art that also contained the imperative force of unarguable truth. This online presentation, "Freedom's Ring," is in and of itself a beautiful, informative, striking work of art, and a touching tribute to MLK's culture-changing speech. Spend some time with this o … [Read more...]
Elsewhere: The Vague Southern God of Duck Dynasty
August 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you haven't seen in, Duck Dynasty is an incredibly popular show about the creators of Nintendo's iconic game, "Duck Hunt." This "reality" "TV" show follows the family of game designers as they do things, humorously.One of the most interesting aspects of the show is that the Robertsons are Christians, and they are pretty open about their faith, but Thomas Kidd wonders if the show portrays Christianity, or "cultural Christianity":"What the show presents is a good life, but it is not in … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: Papal Calling, or How to Have a Phone Chat with the Pope
August 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If you take a call from a foreign number this week, and the person on the other end says, "It's the Pope," well, you might be on the phone with the Pope. Recently, a number of the faithful who have written Pope Francis have received a surprising phone call in return from the Vicar of Christ, whose casual phone rapport includes the encouragement to refer to him with an informal second-person pronoun. Read about it over at Talking Points Memo, where you'll also find a handy list of suggestions for … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: Does Media Violence Lead to the Real Thing?
August 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
In a recent New York Times opinion piece, three psychiatrists ask, "Does Media Violence Lead to the Real Thing?" While acknowledging the question's troubling nature, due to the potential ramifications it has for free speech, they also point out that numerous agencies and organizations do hold that media violence is, indeed, a risk factor for real violence. Obviously, this question won't be going away anytime soon, especially in light of tragedies such as this one. … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: What Kind of Customer are You?
August 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
While not being Wendy's, there is expected customer-service when folks enter the door at the coffee shop I work at. I wonder what triggers inside a person when their response over whip-when-I-said-I-no-but-didn't-ask-because-I-was-on-my-phone resembles a tantrum and outright disrespect for the person serving them. Yes, some people have bad days. When I read this at The Huffington Post I understood the writer's side. So, what kind of customer are you? … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: Loving the Whore
August 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There's been a spate of articles about the failure of the church lately, some good, some not so much. You should probably actually read this one by Karen Swallow Prior: "Yet, I want to say, gently or perhaps not-so-gently, That way you want the church to love those you love? Unconditionally, enthusiastically, and compasstionately? That's how you are called to love the church, too. That forbearance, that tolerance, that grace, you extend so generously and rightly to the lost and the disobedient? T … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: We’re Made for Relationship, Not Social Networking
August 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
A new study from the University of Michigan found that the more participants used Facebook, the more likely they were to feel sadness and dissatisfaction. These results echo previous studies that show face-to-face interaction with people makes us happier and healthier. There is a growing awareness among scientists that communications technologies are inadequate substitutes for the real thing; and, ultimately, we are made for relationship, not social networking. … [Read more...]
ELSEWHERE: Why Do People Pay Money To See A Movie They Don’t Plan To Watch?
August 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Over at The Dissolve -- and excellent new film site you should be reading, by the way -- Matt Singer has written two pieces about a "strange and alarming trend": people who claim to love movies but don't actually like to watch them. In other words, people who pay money to sit in a theatre, but don't think it a big deal to spend time tweeting and texting on their phone. … [Read more...]
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