A study of the effects of psychedelic mushrooms is being hailed as revealing positive benefits. What interests me is what the scientists and the media consider to be beneficial. The active ingredient in the mushrooms makes people more emotional, puts them in a continual dream-like
The United States of America is 238 years old today. And, arguably, feeling its age. The country is polarized, but nearly every faction (though for different reasons) distrusts the government. Nearly every faction also (for different reasons) criticizes the culture. The patriotic legends of our
Peter Wehner shares a letter written by his wife’s uncle, Frank Keaton, shortly before landing on Omaha Beach. It makes very good reading for Independence Day. (more…)
Last Sunday was the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, two different and yet unified confessors of the Christian faith. Also on that day, one of my former students joined our church by adult confirmation, a rite that includes the vow to suffer all,
The Patheos faith & work channel’s blog Mission:Work gave a nice shout-out to us here at the Cranach blog. That site also has a poignant post from a man who left the ministry but all he could find was a factory job. He found that
The Lutheran pastor, Christian Führer, whose prayer meetings became a catalyst for the protests that overthrew Communism in East Germany died Monday at age 71. I was struck by this quotation from him: “It is not the throne and the altar, but the street and
Finally, as I have been agitating for throughout my career, modern-day Christians are discovering George Herbert, whom I consider to be the greatest and most spiritually satisfying Christian poet. Now Wesley Hill writes about him in Christianity Today. If you want a guide to Herbert’s
Not long ago, people were worried about cults. Their teenagers and young adults would run off and join the Moonies, the Hare Krishnas, or the Children of God and not be seen of again. Often, parents hired “deprogrammers” to abduct the son or daughter who
Drones that can zap our enemies from above like Zeus throwing down thunderbolts would seem like a great anti-terrorism technology. But we probably won’t like them as much when other countries–and terrorists–use them to assassinate people on our soil. But whatever you think of drone
Critics of the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Obamacare contraceptive mandate must include exemptions for business owners whose religion does not permit them to purchase birth control pills and possible abortifacients are howling with indignation. Women are going to be prevented from having access to
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