Lisa and I get a lot of calls from listeners to More2Life Radio who are being driven crazy by their little fussy eaters. It’s an emotional issue for parents. The good news is that when parents can remain calm and supportive over time, most children do more than grow out of it. This latest study offers three, simple practical steps that can give parents a sane guide for dealing with this vexing issue. Introducing the ‘three Rs’ — Repetition, Role... Read more
I’m interested in the experience of Catholic across the country. Did you pastor address the SCOTUS decision in favor of gay marriage? If so, what did he say? If not, how do you feel about your pastor’s silence? In my parish, in Steubenville, Ohio neither my pastor, nor my deacon–who preached the homily and is a faithful theology professor–said anything about marriage. There were no comments in the homily. There were no petitions about it during the prayers of... Read more
Today, SCOTUS ruled 5-4 in favor of Gay marriage. It is a devastating blow, not only to the Marriage Reality Movement but to the Christian understanding of reality itself. For the secular culture, physical reality no longer matters. The only thing that counts is a person’s feelings about him or herself and the world he lives in. Facts don’t matter. Matter doesn’t matter. Only opinion and emotion. In light of this historic decision, it is more important than ever... Read more
The Church teaches that family life is the basic unit of society and that as the family goes, so goes the Church. If that’s true, then we should all buckle our seatbelts, because we’re in for a bumpy ride. I am honored to serve on the board of Holy Cross Family Ministries, the organization that carries on the legacy of Servant of God, Fr. Patrick “the family that prays together, stays together” Peyton, CSC. and promotes both family prayer and... Read more
Pope Francis made some powerful observations about the importance of working to create strong marriages. “Dear Brothers and Sisters: We know well that every family on occasion suffers moments when one family member offends another. Through our words, actions, or omissions, instead of expressing love for our spouse or children, we can sometimes diminish or demean that love. Hiding these hurts only deepens such wounds, leading to anger and friction between loved ones. If these wounds are particularly deep, they... Read more
This article is Part 1 in my Patheos Head to Head Debate with John Mark Reynolds of Eidos blog. The question: is a deity necessary for morality? “Is a deity necessary for morality?” At the risk of sounding Clintonesque, it really depends on how you define “morality.” Even so, the answer is by and large, “no.” To explain, I want to first look at why many Christians struggle with the idea that one can be moral without God but then... Read more
My book, The Exceptional Seven Percent: Nine Secrets of the World’s Happiest Couples looks at the habits uncommonly happy couples practice to keep their marriages going strong and growing stronger day by day. In a new study, gerontologist, Karl Pillemer, has taken a similar approach, asking long-time happily married couples what makes their relationships work well. His research uncovered common advice for couples walking down the aisle or decades into marriage. To capture the voice of lived experience, the study... Read more
Two pediatrician brothers claim they have developed a “new” method of getting babies to sleep. And, incidentally, I put “new” in quotes because their method is scary-similar to the method recommended by Babywise authors Gary and Marie Ezzo which was eventually condemned by the American Academy of Pediatrics because it caused failure to thrive and dehydration in babies. How many ways can I say that this is a terrible, horrible, no-good parenting idea? (Click here to read the FoxNews article)... Read more
This weekend is Fathers’ Day, so I thought it would be good to take some time to remind us all how important dads are. Check out these great dad facts! (Teaser: I saved the most surprising fact for last!) 1. Fathers’ interaction with babies (engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, emotional warmth, physical care) reduced their infants’ chances of experiencing cognitive delay 2. Children whose fathers are involved in rearing them (“sensitive and responsive fathering”) fare better on cognitive tests and in... Read more
I was not one of the many Catholics dreading the publication of Laudato Si. I teach a college course on Catholic Social Teaching and stewardship of the environment is one of the major themes of this great and influential body of work. As Catholics, we believe that when the Word of God became flesh, all of creation was raised to a new dignity in Christ. Human beings do not own the world, we are merely stewards of it. It is... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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