This week Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill abolishing the death penalty in Illinois . His primary concern with the state’s system for capital punishment was possible error. “If the system can’t be guaranteed, 100-percent error-free, then we shouldn’t have the system. It . . . . Continue Reading »
To read well, says Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, is to prepare oneself to live wisely, kindly, and wittily : I have long valued literary theorist Kenneth Burke’s simple observation that literature is “equipment for living.” We glean what we need from it as we go. In each reading of a . . . . Continue Reading »
A depressing—though sadly, not surprising— new survey from Pew Research: Throughout history, marriage and parenthood have been linked milestones on the journey to adulthood. But for the young adults of the Millennial Generation, these social institutions are becoming delinked and . . . . Continue Reading »
Note: Family Facts in an occasional series of data presentations about family and religious practice and analysis of their role in maintaining civil society. . . . . Continue Reading »
Shades of the Kevorkian anarchy. In the UK, a husband put a plastic bags over the head of his wife, then piped in gas to make her die, and because she consented, law enforcement does nothing. From the story:Michael Bateman put a bag over his wife Margaret’s head and inserted . . . . Continue Reading »
This would have been a bigger story in the USA where patients still have the right to fight these things. In New Zealand, doctors forced a badly injured teenager—Kimberly McNeill, center in the photo at left—off of life support. But contrary to their certainty, she . . . . Continue Reading »
Yesterday, Joe took a crack at the hot topic of the day, Rob Bell’s new book. Among other things, he quotes Al Mohler , praising Mohler’s willingness to “defend orthodox evangelical doctrines against the gooey New Age-ish mush that is creeping into our tradition.” Then he . . . . Continue Reading »
I’m really way too busy to be posting this rumination from Paul Levy : [I]n our house-group, during the prayer time, we have banned the ‘I’m tired’ prayer request. I can’t remember the last time I met someone who isn’t tired. It’s the equivalent of the . . . . Continue Reading »
In his On the Square column this morning, Russel Saltzman recounts his experience as south ward alderman in a small town as he questions the role of clerics in public life: But it might have pitted pastor against parishioners on an issue of some civic consequence, and that raises larger questions . . . . Continue Reading »
Mark D. Roberts, Presbyterian minister and scholar-in-residence at Laity Lodge, reflects on what he’s learned from fasting during Lent : First, giving up something allows me to make a tangible sacrifice to the Lord. Although certain sacrifices are already present in my life, they’re . . . . Continue Reading »
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