Certain Republicans and conservatives would love to damage, severely weaken or kill off Medicaid (and other social safety net programs that have been in place for decades). A first step was recently taken in Kentucky and approved by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, on January […]
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Immigration Lessons from the Bible
We in the United States remain in a season of partisan contention, angst, uncertainty, resistance, divisiveness, and a recent government shutdown. One of the major issues of disagreement between our political parties is that of the “dreamers,” those young people brought to the US illegally as children by their parents, and the Obama-era measure put […]
Better Reasons to Look at Norway
Now that President Trump has mentioned Norway (!), let us take the opportunity to reiterate some of what we have already discussed about that very progressive nation. It is quite certain, contrary to Trump’s desires, that we will not soon see an influx of Norwegian immigrants to the US: while Trump presumably wants Norwegians primarily […]
The Need for OSHA and the Risks of Staff Reductions
Stephanie Ruhle, on MSNBC’s Velshi and Ruhle several days ago, brought to the public’s attention the looming staffing problems within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). NBC News had made a comprehensive report in a January 8, 2018, article, and we need to pay attention: OSHA is yet another agency, slowly being decimated by […]
A Bit of Good News: Reinstatement of Over 100,000 Driver’s Licenses in Mississippi
As we head into a New Year, it might be nice to pause over a bit of good news recently announced by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center worked together to significantly change procedures that affect more than […]
The SBL and its Annual Meeting: Why They Matter to the General Public
The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) is one of the premier professional organizations for scholars and students of religion around the world. While “religion” is often equated in the public’s mind with church-going or participation in other religions such as Judaism and Islam, it is also a discipline bounded by scholarly and ethical standards, evidence, […]
Random Christmas Thoughts
Three days before Christmas: a good time to share some random thoughts on the reason for the holiday – the man Jesus with the title “Christ.” Jesus the man lived nearly 2,000 years ago as a Jewish subject in the Roman Empire. After he died, his followers kept his memory alive in a myriad of […]
Gospel Manuscripts, Bacteria and Livestock: Science Meets Religion through DNA Technology
A new process for recovering DNA has led to findings that significantly “marry” two very disparate areas: church history, archaeology and religion with research on livestock in earlier eras. The report by Zach Zorich in Archaeology magazine (November/December 2017 issue) outlines this exciting “marriage.” Parchment – the material from which some ancient illuminated manuscripts were […]
Hate in the White House: A New Tool from the SPLC
Is it not tragic that we must speak of hate in the People’s House, our beloved White House in the seat of our national government? Unfortunately, we must call a spade a spade: the Trump Administration, from the top down, fosters hatred, bigotry, and animosity – citizen against citizen – on a regular basis. Donald […]
Business Meets Social Responsibility
It is possible – and highly desirable – for the business community to have an ethos of social responsibility, in addition to profit motivation. The mission of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), a statewide, nonprofit business association, is “to foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes the opportunity and responsibility of the business […]