In recent years, scholars of the New (Christian) Testament of the Bible – comprised of documents composed between 50 and 150 of the Common Era (CE) – have begun using the tools and interpretations of archaeologists in our quest for the context in which the earliest Christians lived. Since the apostle Paul (a Jew, let […]
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Positive Fallout: A Flurry of Women Interested in Running for Office
One major result of the election win of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s loss is the widespread activism that has erupted all over the country. Millions of Americans are marching, demonstrating and attending their elected representatives’ Town Hall meetings to “resist” – to make it known in no uncertain terms that the regressive, misogynist, anti-democratic […]
The Financial CHOICE Act, Predatory Lending and the CFPB
On June 13, 2017, the US House of Representatives passed the so-called Financial CHOICE Act. According to an alarm sent out in early June by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), this Act “would strip away safeguards needed to stop predatory lenders from trapping low-income people in an endless cycle of poverty and debt.” Some “choice,” […]
Resurrecting Deleted Climate Change Pages Around the Country
I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that, despite the Trump Administration deleting climate change pages of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some cities have resurrected those pages so that the American public can still have access to them. (The current home page of the EPA can be found here). Burlington, Vermont, introduces its […]
Southern Baptists in Congress: Examining the Biblical Mandate to Care for Widows and Orphans
It would be an interesting exercise to hold up the votes of legislators on certain bills against what both Jewish and Christian Scriptures say about supporting widows, orphans and other vulnerable people. It’s an illuminating exercise. Let us look at what two of the world’s major religions say about caring for vulnerable people. The Hebrew […]
The Paris Climate Accord: The Episcopal Church Takes a Stand
I wanted to share an important statement, issued on June 1, 2017, from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Michael B. Curry. I also want to share a few things about Bishop Curry himself. Presiding Bishop’s Statement on President Donald Trump’s Action on the Paris Climate Accord With the announcement […]
The Best Countries for Kids
Have you heard the latest – the report on the best countries for children? Once again, the US does not look too good: it came in 36th (“right below Boznia & Herzegovina and right above Russia”). According to the Business Insider report by Chris Weller, “In honor of Children’s Day on June 1, international NGO […]
Emerging Democratic Leaders
Since the election, the pundits who favor the left have been wringing their hands about who the “real” leader of the Democratic Party is. No one is emerging as the person who should run for President in 2020 – OMG! The most charismatic figure on the left may well be Bernie Sanders – but he’s […]
Adopting a New President
I had a wild thought: I’d like to adopt for myself a new President! There are quite a few to choose from now: Justin Trudeau in Canada; Emmanuel Macron in France; certainly Angela Merkel in Germany; Gudni Johannesson of Iceland; or Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland. There are probably others we can think of. I am […]
AARP on the High Cost of Drugs
As much as I admire and support AARP, of which I am a member, I am a little disappointed in the recent article in AARP Bulletin entitled “Why Drugs Cost so Much” by the editors (May 2017 and online). While I appreciate the attempt to help the American public by tackling this vital issue, I […]