Now that we’ve voted… Or at least some of us have voted. Many Americans, once again, stayed home; the latest statistics reveal that only about 52% of eligible voters exercised their right. (That’s the lowest turnout in two decades – very sad…) Many Americans may have felt intimidated because of the many attempts at voter […]
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What’s next?
What a stunning election result! I guess we will need to wait and see what a Donald Trump presidency will look like, especially if he is backed up by a Republican Congress, but as a person of faith and supporter of Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, I will attempt to remain positive, hopeful, and helpful. […]
The Southern Poverty Law Center on the Alt-Right
“Alt-right,” a new term that has gained traction in the current election cycle. Short for “alternative right,” it has most recently been especially linked with Donald Trump’s newest campaign CEO, Steve Bannon. Bannon has been chair of Breitbart News, a conservative media group that promotes ideas more extreme than mainstream conservatism. “. . .[W]ith the […]
The Problem of Hyperindividualism and its Impact on American Life
“Hyper” – from the Greek “huper,” meaning over, beyond. “Individualism” – the stance or philosophy that values the moral worth of the individual as well as independence and self-reliance. In the US, individualism generally has a positive meaning and often (or at least should) lead to the development of each person’s fullest potential. Hyperindividualism, on the […]
First Anniversary!
One year ago, I posted my first blog on WisdomWordsPPF.org! I thought I would provide a review of the topics and topic areas, to give new visitors a feel for what I have been covering and to help sporadic visitors to get caught up. (Note that there are overlaps in the following selections.) Posts on […]
Thecla, Paul and the Prehistoric Goddess
What do Chicago, Clinton Township, Michigan, and Pembroke, Massachusetts have in common? They are all home to churches named for St. Thecla. Who was Thecla? The story of Thecla is found in the apocryphal book, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, written in the late second century. Church leader Tertullian, writing about 200 in de […]
The Incentive Argument: Lessons from Nordic Nations
There is a longstanding conservative argument in the United States that too much “welfare” leads to over-dependence on government largesse (at the expense of working Americans), a huge absence of incentive to work and be productive, and the advent of the so-called “welfare queen” (a pejorative term tinged with racist overtones). As noted in a […]
Roger Ailes, The Media and What We All Need to Know
Most of us who have been paying attention to the news over the past few months are aware that Roger Ailes, the long-time CEO of Fox News, was recently forced out due to sexual harassment complaints. What has emerged from his “take-down” goes way beyond sexual harassment (which is bad enough, of course). A September […]
It All Becomes Clear Now: Psychology and the Presidential Race
Whatever you call it, it’s not good! There are people among us who make our skin crawl, whom we might, at certain moments, consider “evil.” They are dangerous in any situation but especially in situations where they have power over others. We do not need a degree in psychology to recognize or be affected by […]
Images from Philippi
Philippi in northern Greece is an important city for the history of Christianity and a fascinating archaeological site. Here we will highlight a few features that raise important issues for modern contemplation, since Christianity has had such vast influence on the West. I will illustrate these points using photos of mine taken on site during […]