(NOMINATED for — BEST E-MAIL OF THE YEAR) After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said: “Let me see if I’ve got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behaviour, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt […]
TRUTH AND AUTHORITY (A developing series of chapters in my new book: where would you take it from here…???) Jim was doing a course at college called The History of Ideas. The lecturer talked about the notion, common in Western Europe until the fifteenth century, that women have one more rib than men do. Back then […]
Myanmar: Buddhist-Muslim Tensions by DAVID I. STEINBERG Thursday | July 24 2014 The Rohingya Muslim group on the Myanmar (Burma) side of the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier are probably the most deprived people in East Asia; their plight is constantly in the international media, their conditions compelling (see Note below). These 800,000 people are stateless, controlled, and in […]
Stolen Generation survivor had a long journey to love and care Date July 25, 2014 Martin Hoare Archie Charles portrait by Rod McNicol entitled The Innocent Trickster. Archie Charles Stolen Generation survivor 7-11-52 ¢â‚¬” 8-7-14 Arthur Charles, widely known as Archie, has died at age 61 at James Barker House, a Salvation Army aged-care facility. In his […]
MH17, Gaza and the value of human life Date July 25, 2014 Waleed Aly Illustration: Simon Letch I ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been thinking a lot lately about the value of human life. About the lives so cheaply lost on MH17. About the anger and grief this tragedy has unleashed. About the sense of sacredness and solemn ceremony that […]
(Richard Rohr on Dualistic Thinking) There are many words for it ¢â‚¬“ dualistic thinking, associational thinking ¢â‚¬ ¦ It ¢â‚¬â„¢s all about our human need for resolution, judgment, ¢â‚¬Ëœunderstanding ¢â‚¬â„¢ ¢â‚¬ ¦ The end-product of ¢â‚¬Ëœunderstanding ¢â‚¬â„¢? Accusations of ¢â‚¬Ëœheresy ¢â‚¬â„¢ (one side of the debate is superior, the other inferior) ¢â‚¬ ¦ Heresy must be destroyed – hence most disputes, wars, violence. In the […]
A Special Need Prayer Request In a Detroit church one Sunday morning, a preacher said, “Does anyone have a ‘Special Need’ who wants to be prayed over? If so please come forward to the front by the altar.” With that, Leroy got in line and waited until it was his turn. The Preacher asked, “Leroy, what do […]
(Or, what we don’t know can hurt us; as we also prone to make secondary things primary and primary things secondary…) A billion stars go spinning through the night blazing high above your head But within you is the presence the essence of what will be when all the stars are dead… The inner eye […]
Global HIV/AIDS plague feeds on discrimination Date July 17, 2014 Michael Kirby and Mark Dybul Thousands will convene in Melbourne next week to reevaluate the global response to HIV/AIDS. Photo: Angela Wylie Next week, thousands of people from all over the world will convene in Melbourne to evaluate the global response to HIV/AIDS, and to focus […]
Oh God, Please Let My Team Win. Please. Amen. by JOSEPH L. PRICE Thursday | July 17 2014 More than half of Americans believe that divine forces play a role in the outcome of sporting events (according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute conducted prior to this year ¢â‚¬â„¢s Super Bowl). American sports […]