On Fridays I share articles/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues, with a preference for content from academics and influential voices. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom.
A Quote That Grabbed Glen’s Attention
“I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least” — Dorothy Day
Things Glen Found Interesting
- California Lawmaker Drops Controversial Proposal to Regulate Religious Colleges (Sarah Zylstra, Christianity Today): this was a goofy bill and I’m happily surprised it has been substantially amended. For one influential take on it, see www.sb1146discriminates.org
- Every Place Has Detractors. Consider Where They’re Coming From. (Megan McCardle, Bloomerg View): “There is grave danger in judging a neighborhood, or a culture, by the accounts of those who chose to leave it. Those people are least likely to appreciate the good things about where they came from, and the most likely to dwell on its less attractive qualities.” Bear this in mind when listening to conversion testimonies (both secular and religious).
- In Defense Of The Gun Emoji (John Brownlee, Fast Co Design): “They’re sending a symbolic message about gun control through emoji. The problem, though, is that messing with the way that people communicate with one another isn’t symbolic. It’s deeply literal.”
- What’s Missing From The Conversation About Transgender Kids (Jesse Singal, New York Magazine): this one is an important read — the pro-LGBT author is concerned with the way science is being ignored when trying to help kids who think they were born the wrong gender. I shared a related article by the same author back in volume 50.
- It’s O.K., Liberal Parents, You Can Freak Out About Porn (Judith Shulevitz, NY Times): “Left-leaning parents shy away from a cause they identify with right-wing culture warriors, but I challenge any parent to affirm that it’s O.K. for her kids to become digital porn consumers at 11, the average age of a child’s first encounter.”
Something Glen Found Amusing
- What I Love About The Olympics (Ultra Spiritual Life): this is a video. 3.5 minutes of brutal commentary. “Race walking. Now this is a sport that makes sense. Who can go the fastest at not going their fastest? It’s like who can be the best at mediocrity. So paradoxical. I love it.”
Why Do You Send This Email?
In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.
Disclaimer
Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey’s agenda and we are not about the elephant’s agenda — we are about the Lamb’s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass the ideological Turing test and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say “I agree” or “I disagree” until I can say “I understand”) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I’ll usually mention it).
Also, remember that I’m not reporting news — I’m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There’s a lot happening in the world that’s not making an appearance here because I haven’t found stimulating articles written about it.
If you have a non-Stanford friend who might be interested in these emails, they can sign up at http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/subscribe, and if you want to view the archives they are at http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/category/links.