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On January 2, a front-page article in the New York Times asked what it called an “eternal question”—when does life start? The caption below the main photo stated, “For generations, the mystery of human life has been wrestled by philosophers and scientists, felt by mothers and midwives.” The article went on to describe the complexities that theologians,...
Some years ago while traveling abroad, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the grave of Winston Churchill, at St. Martins Church in Bladon, England. As I sat at the foot of his grave, I felt a strong sense of comfort and safety. My thoughts fell on just how close Britain and the Commonwealth had come to defeat and utter destruction in the Second...
Many are familiar with the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, which portrays an enemy called the Borg, a collective of cyborgs linked to a central controlling “hive” seeking to assimilate all lifeforms. Their ultimatum is, “You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” Of course, the protagonists of the series do resist the Borg...
There were five kids in my blended family, growing up during the 1950s, and my stepfather was a genius at keeping all of us busy. As kids, we were allowed to play, but first, there was a myriad of chores and maintenance projects that kept us busy doing productive things. The usual chores, like regularly mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, and raking leaves, over...
Both the Internet and social media are very useful tools—but even useful things can be misused to do harmful things by misguided human beings.
Conspiracy theories and all sorts of useless babblings abound in today’s marketplace of ideas. The Internet and social media, aided by the algorithms designed to multiply exposure to as many users as possible, fuel the...
Wickedness and its synonyms, such as evil, perverse, immoral, sinful, and abominable, are intense words that don’t usually appear in the daily news or everyday conversation. However, the Bible uses them hundreds of times to describe thoughts, attitudes, words, and behaviors that God forbids. What will come of these things increasing—and even being accepted and...
What is your favorite story? The power of a well-told parable can change a life, for those who understand.
An “ism” is a philosophy, social or political ideology, movement, or religion. The list of philosophies and religions is exhaustive, leaving the distinct impression that mankind is utterly dazed and confused about what life's purpose is, which choices and actions are right and which are wrong, and whether there is a God. What is your “ism?” Whose “ism” is the...
We seem to make too few friends as we go through life. The friends you have in childhood and in high school are often just a memory, as life and the demands of making a living unfold and the years roll by. As adults, we have business associates, co-workers, casual acquaintances, and the like, but usually few deep, abiding friendships.
Children are without guile, and they will often tell you very revealing things. A grandfather once told me about an experience with his ten-year-old grandson. Grandad asked the boy, “So, what are you studying in school these days?” to which the boy replied, “Did you know there is acid in a person’s stomach, but it doesn’t eat a hole in them?” His grandfather...