“A group of scientists that tracks the likelihood of a global cataclysm says the world is moving closer to doomsday.  The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday that it has moved its ‘Doomsday Clock’ to five minutes to midnight…”

The Bible can seem like an ancient book, full of “thees” and “thous”. It can seem confusing, with dragons, and dreams, and lots of things that “theology experts” argue about. But when we actually read what the Bible says, its often more relevant to our modern society than we might think.

In September 2011, in the wake of a plagiarism scandal that resulted in the stripping of his doctorate by his alma mater, Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg resigned his position as German Defense Minister and left Germany for a self-imposed exile.  His plan was to spend two years in the U.S. on a type of “sabbatical,” in order to “rethink his political career” (Der Spiegel, September 6, 2011).   Now fast-forward just four months…

Morality and values seem to decline so rapidly that it is even surprising at times to observe. A few decades ago, it was shameful if someone had a divorce in their family, and respect for authorities was a given in practically all aspects of life—toward parents, teachers, police officers, and politicians—attitudes that seem to be outdated in our society today. However, as a general attitude of criticism toward authorities steadily increases, the public makes it more and more a hunting game to find fault in prominent people.

“Nigerian authorities were putting emergency measures in place on Thursday [22 December] to prevent an oil spill from a Royal Dutch Shell facility, the biggest leak in Nigeria for more than 13 years, washing up on its densely populated coast.”  The oil company used airplanes to drop dispersants on the slick before it reached the Nigerian shoreline.  “A U.N.