Evil is a huge topic, but since some influential figures on the American right have been using the term more frequently lately to describe those on the left, it’s important to look at the word in our current political context. The straight white man who has been appointed by President Trump as Deputy Director of […]
Common good
Good News from the Baltic Nations
While recent national elections in the United States and some other democracies have taken a turn toward the right and authoritarianism, three nations that were once part of the Soviet Union are cutting ties with Russia and its ally Belarus in a courageous, significant way. As of February 8, 2025, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have […]
Post-Election Musings
Millions of us in the United States are deflated, demoralized and even scared after the 2024 presidential election has been called for Donald Trump. How do those of us who not only voted for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz but also may have supported them financially cope with this tremendous loss? How do we move […]
Christian Leaders on Values and the Current Threat to Our Democratic System
As the November election looms, over 200 leaders in a number of Christian groups and denominations have issued a powerful statement linking our current “crisis of democracy” with values held by American Christians. The lengthy statement is comprehensive and argues, “Democracy stands embattled, facing new threats within our nation and new challenges around the globe… […]
All the President’s People: The Vital Importance of the Leader’s Advisors
Yes, the person we elect as our President every four years is extremely important. Most of us hope against hope that he or she will have certain qualities for the job: competence, honesty, wide knowledge of the significant issues of the day, integrity, good mental and physical health, and others. In the complexity that is […]
Influential (and Dangerous) Right-wing Organizations: A Focus on the Liberty Justice Center and the Alliance Defending Freedom
As the 2024 election season heats up, Americans who care about preserving our democratic republic should know about some of the organizations that are using their legal prowess to spread dangerous disinformation and influence not only the election but our laws – for years to come. Like Moms for Liberty, which we’ve examined before, the […]
St. Paul on Individualism and Community: Guidance for Americans from I Corinthians 12
Several years ago, we examined the very American characteristic of hyperindividualism. We noted many examples of how extreme forms of a characteristic that generally has positive goals and outcomes often leads in our culture to putting the onus, stressfully, on individuals to improve our lives (in contrast to the fact that citizens of our peer […]
Science Meets Religion: NASA’s Community Anchor Program and a New Orleans Church
The notion that religion and science do not mix is belied in our day by the Informal Education Community Anchor award through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. The Anchor designation, located within the NASA’s Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) competitive funding program, was created in 2021 “in recognition that local institutions […]
Kabbalah and the Paranormal: Parallels around Consciousness
The mystical component of Judaism, often referred to as Kabbalah, is relatively little known to modern Westerners. Although developed during the Middle Ages, Kabbalah’s 20th-century practitioners who would have been able to carry on the tradition nearly all perished in the Holocaust (Cooper, 13). It is possible that up to 80 percent of religiously observant […]
America’s Continuing Low Democracy Score and the Urgency to Improve It
Americans should know about the Democracy Index if we do not know about it already. In the latest report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU), the US is described as a “flawed democracy” – for the fifth straight year, and lower than the 2020 score. The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU) is a […]