Monthly Archives: March 2011

THE LIFE OF JANE

Not yet 20, Jane is already divorced, a mother and a recovering drug addict. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her mother suffered a debilitating aneurism when Jane was only 12. She has had to serve as a part-time caregiver, not only to her mother, but also to her grandmother, who lives with them. Continue reading

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VIRTUOUS?

The “Faceless 50” are receiving international attention for their courage and self-sacrifice. These Japanese workers at the disabled Fukushima nuclear power plant have worked around the clock to contain the fires and prevent a reactor meltdown. This display of character imitates the 186 firefighters who extinguished the fires at the Chernobyl reactor in 1986, 28 whom died of acute radiation sickness the same year. And it reflects the selfless action of the 343 firefighters and paramedics who fatally rushed up the stairs of New York’s twin towers in 2001. Continue reading

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HUMAN SMALLNESS

No country in the world has prepared itself for earthquakes and tsunamis more than Japan. Yet, the death toll continues to rise, estimated to reach well beyond 10,000. And a leading risk analysis firm estimates that property losses will total between $14 billion and $34 billion. Continue reading

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SEXUALITY AND PERSONHOOD

Academic freedom? Intellectual pursuit? Scholastic investigation? Advancement of knowledge? Do these labels apply to the controversial class demonstration at Northwestern University. Psychology professor, J. Michael Bailey, contends that they do.

Bailey teaches a class on human sexuality. On Feb. 21, he invited a guest lecturer, Ken Melvoin-Berg, co-owner of Weird Chicago, to discuss bondage and sexual fetishes. The subject remains consistent with the purview of Bailey’s class material. Bailey titled the class Networking for Kinky People. Continue reading

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STRATEGIES FOR CHANGING CULTURE

In his book, To Change the World, James Davison Hunter asserts that many Christians have adopted a false theory for social change, believing that the majority belief determines the social norm. Therefore, change occurs when a majority adopts a belief that differs from the existing norm. The LaBrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture, and Social Theory at the University of Virginia argues that this faulty theory has led Christians to invest a large amount of energy in resources and strategies to effect cultural change that prove ineffective. Continue reading

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