Church
- The Main Reason People Leave a Church – “But many times, probably more than we would like to believe, a church member leaves a local body because he or she has a sense of entitlement. I would therefore suggest that the main reason people leave a church is because they have an entitlement mentality rather than a servant mentality.”
- How Much Money Am I Supposed to Give Away – “Those who demand tithing today usually fail to understand the Old Testament context where the tithe was a tax as much as a donation; it was a means of providing for the civil and religious structures in that society. Since we are no longer a theocracy, the tithe is no longer operational. It may be a helpful bit of information to include in a discussion but it’s not the place to begin.”
Society
- Women in Combat and the Undoing of Civilization - “Our civilization just took a gigantic leap backward today, though I’m wondering if anyone will notice. Today Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed a rule that restricts women from serving in the front lines of combat.”
- “He Smelled of Urine and Infection”: On Adopting a Russian Orphan – “Amy Julia Becker recently linked to the story of a couple named Greg and Tesney who adopted a son, Kirill, from Russia. I would say the story of his condition when in Russia was ‘heartbreaking,’ but I would not be doing that word justice.”
Writing
- Grammar Lesson of the Day: But – “There never was such a rule in English grammar. Nor was there ever such a rule in classical Greek, or in Latin. It is the quick and natural way to begin an adversative sentence, one that shifts direction from the previous, or contradicts it, or backs away. Unless you have a particular reason for preferring the slower comma, however, comma, not only may you begin a sentence with but: you really should do it.”
- How Do You Cite a Tweet in an Academic Paper? – “The Modern Language Association likes to keep up with the times. As we all know, some information breaks first or only on Twitter and a good academic needs to be able to cite those sources. So, the MLA has devised a standard format that you should keep in mind.”
Sports
- For better or worse, Te’o hoax will alter sportswriting – “The rush to publish is only becoming more urgent, hence the time to confirm is ever shorter. It’s easy to sanctimoniously suggest that every fact in every story in every publication and on every website should be locked down tight, but in reality that’s impossible.”
- While Ray Lewis heads to the Super Bowl, a mother grieves – “In the frozen ground at Glendale Cemetery — 21 miles away from where Lewis’ bronze bust will be on display five years from now at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio — Lollar’s body is buried beneath a modest placard. Baker is buried in nearby Greenlawn Memorial Park.”