the hand that erases
/Only the hand that erases can write the true thing. -Meister Eckhart
ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
A better option than giving advice
/Giving advice feels good, but it doesn’t empower other people. Experts suggest that instead of telling others what to do, we coach them to find their own solutions. This approach is more motivating and helps others grow. While it takes more time asking questions to guide others into their own answers, doing so lets other people develop independence, increasing their productivity. This also frees you to accomplish more.
the peaks & valleys
/One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak. -GK Chesterton
Articles of interest about religion - Oct 1
/***THE VIRUS
This Overlooked Variable Is the Key to the Pandemic
Scientists warn of airborne coronavirus spread
The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Changing Our Dreams
90% of US adults vulnerable to COVID-19, study says
Study Finds ‘Single Largest Driver’ of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump
***RELIGION & THE VIRUS
What Pastors See as the ‘New Normal’ for Preaching After the Pandemic
***RELIGION
Sign Language Bible Complete After 39 Years
Making Your Church Manlier Won’t Make It Bigger
China Is Erasing Mosques and Precious Shrines in Xinjiang ($)
***RELIGION AND TRUMP
Former aides: Trump Secretly Mocks His Christian Supporters
***RELIGION AND POLITICS
Hillsong Church Accidentally Posts Political Opinion During Debate
Alabama governor apologizes to '63 church bombing survivor
How a Sean Feucht worship service convinced me I am no longer an evangelical (opinion)
Young evangelicals are defying their elders' politics (Opinion)
***RELIGION & THE SUPREME COURT
For Conservative Christian Women, Amy Coney Barrett’s Success Is Personal (opinion)
As U.S. Supreme Court nomination looms, a religious community draws fresh interest
The false link between Amy Coney Barrett and The Handmaid’s Tale, explained
***RELIGION & THE LAW
Judge Denies Christian Group’s Challenge To Limits On Religious Gatherings In Colorado
Southern Baptist publishing arm, LifeWay, sues former president Thom Rainer
Megahurch Sues D.C. Over COVID-19 Mass Gathering Restrictions
***DENOMINATIONS
***CATHOLIC
Pope Francis refused to meet with Mike Pompeo so as not to boost Trump
Powerful Vatican Cardinal Becciu resigns amid scandal
***MEGACHURCHES
***PARACHURCH MINISTRIES
After the Allegations Against Ravi Zacharias
Ravi Zacharias’s Ministry Investigates Claims of Sexual Misconduct at Spas
No longer hiding
/One of the greatest moments in anybody’s life happens every time he no longer tries to hide from himself but decides to get acquainted with who he really is.
How you thought your life would turn out
/You are constantly letting go of who you thought you were and how you thought life would be. You find yourself constantly in the neural zone, unable to recover your old life but equally unable to embrace your new one comfortably. To the extent that you can let go of who you used to be and honor the experience of being in-between lives, you discover a rich and wonderful way of living. There is no beginning that doesn’t require an ending, and no ending that doesn’t make possible a new beginning.
William Bridges, The Way of Transition
a joy of life
/One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others. –Archibald Rutledge
what exactly IS "critical thinking"?
/Critical thinking entails at least ten reasoning abilities and habits of thought:
1. Consciously raising the questions “What do we know. . . ? How do we know . . . ? Why do we accept or believe. . . ? What is the evidence for. . . ?” when studying some body of material or approaching a problem.
2. Being clearly and explicitly aware of gaps in available information. Recognizing when a conclusion is reached or a decision made in absence of complete information and being able to tolerate the ambiguity and uncertainty. Recognizing when one is taking something on faith without having examined the “How do we know. . . ? Why do we believe. . . ?” questions.
3. Discriminating between observation and inference, between established fact and subsequent conjecture.
4. Recognizing that words are symbols for ideas and not the ideas themselves. Recognizing the necessity of using only words of prior definition, rooted in shared experience, in forming a new definition and in avoiding being misled by technical jargon
5. Probing for assumption (particularly the implicit, unarticulated assumptions) behind a line of reasoning.
6. Drawing inferences from data, observations, or other evidence and recognizing when firm inferences cannot be drawn. This subsumes a number of processes such as elementary syllogistic reasoning (e.g., dealing with basic prepositional "if. . .then" statements), correlational reasoning, recognizing when relevant variables have or have not been controlled.
7. Performing hypothetico-deductive reasoning; that is, given a particular situation, applying relevant knowledge of principles and constraints and visualizing, in the abstract, the plausible outcomes that might result from various changes one can imagine to be imposed on the system.
8. Discriminating between inductive and deductive reasoning; that is, being aware when an argument is being made from the particular to the general or from the general to the particular
9. Testing one's own line of reasoning and conclusions for internal consistency and thus developing intellectual self-reliance.
10. Developing self-consciousness concerning one's own thinking and reasoning processes.
Physicist Arnold Arons, Teaching Introductory Physics
Oh, how horrible
/Oh, how horrible our sins look when they are committed by someone else! -Chuck Smith
Articles of interest about journalism, fakes, writing & social media - Sept 25
/***JOURNALISM
Sheriff's Deputies Falsely Said This Reporter Had Failed To ID Herself
Reporter arrested while covering shooting of two LA County deputies
Karen McDougal’s defamation suit against Fox News is dismissed
***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM
As local news outlets shift to subscription, they wonder: What should Facebook’s role be?
Are news companies already putting diversity pledges on the back burner?
***FAKES & FRAUDS
Oregon Officials Warn False Antifa Rumors Waste Precious Resources For Fires
Gen Z is eroding the power of misinformation
Does ignoring robocalls make them stop? Researchers uncover 2 key findings
Nashville's supposed coronavirus cover-up was just a misleading story used by right-wing media
***FAKES NEWS & THE ELECTION
Time to ratchet up the fight against misinformation in Spanish. Take a look at this solution
How Conspiracy Theories Are Shaping the 2020 Election
***FAKE NEWS & SOCIAL MEDIA
How to spot fake news on Facebook and Twitter before the 2020 election
What Can Social Media Do To Slow Down The Spread Of Misinformation?
YouTube expands fact-checking feature for video searches to Europe
***QANON
How QAnon Conspiracy Theories Spread in My Hometown
Evangelical leaders try to take on QAnon in their community
Facebook Tried to Limit QAnon. It Failed
How QAnon Undermines Legitimate Anti-Trafficking Efforts
Why Someone You Love Might Join QAnon
Pence to attend event hosted by QAnon backers
***SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter to ask users to reconsider before retweeting
Twitter Sued Over 'Inadvertent' Use Of Phone Numbers For Advertising
Tinder, Bumble...LinkedIn? Users Report Unwanted Advances On Networking Site
Scoop: 400,000 people have already registered to vote in 2020 via Snapchat
Facebook will let people claim ownership of images and issue takedown requests
***PRIVACY & SECURITY
Average American recorded by security cameras 238 times each week, study shows
Think Twice Before Using Facebook, Google, or Apple to Sign In Everywhere
It’s easier than ever to find out how your favorite websites are tracking you
Mayor orders San Diego’s Smart Streetlights turned off until surveillance ordinance in place
Telehealth vendors are fighting off many more cyberattacks than before COVID-19
***JOURNALISM ON CAMPUS
Missouri journalism profs call out chancellor
College newspaper reporters are the journalism heroes for the pandemic era
Cancel Culture Comes to Cronkite
***WRITING & READING
Here Are The 50 Books Nominated for 2020 National Book Awards
Google Drive will start to delete trashed files after 30 days starting on October 13th
In crackdown on race-related content, Education Department targets internal book clubs, meetings
The Fight Against Words That Sound Like, but Are Not, Slurs
***LITERATURE
You Need to Read Faulkner Right Now but You Might Need a Map
Why AI writing assistants are the next generation of style guides
***POETRY
Barbara Kingsolver's Passion For Poetry Prevails In 'How To Fly'
Goals & Progress
/Many runners work hard for months, but as soon as they cross the finish line, they stop training. The race is no longer there to motivate them. When all of your hard work is focused on a particular goal, what is left to push you forward after you achieve it? This is why many people find themselves reverting to their old habits after accomplishing a goal.
The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.
James Clear, Atomic Habits
89-year-old pizza delivery driver gets surprise $12K tip
/#GOODNEWS
89-year old Derlin Newey started delivering pizzas to make ends meet. He never thought one of his customers would change everything. Here’s our story for @KSL5TV on the delivery he never saw coming. #ksltv #goodnews
— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) September 23, 2020
🎥 @JDortz_Photog pic.twitter.com/WEJdOKoVnN
impostor syndrome
/None of the right people have impostor syndrome. -Natalia Imperatori-Lee
Articles of interest about higher ed - Sept 23
/***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS
Colleges Are Canceling Spring Break To Help Stop The Spread of Coronavirus
There are now more than 40,000 cases of COVID-19 at American colleges and universities
Colleges knew the risks but they reopened anyway. Here's how they got it all wrong
Don't Rely on Student Contracts to Safeguard Your Campus
Infection rates soar in college towns as students return
***SPECIFIC SCHOOLS
Wichita State instructors prohibited from informing students of possible class COVID-19 exposure
After 80 students test positive for COVID in 2 days, a New England college switches to remote learning
***K-12
Some schools withhold COVID-19 information from parents
***LAYOFFS & FURLOUGHS
Pacific Northwest College of Art Will Merge With Willamette University
***HIGHER ED
Cornell to receive ‘on-campus’ accreditation visit via Zoom
Michigan Offers Free College Education To Essential Workers
State auditor says University of California wrongly admitted well-connected students
***HIGHER ED IN COURT
Affirmative action: Challenge to Harvard's admissions practices hits federal appeals court
Ex-Georgia Tech Researcher Can Proceed With Lawsuit Against University Officials
***HUMANITIES
What a U.S. Liberal Arts Education Can Provide International Students
***ONLINE CHEATING
Universities need to condemn the use of problematic online proctor services (opinion)
Students share concerns about cheating in online classes
***ACADEMIC LIFE
Professor Who Called COVID-19 the ‘Chinese Virus’ on Leave
University of Michigan faculty approves no-confidence vote against President
Mississippi auditor investigating Ole Miss professor for striking
Canadian professor at heart of controversy over White House push to control COVID-19 messaging
How Can A Tenured Professor Become A Homeless Ward Of The State In Just A Few Days?
91-year-old University of St. Thomas professor goes viral in online teaching photo
***ADMINISTRATORS
Lincoln University reappoints president who had been ousted two months earlier
Ohio University Administrator in the middle of decision to lay off 100s accepts $100K Bonus
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Students protest racism at Lancaster Bible College
Houghton College resets tuition to aid students during COVID-19
‘Ring by spring’ isn’t everyone’s thing
***LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
911 Call From Intoxicated Jerry Falwell Jr.’s House Last Month Describes ‘A Lot Of Blood’
The New York Times files to dismiss Liberty University's defamation lawsuit
***RESEARCH
The top public universities in producing research which needs to be corrected or removed
***STUDENT LIFE
Oregon fights historic fires with college students on the front lines
New Report Addresses Mental Health of Students of Color
College students give failing grade on return to campus
On Campus Students are targeting Greek Life
You Could Get Us All Sent Home
RAs enforcing Covid rules: ‘I think about quitting every day’
University of Missouri president unblocks students on Twitter after backlash and lawsuit threat
Graduate students reach deal with University of Michigan to end strike
***STUDENTS IN COURT
Attorneys file opening brief before US Supreme Court in Gwinnett County free speech case
***STUDENT MEDIA
University of California San Diego settles lawsuit with satirical campus publication
College Newspapers Aim To Keep Schools Transparent During Pandemic
***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT
Woman sues Wisconsin over reinstatement of former football player Quintez Cephus
Prestigious British university rocked by online allegations of rape, sexual misconduct
***HIGHER ED & RACIAL ISSUES
Survey finds 'shocking' lack of Holocaust knowledge among millennials and Gen Z
University of Chicago only accepting English students willing to work in black studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison grad student admits pretending to be a person of color
Conditional Acceptance
/Too often we claim that we accept others for what they are when we truly mean that we accept them as long as they do what we want them to. When we truly accept others the way they are we no longer have to take unnecessary responsibility for others’ emotions an behaviors, we maintain emotional balance at a time when it is most needed, and we encourage the other person to be more responsible for his own emotions and behaviors.
Les Carter, Imperative People: Those Who Must Be in Control
Nothing is easier
/Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. -Demosthenes
Self-handicapping
/The fear of being unmasked as the incompetent you “really” are is so common that it actually has a clinical name: impostor syndrome. A shocking number of successful people (particularly women), believe that they haven’t really earned their spots, and are at risk of being unmasked as frauds at any moment. Many people deliberately seek out easy tests where they can shine, rather than tackling harder material that isn’t as comfortable.
If they’re forced into a challenge they don’t feel prepared for, they may even engage in what psychologists call “self-handicapping”: deliberately doing things that will hamper their performance in order to give themselves an excuse for not doing well. Self-handicapping can be fairly spectacular: in one study, men deliberately chose performance-inhibiting drugs when facing a task they didn’t expect to do well on. “Instead of studying,” writes the psychologist Edward Hirt, “a student goes to a movie the night before an exam. If he performs poorly, he can attribute his failure to a lack of studying rather than to a lack of ability or intelligence. On the other hand, if he does well on the exam, he may conclude that he has exceptional ability, because he was able to perform well without studying.”
Megan Mcardle writing in the Atlantic
Articles of Interest about religion - Sept 20
/***THE VIRUS
How Can I Tell Whether I Have Flu or COVID-19?
Russia vaccine data called into question as experts worry about global distribution
Survey finds 61% of Americans aren’t comfortable returning to the workplace
***RELIGION & THE VIRUS
Thousands gather for Christian music concert at California Capitol, breaking COVID-19 rules
***RELIGION
Girls tell of terror, abuse at Missouri Christian boarding school under investigation
I Was a Pastor’s Wife. Suicide Made Me a Pastor’s Widow
How a mysterious man fooled a Harvard scholar into believing the 'Gospel of Jesus' Wife' was real
Max Lucado: After I was molested as a child, Jesus met me in my storm
***RELIGION BY THE NUMBERS
10 key findings about the religious lives of U.S. teens and their parents
LifeWay Research “State of Theology” poll
***RELIGION AND POLITICS
The surprise religious group that could decide Trump's fate
Evangelical pastor urges Christians to "mobilize" to fight civil war against left-wing activists
Faith and politics mix to drive evangelical Christians' climate change denial
***RELIGION & THE LAW
Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died Friday was shaped by her minority faith
***RELIGION & RACIAL ISSUES
Black Pastor Wants His Mostly White Congregation To Understand Racial Justice
Televangelist Pat Robertson says Black Lives Matter is trying to destroy Christianity
***CATHOLIC
Judge Amy Barrett's charismatic Catholicism — Who are the People of Praise?
Mark Galli, former Christianity Today editor and Trump critic, to be confirmed a Catholic
***CHANGING NAMES
Prominent Southern Baptists are dropping 'Southern' name amid racial unrest
Evangelicals for Social Action Leaves Behind ‘Evangelical’ Label
***MOVIES
Infidel review: Jim Caviezel again in faith-centric thriller