Rod White's Blog, page 36

Six foundations for being good: let’s stand on all of them

Last week I was telling you about Jonathan Haidt and his book The Righteous Mind.  In it he follows his own journey out of being WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) and discovers that there are six foundations for … Continue reading →

It is OK NOT to be WEIRD — the Bible’s many “rights”

While I was waiting for baby Hannah to arrive the other day I read a book. (It took her much longer than I expected! )  It was such a good book that I can’t resist applying a few of its … Continue reading →

We’re Getting Schooled to Relate without Jesus

We’re getting schooled — but nicely and in the name of being nice, protecting the rights of others and being inclusive. But are people actually being nice to me? protecting my so-called rights? including me? More important, are they being nice … Continue reading →

Nano Day and the Obligation of Stewardship

I was walking on a beautiful day through a section of Penn I rarely visit and ran headlong into nanotechnology. I rubbed my head and remembered the last time this happened – it was just as startling. First off, you may … Continue reading →

Winter is coming. Share your umbrella. — Leaders and led loving one another.

I like sharing an umbrella with someone. Maybe I need to like it, since I so often forget to carry an umbrella! (It is hard being a native of California). But I consciously like sharing an umbrella because it gives me … Continue reading →

Have the Faith You Have, Not the Faith You Don’t

Here’s another Bible problem for you. What’s with faith-as-small-as-a-mustard-seed moving mountains? We sing: Si tuvieras fe como grano de mostaza Eso lo dice el Senor Tu le dirias a la montana Muevete, muevete  Esa montana se movera, se movera, se movera … Continue reading →

Don’t let the loneliness organize you.

Take a look at the famous picture of Buchenwald concentration camp. Many of us have seen the picture. But you may not have known that the famous author Elie Wiesel is actually in the picture. He is circled in red. In … Continue reading →

Screen-delivered Consumerism Saps Resistance

It is a rare talent to be able to sell nothing. I have always admired the weavers in the Hans Christian Andersen tale The Emperor’s New Clothes because they had the talent. Selling nothing might be the most-valued talent in U.S. society … Continue reading →

They’ll Pathologize and Medicate the Resistance They Surveil

What might happen to you if you resist? What if you said, “Taking on a load of debt in order to participate in normal economic life is foolish! I won’t do it and neither should anyone else!”? What if you … Continue reading →

Education Is the Bane of Resistance among Jesus-followers, Too.

Let’s talk about how the educators or, better, how the “education industry” have created indoctrination camps that have subdued young Americans and broken any spirit of resistance to domination they might normally have. I’m talking about the mandatory sentences handed out … Continue reading →