R. Albert Mohler Jr.'s Blog, page 263

The Briefing 11-22-16

Who can forgive sin? Pope Francis extends dispensation of forgiveness for women who've had an abortionWashington Post (Julie Zauzmer) — Pope Francis gives all priests permission to forgive the ‘grave sin’ of abortionNew York Times (Jill Filipovic) — The Pope’s Unforgiving Message of Forgiveness on Abortion

China considers lifting sanctions against out-of-wedlock births to boost low birth rate New York Times (Didi Kirsten Tatlow) — With Fertility Rate in China Low, Some Press to Legalize Births Outside Marriage

Tinder goes non-binary: Online dating site adds 37+ gender options for usersNew York Times (Liam Stack) — Transgender on Tinder? Now You Can Identify Yourself That Way

No moral responsibility? Surgeon General says addiction should be treated like disease. USA Today (Josh Hafner) — Surgeon general: 1 in 7 in USA will face substance addiction

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The Briefing 11-21-16

Who's checking the fact checkers? Fake news and the destabilization of the mediaNew York Times (Editorial Board) — Facebook and the Digital Virus Called Fake News

Confrontation between 'Hamilton' cast and Pence illustrates our deep cultural chasm in AmericaNew York Times (Patrick Healy) — ‘Hamilton’ Cast’s Appeal to Pence Ignites Showdown With TrumpWashington Post (Philip Rucker) — Trump and Pence vs. ‘Hamilton’ cast: A collision of two Americas

Why do some new buildings not have a 13th floor? Modernity's lingering superstitionsCharlotte Observer (Eli Portillo) — Here’s why new buildings in Charlotte still don’t have a 13th floor

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The Briefing 11-18-16

If the US were a village of 100: Pew Research Center offers insight into America's religious lanscapePew Research Center (Becka A. Alper and Aleksandra Sandstrom) — If the U.S. had 100 people: Charting Americans’ religious affiliations

New Canadian study shows correlation between theological conservativism and church growthMaclean's (Brian Bethune and Patricia Treble) — It has risen: Is this the key to growing Protestant churches?Review of Religious Research (David Millard Haskell, Kevin N. Flatt, and Stephanie Burgoyne) — Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy

From the NYT front page: "If a fruit or vegetable isn’t grown in dirt, can it be organic?"New York Times (Stephanie Strom) — What’s Organic? A Debate Over Dirt May Boil Down to Turf

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The Briefing 11-17-16

Can pollsters no longer be trusted? A credibility crisis in political news, analysis, and science New York Times (Timothy Egan) — Resist MuchWall Street Journal (Ryan Knutson and Aaron Zitner) — Pollsters Face Hurdles in Changing LandscapeUSA Today (Nathan Bomey) — Results call future of political polling into questionNew York Times (Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Dean Baquet) — To Our Readers, From the Publisher and Executive EditorNew York Times (Julie Turkewitz) — At Conference, Political Consultants Wonder Where They Went Wrong

Facts, value, and truth: Are we witnessing the end of truth in America?New York Times (Steve Lohr and Natasha Singer) — How Data Failed Us in Calling an ElectionAssociated Press (Matt Sedensky) — Honesty, RIP: Facts take a beating across US

"Post-truth" and 2016: What Oxford's word of the year tells us about societyTIME (Katy Steinmetz) — Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2016 Is ‘Post-Truth’

College and university campuses are increasingly out of step with the rest of the nationChronicle of Higher Education (Shannon Najmabadi and Katherine Knott) — Yes, You’re Right, Colleges Are Liberal Bubbles. Here’s the Data.

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The Briefing 11-16-16

The alt-right, nationalism, and Stephen Bannon: What do Trump's presidential appointments signal? New York Times (Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman, and Alan Rapperport) — Donald Trump Picks Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as StrategistNew York Times (Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman, and Michael S. Schmidt) — Critics See Stephen Bannon, Trump’s Pick for Strategist, as Voice of Racism

While Congressional Republicans rally behind Paul Ryan, Democrats wrestle over future of their partyNew York Times (Jennifer Steinhauer and Emmarie Huetteman) — Congressional Republicans Project Unity While Democrats Scramble

The BGCT, a moderate Baptist convention in Texas, confronts two churches over LGBT stanceBaptist Standard (Ken Camp) — Two churches face removal from BGCT due to gay issueFirst Baptist Austin — Open Letter to BGCTWilshire Baptist Church — Inclusion and Diversity Study

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The Briefing 11-15-16

Geography, demographics, and worldview: Sorting through the aftermath of the 2016 election Wall Street Journal (Reihan Salam) — Donald Trump as Nixon’s HeirDonald Trump as Nixon’s HeirWall Street Journal (Michael Kazin) — The Fall of the Unions Paved the Way for Donald TrumpWall Street Journal (Walter Russell Mead) — Donald Trump’s Jacksonian RevoltNew York Times (Thomas Fuller, Jack Healy, and Kirk Johnson) — Amid Tide of Red on Electoral Map, West Coast Stays Defiantly BlueNew York Times (Farhad Manjoo) — Silicon Valley Reels After Trump’s ElectionWashington Post (Katie Zezima) — While the country shifts to the right, California keeps moving leftNew York Times (Emily Badger) — What’s Your Ideal Community? The Answer Is Political

Hollywood in mourning: For America's cultural elites, election night was a disasterUSA Today (Maria Puente and Bryan Alexander) — Here's what Trump's election means for pro-Clinton HollywoodNew York Times (Dave Itzkoff) — For Stephen Colbert, a Very Uncomfortable Election Night

Academic elites at Harvard reflect on radical ideological uniformity in wake of electionHarvard Crimson (Editorial Board) — Elephant and Man at Harvard

The Battle of Ideas: "Elections determine who takes power, not who offers the truth."New York Times (David Brooks) — The View From Trump TowerNew York Times (Paul Krugman) — Thoughts for the Horrified

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The Briefing 11-14-16

In the 2016 presidential election, an astonishing 42 states shifted to the rightNew York Times (K.K. Rebecca Lai and Alicia Parlapiano) — 42 States Shifted to the Right in 2016

"Not my president": Anti-democratic spirit in some protests of the election of Donald TrumpUSA Today (Melanie Eversley , Aamer Madhani, and Rick Jervis) — More anti-Trump protests held across U.S.USA Today (Doug Stanglin and Melanie Eversley) — Thousands march in 4th day of anti-Trump protests

Why the Electoral College? Understanding the worldview behind the architecture of the US ConstitutionNew York Times (Jonathan Mahler and Steve Eder) — The Electoral College Is Hated by Many. So Why Does It Endure?

In telling 60 Minutes interview, Donald Trump says he is "fine with" same-sex marriagePolitico (Eli Stokols) — Trump says he's 'fine' with legalization of same-sex marriage

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Exodus 15:22-16:26

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The Briefing 11-11-16

The Hippocratic Oath and assisted suicide: Will doctors now reject centuries of medical ethics?New York Times (Haider Javed Warraich) — On Assisted Suicide, Going Beyond ‘Do No Harm’

Labeling arguments against gay marriage "hate speech," Australia's Parliament shuts down public voteNew York Times (Michelle Innis) — Australia’s Parliament Rejects Public Vote on Gay Marriage

British parents fear passing down faith will make their children social outcastsThe Telegraph (Danny Boyle) — Parents fear that religion will make their children outcasts

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The Briefing 11-10-16

In gracious statements, Hillary Clinton and Pres. Obama champion the peaceful transference of powerTIME (Katie Reilly) — Read Hillary Clinton’s Concession Speech for the 2016 Presidential ElectionWashington Post — Transcript: President Obama’s remarks on Donald Trump’s electionNew York Times (Maggie Haberman) — A Presidential Campaign’s Toughest Challenge: Coping With Defeat

The eyes of the world on America: What kind of President will Donald Trump be?

Colorado legalizes physician-assisted suicide under the euphamism "End of Life Options" ActDenver Post (Jennifer Brown) — Colorado passes medical aid in dying, joining five other states

Eight states legalized marijuana on Tuesday, setting up inevitable showdown with federalWashington Post (Christopher Ingraham) — What the future of marijuana legalization could look like under President Trump

Death penalty upheld by voters in three states, including the very liberal CaliforniaWashington Post (Mark Berman) — Nebraska and California voters decide to keep the death penalty

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