Erma Bombeck called Thanksgiving, “pig-out time throughout the land.” And O. Henry called the holiday, “purely American. The holiday may be purely American—and a time to pig-out on turkey—but the attitude is purely Christian. Few things are more unChristian than for a forgiven sinner to be an ungrateful saint. Ungratefulness is a sign of pride, […]
Private character determines public conduct. At one time in our country that simple truth was never questioned—that a man who would not honor his personal vows to his wife could not honor his public vows to his office. This is not that time. In fact, we haven’t lived during that time for at least fifteen […]
The great Vaudeville performer and pop philosopher, Sophie Tucker made this astute observation: From birth to eighteen a girl needs good parents. From eighteen to thirty-five a girl needs good looks; from thirty-five to fifty-five a girl needs a good personality, and from fifty-five on she needs cash. [1] Well, I don’t know where you […]
Time is a faithful servant but a fearsome master. Dr. Seuss illustrates this in his delightful book, Oh, The Places You Go. It’s a story about life’s journey, which doesn’t always take you to the places you want to go—like “The Waiting Place,” where people are Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for […]
May 12 marks the anniversary of the first marriage performed on the shores of America by Englishmen. On that day, in 1621, Edward Winslow married Susanna White in a ceremony officiated by the newly elected governor of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford. The marriage was civil, not religious. Bradford explains why in his history of the […]
What is marriage? This seemingly straightforward question is proving difficult to answer these days. But it’s the question the Supreme Court will have to wrestle with and answer as it considers 1996 The Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as being between one man and one woman, and California’s Proposition 8, which amended the […]
You can judge the health of a civilization by the culture it creates and consumes. At the height of Roman corruption the Empire created and consumed a culture a death and decadence. The bloodlust of the games and the bodily lusts of sexual deviancy led Rome down the rutted road of long decline and prolonged […]
A great man died this week. Chances are you’ve never heard his name and wouldn’t recognize his picture. But his death has affected me deeply. He was my teacher and mentor. And outside of my family, he probably exerted more influence in my life than any other. He had a wonderful sense of humor. “Men […]
