Great article in The Atlantic by Brandon Ambrosino, a young gay man who supports same-sex marriage but rejects the idea that to oppose gay marriage makes a person anti-gay (i.e., a homophobe). An excerpt: Disagreement is not the same thing as discrimination. Our language ought to reflect that distinction. I would argue that an essential feature of the term “homophobia” must include personal animus or malice toward the gay community. Simply having reservations about gay marriage might be anti-gay marriage, but if the reservations are articulated in a respectful way, I see no reason to … [Read more...] about Being Against Gay Marriage Doesn’t Make You a Homophobe
Riley Banks (17) – Short Q&A
A couple weeks ago I posted about Riley Banks, a young lady (today just 17, and still in high school) who is making a profound impact in Kenya. I had a chance to ask her how she got her start. You're 17 years old, and you've kept pretty busy. How did you come to get so involved with serving in Kenya? When I was 13 my Uncle Logan and Aunt Julie were serving in Kenya on a medical mission at Tenwek hospital. I thought it would be fun to go for a visit, to my surprise my parents thought it would be a great idea too. I gave up Christmas that year and did some fundraising and off we went! … [Read more...] about Riley Banks (17) – Short Q&A
Ronnie Smith – A Symphony of Scripture Recitation
A symphony of Scripture recitation unlike any you've ever heard, from our brother Ronnie Smith who gave his life in the hope that Libyans would hear the greatest message and come to treasure Christ above all things. HT: @Bloom_Jon … [Read more...] about Ronnie Smith – A Symphony of Scripture Recitation
Ronnie Smith – Died for Christ in Libya
Ronnie Smith went to Benghazi, Libya to teach Chemistry at the International School Benghazi. He'd been there for 18 months when he was gunned down during his morning jog. Jamie Dean of World magazine writes: A statement on the Austin Stone website said Smith had served on the church’s staff before moving to Libya: “Ronnie and his family moved to Benghazi to teach high school chemistry and to be a blessing to the Libyan people. … Ronnie’s greatest desire was for peace and prosperity in Libya and for the people of Libya to have the joy of knowing God through Christ.” Read the whole … [Read more...] about Ronnie Smith – Died for Christ in Libya
Associate Degrees: Bang for Your Education Buck
Someone sent me this neat infographic on the benefits of associate degrees. … [Read more...] about Associate Degrees: Bang for Your Education Buck
Harvard University and Grade Inflation
Great article from Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president emeritus at George Washington University, on grade inflation at Harvard, where the median grade given is an A- and the most frequent grade awarded is an A. An excerpt: Grades serve several purposes. They are a tool that measures a student's progress in relation to others in a class; they allow financial aid and scholarship committees to assess merit; and they culminate in a 4-year overall performance record in the form of a college transcript. Academic strengths and weaknesses are discovered over a period of time. … [Read more...] about Harvard University and Grade Inflation