Great 8:00 minute report from NRR's Alix Spiegel on the importance of struggling to learn, and differences in perception between American and Asian cultures. A few excerpts: "I think that from very early ages we [in America] see struggle as an indicator that you're just not very smart," Stigler says. "It's a sign of low ability — people who are smart don't struggle, they just naturally get it, that's our folk theory. Whereas in Asian cultures they tend to see struggle more as an opportunity." In Eastern cultures, Stigler says, it's just assumed that struggle is a predictable part of the … [Read more...] about Nature vs. Nurture in Academic Excellence
Same-Sex Marriage and the Future
Rod Dreher pens an extraordinarily provocative article on same-sex marriage (SSM) and how those who oppose it should focus their efforts going forward, now that three states have legalized the practice. Dreher assumes this is only the beginning: SSM will someday be the law of the land. Instead, he argues: "SSM opponents would do well to abandon the fight against SSM, and instead focus on the threat SSM poses to religious liberty — this, while there is still the prospect of energizing a majority of people to protect religious liberty." That's his third point, and his most provocative. Here's an … [Read more...] about Same-Sex Marriage and the Future
Tim Keller on Political Idolatry
I found the following quote from Counterfeit Gods convicting: "One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, ‘What a shame, how difficult,’ but rather ‘This is the end! There’s no hope!’" Read the rest. … [Read more...] about Tim Keller on Political Idolatry
Heart of the Matter: Daily Reflections for Changing Hearts and Lives
This new resource from CCEF sounds excellent, and it's 50% off (only $9.99) until November 21. Selections are by Ed Welch, David Powlison, Tim Lane, Winston Smith, Mike Emlet, and others. Topics include: love, hope, grace, redemption, faith, contentment, conflict, relationships, prayer, fear, patience, humility, and anger. The official description: Change that goes deeper than the surface of our lives happens as we daily remember the truths of the gospel. Every day we need to be reminded that Jesus, God’s own Son, came to this world to save us from sin, sorrow, and death. We need to … [Read more...] about Heart of the Matter: Daily Reflections for Changing Hearts and Lives
Lessons from the 2012 Election
Albert Mohler's reflects on our changed and changing electorate:Fundamental changes to the American electorate also became evident. Vast demographic changes mean that the electorate is far more ethnically, culturally, and ideologically diverse. The electorate is becoming more secular. Recent studies have indicated that the single greatest predictor of voting patterns is the frequency of church attendance. Far fewer Americans now attend church, and a recent study indicated that fully 20% of all Americans identify with no religious preference at all. The secularizing of the electorate will have … [Read more...] about Lessons from the 2012 Election
How to Explain Romney’s Loss to Shocked Conservatives
Michael Brendan Dougherty nails it, making these points: 1. Lots of Republican voters died, and lots of Democratic voters came into being. 2. Romney could not take advantage of Obama’s weaknesses with the working class. 3. You heard lots about Benghazi on talk-radio and Fox News, but Mitt Romney botched the issue then ditched it. So hardly anyone else heard about it. 4. America isn’t what you thought it was. 5. Finally: you didn’t like Romney that much either. So are you really surprised? Read the whole thing. HT: Justin Taylor … [Read more...] about How to Explain Romney’s Loss to Shocked Conservatives