The Scroll 9/27/13: Top Five Christian Articles of the Week

 

 1. A Christian's journey through Islam

Brussels - All over the globe, the Muslim community finds itself caught in the middle of strenuous societal debates. With Islamophobia on the rise in the West and extremism in the name of Islam growing in the East -evidenced by sectarian violence in countries like Egypt, Syria and Pakistan - the debate is often presented as a clash between Western values and Islamic fundamentalism...continue reading

2. Plant Yourself. Hold Firm and Give Off Light Be A Lighthouse

Many of us are taught, starting in childhood, to never, ever give up. It applies even more so to those of us in the nonprofit, charitable, and faith arenas. We often work with hurting, broken but incredibly valuable people. We want to be the sort of inspirers who those we love and serve will one day be grateful for. And about us, we hope they’ll say, “When every- one else threw in the towel, this person, never gave up! She was always there for me. He never quit no matter how many times I messed up or tried his patience...continue reading

3. 5 Important Biblical Leaders Nobody Likes To Talk About

Henry Louis Mencken, the early twentieth century journalist and satirist, once commented that “on one issue, at least, both men and women agree: they both distrust women.” I’ve wondered how much this sentiment has come to infiltrate the church over the past 2000 years. It is fascinating to note that nearly all of the other world religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and even the religiously unaffiliated) are made up of adherents that are predominantly male...continue reading

4. Pope Francis: We Need You in Washington, D.C.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, and almost miraculously, the values of simplicity, humility, welcome, and the priority of the poor have burst on to the international stage. A new pope named Francis is reminding us that love is also a verb — choosing the name Francis because of his commitment to the poor, to peace, and creation in sharp contrast to the values of Washington, D.C...continue reading

5. Is Immortality Talk Just “Fear of the Dark?”

Renowned scientist and author of such books as “A Brief History of Time” Stephen Hawking suggested recently that it is conceivable in the future that we may be able to upload the contents of the human brain onto a computer so that the information may, in a sense, become immortalized. He readily conceded, however, that such a task was well beyond our current technological capacity, and he offered some measured words of caution for those who sought to read too much into this potential...continue reading