Of Thomas Merton (1915-1968), the Dalai Lama once said, “Merton introduced me to the real meaning of the word ‘Christian.’” Of himself, Merton describes his early journey to becoming a Trappist monk below: “[I] spurned New York, spat on Chicago, and tromped on Louisville, heading for the woods with Thoreau in one pocket, John of
READ MORESome months ago, Intellectual Takeout blogged thus: “From a philosophical standpoint, the following seems to be the case: For those who believe pornography is intrinsically evil, the onus is on them to explain how its use does not accord with the proper telos, or goal, of human sexual activity. For those who believe pornography is a
READ MOREIn recent years, popular culture has encouraged us to be or do anything we want to in the name of freedom. In fact, it has become acceptable and courageous to defy traditionally-held views of ethics, family, marriage, religion, and political action. But has this rush to stretch our wings, embrace freedom, and ditch shame actually
READ MOREAcceptance and recognition of homeschooling has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. Yet in spite of overwhelming support, this education practice is not without its skeptics. And oftentimes, traditional schoolteachers are the biggest skeptics. This is understandable, particularly as teachers have received large amounts of training in order to gain their position. The
READ MOREStudents enrolling at a prominent Australian university this week will be able to choose an elective that is likely to leave all the competition for dead. A course designed to tie in with an art exhibition at neighbouring galleries offers La Trobe undergraduates credits for studying the famous blond bombshell of the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe.
READ MORERewarding children for good behavior has become commonplace in the American family. But in a recent piece for The Atlantic, Psychologist Erica Reischer cautions that reward systems can be surprisingly harmful to children and their families. Using the example of the ubiquitous sticker chart, Reischer writes that the system of children earning their way to
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