Sunspots 530

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:


Christianity: Relevant asks whether God really has a special relationship with the USA. Answer: No, and to think that He does is dangerous.
 
Relevant also asks if our bodies make a difference to our spiritual lives.
 
An article in something called Western Journalism, which says that considerably less than 50% of marriages end in divorce, and that the failure rate among churchgoers is significantly less. I can't verify this, but I hope it's true.
 
Ken Schenck believes that the New Testament does not establish any one form of church government, but that there are some features that good church government should have.
 
Computing: The Google URL shortener will shorten URLs for you. (The URL for this is 5 letters and 1 period in length!)
 
Humor: Information on the Clerihew, a humorous poem, named after the first known user of the form, Edmund Clerihew Bentley, where, usually, the first line is someone's name. For example:
    George the Third
    Ought never to have occurred.
    One can only wonder
    At so grotesque a blunder
There are a number of web sites with other examples. I like this one, dedicated to philosophy. Even I know why some of them are funny.

Politics: Cal Thomas, right-wing evangelical, syndicated columnist, and occasional Fox News commentator, argues that evangelical Christians shouldn't have been trying to change the world through politics. It's never worked, and it wasn't the way of Christ or the early church.

Science: Charles Krauthammer, usually a staunchly right-wing commentator, uses his column to explain why the mission to Pluto is important, and inspiring, in some fine writing.

In a 2 minute, 50 second video, a close-up look at some corals.

Some interesting ocean facts. Lots of them.


Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 529

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Ken Schenck tells us that there is no one, correct form of church government.
 
Health: National Public Radio reports that doctors are considerably less likely to die in hospitals, with aggressive end-of-life care, than the general public.


Humor: (or tragedy) Relevant says that bubble wrap is going to disappear.


Politics: (and history) The Washington Post on how history has been distorted in favor of the confederacy. For example, there are 72 Confederate monuments in Kentucky, and only 2 for the Union, even though the state sent nearly three times as many soldiers to the Union side. Also, the article points out that the South was against State's Rights, at least State's Rights in the North.


A Relevant writer asks if Patriotism can become idolatry. Short answer -- "yes."


Science: Wired says that we should beware of the tarantula hawk wasp.
 
Wired also tells us how sunscreen works.

Image source (public domain)