Culture, Faith, The Church - Think Christian

Samaritans Radar, suicide prevention and the limits of social networking

Amy Simpson 11/11/14

When the suicide-prevention organization Samaritans launched a Twitter app Oct. 29, they called it “an online safety net.” The Samaritans Radar app scans tweets from accounts a user is following, looking for phrases that may indicate a person is at risk for suicide. Once the risk is identified, the app alerts the subscriber via email, sharing the cause for concern and suggestions for reaching out and offering support.

Since then, the backlash the group has faced from both those concerned about… [more]

In defense of “basic” culture (yes, even Pumpkin Spice Lattes)

Tis the season for pumpkin spice everything. While this delicious flavor has become a marker of autumn, it is also an attribute of what's come to be known as “basic” culture. Someone considered basic is known for her (yes, it’s usually a her) zealous love of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes… [more]

Brittany Maynard and 9/11 jumpers: an analogy that doesn’t work

Much has been written about Brittany Maynard’s Nov. 1 decision to end her own life rather than face an ongoing battle with terminal cancer. Yesterday, Benjamin Corey penned a striking piece at Patheos that compared Maynard with those who chose to jump out of the World Trade Center towers during… [more]

We don’t all need to know Mary Lambert’s Secrets

The pseudo-empowering pop anthem is nothing new. From Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 recording of “These Boots Are Made for Walking” to Beyonce’s triumphal vocal extravaganzas, the genre has a history of at least 50 years. Compared to typical songs offering pseudo-feminism that delivers an equal measure of exploitation and empowerment, Mary… [more]

What does church architecture mean to millennials?

A new study on millennials and church architecture reminded me of a Maria Bamford comedy bit. In it, Bamford describes church strategies to trick people into attendance, such as meeting in storefronts or coffee shops with suspiciously churchy names like “The Rock” and “Crossroads.” These strategies don’t make Bamford more… [more]

Shadow of Mordor and the limits of video-game fun

I have been a J.R.R. Tolkien fanatic since I first read The Lord of the Rings in fifth grade. Aside from the Bible, I’ve read that series more than any other book. I’ve also sampled a fair number of video games based on Tolkien’s Middle-earth, most of which have been… [more]

How the anti-vaccination movement turns a blind eye toward history

On Wednesday, Google’s home page featured a happy illustration. In a street scene, smiling adults watched children play joyfully. Two children carried a sign in honor of the occasion: “Thank you, Dr. Salk!” On the 100th anniversary of Jonas Salk’s birth, some stopped to recognize his achievement and generosity in… [more]

Balancing vigilance and providence in the face of Ebola

I work in an office building 204 miles from the Dallas hospital where Thomas Eric Duncan died earlier this month, marking the first Ebola diagnosis and fatality in North America. The conversations among coworkers that day veered far from the normal topics to discussions of life and death ethics. Last… [more]

Sewing hope with Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe

If you’ve not yet heard of Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe and her ambitious, hopeful work at Saint Monica’s Tailoring Center in Gulu, Uganda, now would be a good time to get to know her. While we worry over the well being of West Africa and impotently hashtag into the universe #BringBackOurGirls,… [more]

Whiplash and our striving for perfection

Perfect is a loaded word, in both artistic and religious circles. Can a song be perfect? Can we? Even if most people would answer no (John Wesley aside), many of us still strive toward some idea of perfection. And when we fail to achieve that, the result can be a… [more]

Seeking justice and righteousness in campus sexual misconduct policies

When my son told me he wanted to play lacrosse, the first thought that popped in my head was, “Great. Lacrosse. The sport of rapists.” Of course, I was thinking of the case in which three Duke University lacrosse players were accused of raping a woman at a party. As… [more]

Top Comments:

Top Comments are selected by Think Christian and recognized for adding great value to our conversations. Each month, the readers chosen to be featured in Top Comments are eligible for a prize, so make your next comment a Top one.

Tim Cawkwell: (Kieslowski's)concern ... was with ethics: what is the right or wrong thing to do in a particular set of circumstances.

JKana: Others depend on us; we're made to be in relationship, both with God and with one another, which means we don't have the final say in certain complex choices like this one.

Morgan: Change is by far one of the harder things in life to adapt to. I think the song puts it eloquently and I like the reminder that the changes we undergo are usually to make us closer to God.

Tamara Hill Murphy: I think there's a line between "a tradition of specialized analysis" and "specialized self-consciousness."

Jonathan Downie 1: Taking the time to do home cooking ... is almost an act of rebellion. It says that family is far more important than all the stuff we are supposed to be chasing.

Daniel Melvill Jones: As I watched this film I was personally convicted in the ways that I have disobeyed certain commandments in my haste to obey others.