In praise of real journalism and Apple News+
Here’s hoping that this helps real journalists find a way to make a living doing what we need them to do.
All posts filed under: Current Affairs
Remarks at the Providence Jewish Community Vigil following the Tree of Life Shootings in Pittsburgh
It is written in the Book of Proverbs (Chapter 16) that: The mind of the wise makes their speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to their lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. And a little further it is written that: Scoundrels concoct evil, and their speech is like a scorching fire. A perverse person spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. The violent entice their […]
End the Family Separation Policy Immediately.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018 The Trump administration’s new policy of separating children from their asylum-seeking parents is morally wrong, not in keeping with the teachings of Christianity or other world religions, and should stop. Jesus, reiterating the witness of Hebrew and Christian scriptures, calls on us to treat others as we would want to be treated. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor. Christians are called, with many others, to welcome the stranger in our […]
The problem of Facebook is only a small part of a much larger issue
The Original Sin of the Internet is that it pays its bills by selling our attention to the highest bidder. We’ve been focusing on Facebook at the moment, but as Ethan Zuckerman points out in an essay on the Atlantic.com site, Facebook is a symptom, not the problem. I’ve referred to this bargain, in which people get content and services for free in exchange for having persuasive messages psychographically targeted to them, as the “original sin” […]
Digital conversion: Church of England rolls out cashless donations
Well, it’s been obvious that this has been coming. We have congregations here in the Diocese of Rhode Island that already offer this option. It’s been warmly received here particularly at festival events with many visitors attending like a Solemn Evensong or Christmas Eve. Churchgoers will no longer have to fumble in their pockets and purses for loose change or notes as the Church of England introduces contactless payment terminals in more than 16,000 churches, […]
Join Bishop Knisely and other Episcopalians at the Providence March For Our Lives Rally
Clergy and young people from the Diocese of Rhode Island are joining others from New England in traveling to the event this weekend in Washington DC. Others, including Bishop Knisely, will be attending the simultaneous event held in Providence on Saturday (March 24th) at 1:00 PM. If you are interested in walking to the event together, a number of Episcopalians from across the state, both lay and clergy, are planning on meeting at the Cathedral […]
Stephen Hawking – a life that pointed to something beyond.
I woke up to the news this morning that Prof. Hawking had died. It’s hard to express the deep admiration people had for his work and the way he surmounted challenges in a way that few others have managed. There will be plenty of articles written about his scientific legacy. But I found this quote at the end of an article by Robert Barr to be the most evocative: Lucy Hawking said her father had […]
Together we must act to end this senseless carnage of our children in their school classrooms.
“Forgive us, Lord, when our leaders fail to take action to protect the most vulnerable from the dangers of gun violence,” Hollerith says. “Forgive us, Lord, for the times when we lack the courage and political will to work together. Open our eyes and our hearts to work across our divisions to end the plague of gun violence.” via Church leaders express grief, call for action after Florida high school mass shooting – Episcopal News […]
The high cost of the Opioid Crisis
According to a recently released study from the consulting group Altarum, the Opioid Crisis’ cost to the US economy is already north of a trillion dollars and ballooning. More: Economic cost of the opioid crisis: $1 trillion and growing faster. https://t.co/lhjb6zqeez — CNBC (@CNBC) February 13, 2018 In initial conversations with the Rhode Island Department of Health, there’s an important role for faith-based organizations to play in a coordinated response. At the simplest level, […]
Turning moral decisions into computer code
Nicholas Evans, a philosophy professor in Massachusetts, is part of a group tackling the classic moral dilemma called the “Trolley Problem” as part of the development of autonomous cars. Evans is not currently taking a stand on which moral theory is right. Instead, he hopes the results from his algorithms will allow others to make an informed decision, whether that’s by car consumers or manufacturers. Evans isn’t currently collaborating with any of the companies working […]
