by Scott Stearman | Oct 14, 2021 | Opinion
Poverty is not a natural phenomenon. It’s not like a tornado or an earthquake. Poverty is not a necessary state. Nor is it something that falls from the sky. “In the U.S., grim poverty is a tragedy, that great wealth makes a sin,” William Sloan Coffin once declared. I...
by Scott Stearman | Sep 2, 2021 | Opinion
Let me assume, dear reader, that you are a person of faith. This faith may be strictly defined (formed in Sunday School, sub-set Baptist, sub-set Baptist “brand,” sub-set longtime member at First Baptist and so forth). Or you may be a seeker; someone who is “spiritual...
by Scott Stearman | Aug 19, 2021 | Opinion
Jesus consistently taught his followers to expand their circle of empathy. Central to the ethic of Jesus is expanding the center. Any teacher who talks in terms of “hating your mother” and “loving your enemy” is attempting to radicalize our notions of who matters. It...
by Scott Stearman | Jul 23, 2021 | Opinion
Many in the U.S. tend to think of foreign places and people in broad stereotypes. The French have their wine, cheese and strange vowels, while the Germans love beer and harsh consonants in words a mile long. It’s not that there’s no truth to these cultural glimpses,...
by Scott Stearman | Jul 15, 2021 | Opinion
Expansion of health care is not only morally compelling but also in the interest of our health – both as individuals and as a society. I made a slam-dunk argument in part one of this two-part series. The slam-dunk aspect has nothing to do with skillful argument, but...
