Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Politics and Religion

2016-10-04T07:30:41-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

From the library: Fail U.; The False Promise of Higher Education, by Charles J. Sykes

Last updated on: October 4, 2016 at 7:30 am By Jane the Actuary

So here’s a book of the genre that is, in the end, nothing new, but still discouraging. Colleges’ costs are rising at a fast clip, and students are getting less and less for their money. Specifically, tenured professors spend less and less time teaching, as more and more universities declare themselves to be “research institutions,” and reduce their professors’ course loads in pursuit of greater prestige. Professors are recruited on the basis of promises of low teaching loads, and, once... Read more

2016-10-03T07:57:13-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is Kim Kardashian white?

Last updated on: October 3, 2016 at 7:57 am By Jane the Actuary

Maybe not. That is, according to a USA Today article, the Census Bureau is proposing adding a new racial category to the census, to cover Middle Eastern & North African-origin people, who up to now had been defined as “white.” According to the article, Under the proposal, the new Middle East and North African designation — or MENA, as it’s called by population scholars — is broader in concept than Arab (an ethnicity) or Muslim (a religion). It would include... Read more

Uncategorized

census

ethnicity

2016-10-01T12:05:12-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Who is “financial aid” for?

Last updated on: October 1, 2016 at 12:05 pm By Jane the Actuary

Here’s an article from the AP which appeared in the Chicago Tribune the other day: “Colleges lavishing more financial aid on wealthy students.” The gist of the article: that universities are, to an increasing degree, using monies labelled “financial aid” to provide scholarships for students whose families are not actually needy. The key paragraphs: Financial aid, traditionally a lifeline for poorer students at public colleges, is increasingly being used to attract students from more affluent families. In competition with private... Read more

Uncategorized

financial aid

universities

2016-10-01T11:11:32-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Stray thought on free tampons

Last updated on: October 1, 2016 at 11:11 am By Jane the Actuary

Free tampons! That’s the new rallying cry at universities, and refers to making tampons available for free in university restrooms (and in the men’s room, too, to be inclusive of male-identifying people who menstruate — see a recent article at Heat Street). Now, readers who find such discussions icky should probably click away right now. Still here? OK, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Back in the day, when I worked at an office instead of at home, I... Read more

Uncategorized

tampons

2016-09-30T09:55:39-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What is American culture, anyway?

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 9:55 am By Jane the Actuary

As follow up to my post from the other day: A performance by a Mexican folk-dance group, or an African drumming group, or a few minutes on the evening news highlighting a celebration of Chinese culture at Chinese New Year, or marveling at the intricacy of the embroidery of the traditional clothing of some other group: “what a beautiful, vibrant culture they have!” American culture? The conventional answer is: “you have no distinctively American culture other than football and Thanksgiving,... Read more

Uncategorized

2016-09-30T08:22:47-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

75 years ago

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 8:22 am By Jane the Actuary

well, 75 years ago yesterday, when I meant to write about it, was the start of the Babi Yar massacre. Here’s the Deutsche Welle reporting, with the story of a child who had a close call. Here’s the USA Today with a more general history. Here’s Wikipedia. And here’s a post I wrote a while back reflecting on the Holocaust and the concept of “fighting back.” As it happens, I’ve read a fair amount about the Holocaust, and I’ve been... Read more

Uncategorized

Holocaust

2016-09-28T19:46:59-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

On privilege and pride

Last updated on: September 28, 2016 at 7:46 pm By Jane the Actuary

Let’s think about the concept of “pride,” shall we? If you’re white, the notion of having pride in one’s race/ethnicity is a big no-no. “White Pride” is the province of the KKK and neo-Nazis, after all. If you’re a POC, of whatever C, not only is ethnic/racial pride A-OK, but, we’re told, it’s pretty much a necessity. No, I’m not going to dig up links, but you know as well as I do that they’re out there: the idea that,... Read more

Uncategorized

identity

racism

2016-09-28T08:44:23-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Boys and Math and The Math Myth

Last updated on: September 28, 2016 at 8:44 am By Jane the Actuary

The Math Myth, in italics, that is: the title of a new book by Andrew Hacker, whose last name is not eponymous as he’s a professor (emeritus) in political science. This is that sort of book that has one solid point and then pushes that point too far: we have elevated the place of mathematics too far, with the consequence that good kids, deserving kids, can’t get college degrees because they can’t meet the math requirements that exist even for... Read more

2016-09-27T20:25:42-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A few debate thoughts

Last updated on: September 27, 2016 at 8:25 pm By Jane the Actuary

So I watched the debate. I even took copious notes. But it was painful and unpleasant to watch it — and the reality is that, when it comes down to it: fundamentally, I support neither Trump nor Clinton, and I feel a certain amount of ironic relief that my vote, in Illinois, simply doesn’t matter; yet, at the same time, I still harbored a certain amount of hope that Trump would surprise us all with a stellar performance that would... Read more

2016-09-26T12:54:09-06:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Has “normal retirement age” really changed?

Last updated on: September 26, 2016 at 12:54 pm By Jane the Actuary

The other day I asked for reader opinions about the retirement age. Both here and on my facebook page, what I learned is that my generation doesn’t really think of there being a “normal” retirement age at all. But here’s something I’ve been thinking about. The “official” Social Security Normal Retirement Age (SSNRA) is now age 66, and will be making its way to 67 before long. But you wouldn’t know it from everything you see around you: The Medicare... Read more

Actuarial/Retirement Issues

Social Security

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the name "Jacob" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Friend of God Supplanter Justified Full of light

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Catholic

Conscious Babies

For a long time, scientists assumed that babies lack consciousness, so surgeons...

The Sermon on the Mount, Part II: Matthew...

The Sermon on the Mount, Part II (Matt. 5:13-37) The Sermon on...

Bath Abbey

Bath is a town that goes all the way back to Roman...