Category — Alternative Lifestyle

A study has recently came out that shows how unilateral divorce laws make divorce more frequent. The empirical research shows what any sensible person would already guess — easy divorce laws make for more divorces. This is only magnified by the fact the divorcing party usually has great incentives to divorce and few incentives to stay (independent of whatever marital problems may exist). The fact that this is even a debate in academia shows how politicized and irrational the academy has become. Sure, there are plenty of other reasons to divorce that also drive the high rate of marriage failures, but government incentivizes failure, not success. That certainly doesn’t help.

Add into this debate on divorce law the current debate on gay marriage. With easy divorce, marriage has been demoted to the status of a contract. If it’s [Read more →]

Have you been confronted by friends, family, colleagues or others seeking your position on the so-called marriage equality, or same-sex marriage issue? This article offers excellent talking points and responses to those queries, and gives you confidence when addressing the issue in general.

After studying this controversy for several months, researching the various ramifications of so-called ‘gay marriage’, reading countless books, and speaking with several experts on the topic, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s an idea whose time has come. I’ve learned a number of fascinating peripheral issues surrounding the main topic, such as the number of rights involved, who the opposition is (not who you might think), and why this issue seems to be taking on a life of its own in the marketplace.

I’ve also seen how civil marriage equality, or CME as I refer to it, has the potential to redefine traditional marriage in a good way, by focusing an intense light on the institution of marriage, and just why it is we humans are so cussedly attached to it.

Definition: What is CME?

You may find that when you mention [Read more →]

Let’s own up to it. Everyone in this whole world is religious. Even the atheist is religious. His religion is humanism.

There are many religions in the world. Some are worldwide while others are regional. There are 10 major religions in the world today. They are either monotheistic, polytheistic or pantheistic. The monotheistic religions worship one God. The polytheistic religions worship many gods. The pantheistic religions worship everything as god. Note: The atheistic religion is pantheistic. Some religions are based on fables/mythologies or sayings of their “wise” men. Some religions are based on historical facts.

There are two ways to approach God. Two religions have God reaching down to us. The other religions have people reaching up to God. One religion restores a person from within. The other religions seeks to dress up the outside. One religion brings people into a loving, personal relationship with their Creator-Redeemer God. The other religions [Read more →]

Gay marriage has a heated but short history in the U.S. In 1993, a Hawaii case got national attention which started the widespread controversy on this issue. The judges found that the state’s constitution required a compelling reason not to extend equal marriage rights to same-sex couples. In response, the ruling allowed Congress to push through the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which allows a state to ignore same-sex marriages performed outside its borders and prohibits federal recognition. Since the Hawaii case in 1993, states have struggled to find their own stance on the issue; in a few states this means legalized civil unions or domestic partnerships Civil unions between same-sex couples are not equal to a marriage between a man and woman.

Very few states allow civil unions in the U.S: Vermont, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. California and Oregon allow domestic partnerships. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are very similar but every state defines them in a different way. None of the states’ same-sex laws are exactly [Read more →]

I don’t watch much of the news on TV, especially lately. It is not very inspiring or encouraging. That’s one of the main reasons I haven’t subscribed to a newspaper for some time now. The reports paint a pretty depressing picture. And, most of their predictions paint a gloomy future.

Do you ever wonder why the news is so depressing? It’s because it isn’t designed to build you up and encourage you. Journalism has strayed pretty far from just reporting the facts. But, there’s an old saying: “If it bleeds, it leads.” That means the story that is the most tragic, dramatic, horrific, or negative, is usually the lead story. And that applies to TV, radio, and newspapers.

But have you ever noticed how you feel after watching the news on TV? Are you refreshed, enthused and inspired? Like me, you probably don’t feel happy, elated or encouraged, do you?

A lot has happened in our country in the past year. As a result of what people know, or, what they think they know, many choose to criticize and blame. And of course to validate their feelings, they simply [Read more →]

As a parent, the early stages of learning about and coming to terms with even the mildest of special needs are extremely difficult and stressful times. One of the greatest frustrations is identifying practical ways to help your child – whilst climbing a very steep learning curve in terms of understanding the problem, including learning about whole new areas of health and education provision which most parents never encounter, there is the overwhelming desire to want to be able to do something practical.
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Five hundred years ago, there were no breaking news broadcasts relayed directly to people’s homes. They relied on word of mouth during that time, and they seldom cared about issues not pertaining to their small settlement. Monarchs and other important men owning fiefdoms maintained their own network of messengers to exchange information between their various outposts.

Other news regarding the interaction of foreign lands was bringing mainly by merchants and travelers. It wasn’t until 1456 that Herr Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press and paved the way for the advent of newspapers. However, it took another 150 years for the world’s first newspaper to appear. Mercurius Gallobelgicus was published in, what is today called, Germany, in the Latin language. It became quite popular [Read more →]