Editor’s Note: In the two decades I’ve been editor of group, I’ve only given over my column space one time. Make this #2. I’ve known Christian Smith a long time—he’s the brilliant director of the National Study of Youth and Religion, and is now a professor of sociology at Notre Dame. I got to know him when he invited me to join the study’s advisory team seven years ago.…
It was 5 a.m. on a glaciated volcano in the Northwest. I had crampons strapped on my boots, each pointed tip digging for all its worth into the icy, steep slope notoriously called the Roman Wall. A few hundred feet below was a crevasse as deep as a football field.…
In the letter to the Ephesians the apostle Paul confidently wrote: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.…
There’s only one place where live broadcasts of girl-on-girl lip locks and rampant use of the bleep button interrupt celebrities who literally fight one another, make sexual gestures, and tell dirty jokes while “thanking God” in the process: The MTV Video Music Awards.…
About a month ago I was sitting outside my favorite coffee shop talking with Landen, a freshman at Cal State Northridge, while sipping on a vanilla latte. He was telling me about how lonely the fall semester was for him. It came as a shock to him because he never expected college life to be this way.…
What do American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Hollister have in common? These popular clothing and accessories stores used to be the brand names of choice for most teenagers in this country. Stop by any suburban high school or mall a few years back and you could find teenagers with Hollister or A & F emblazoned on the front of their t-shirts or the well-known eagle of the American Eagle brand embroidered on their polo’s, sweaters, and skirts.…
I remember the summer that I realized boys were interested in me and that they wanted to be with me. They competed for my attention. And all this happened right around the time that I began developing some curves and had a great tan.…
Riddle: Who do you get when you combine renowned success, confidence, consistent hard work, eight gold medals, an average annual income of six million dollars, broad shoulders, goggles, and water? Answer: The legendary swimmer Michael Phelps. This year, in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 23-year-old Michael Phelps made history.…
Seriously…can you believe the Olympic rampage that is Michael Phelps? The 23 year old swimming sensation from Maryland rocked Beijing and inspired a discouraged nation. Oh – and did you know he eats 12,000 calories a day? To put his accomplishments in perspective, check out these facts: Michael Phelps – If Michael Phelps were a country (Phelpsland – maybe?),…
I’ve been awfully negative over the past couple weeks – I know that. First, I hated The Mummy 3. And then I was disappointed with the ending of Pineapple Express … and, well, I’m just not spreading a positive aura lately.…
