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Two years ago, on mature reflection, Martin Nguyen Huu Thinh decided to stop working for a company in Binh Duong province and look after his seven-month son at home so that his wife could pursue her job at a communication company. At that time his wife took home a monthly salary of 12 million dong Read more
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In some countries, a form of religious-cultural nationalism is back in vogue. Religion is exploited both to obtain popular support and to launch a political message that is identified with people’s loyalty and devotion to a nation. It is taken for granted that people have in religion a common identity, origin and history, and that Read more
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These days any single mother who decides to keep her baby is a heroine … even a saint. Ironically, for those who identify as Catholic, greater courage may be required. Catholic bioethicist Bernadette Tobin writes: “In order to understand the teachings of the Catholic Church in relation to questions about the beginning of life, we Read more
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New Zealanders rightly refuse to be awed by wealth. But just as we condemn the excesses of capitalism, so we should give credit to those who selflessly put their money to good use. They are opposite sides of the same coin. In any case, philanthropy is not the preserve of the very rich. On the Read more
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A “meme,” as defined by Richard Dawkins in 1976, is an idea, belief or behaviour that is spread through a given culture or social system via social or information sharing. Internet memes generally take the form of an image over which text is written and are, for the most part, intended to be humorous, often Read more
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217. We have spoken at length about joy and love, but the word of God also speaks about the fruit of peace (cf. Gal5:22). 218. Peace in society cannot be understood as pacification or the mere absence of violence resulting from the domination of one part of society over others. Nor does true peace act Read more
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Thank God for Fred Phelps. That’s what I say, of the controversial, hate-mongering founder of the Westboro Baptist Church. But something tells me Fred Phelps already thanked God plenty of times for Fred Phelps, given the two were on such apparently close terms. After all, it was Phelps who so graciously enlightened the rest of Read more
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Sarah started using heroin when she was 16, and soon after that she left home to live with her dealer. Heroin was one of the ways he had power over her. He was older than her, and often unfaithful. Over the three years that they were together, they frequently fought, sometimes violently. She would end Read more
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Near the opening of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man(1916), James Joyce’s alter ego Stephen Dedalus opens the flyleaf of his geography textbook and examines what he has written there: Stephen Dedalus Class of Elements Clongowes Wood College Sallins County Kildare Ireland Europe The World The Universe Most of us will, no doubt, remember Read more
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We are halfway through the season of Advent, when Christians look forward to the return of Jesus Christ and also start celebrating Christmas, his first time on Earth. Unfortunately, according to the 2011 Census results just released, there are more than four million fewer Christians celebrating now than ten or so years ago. It seems somewhat Read more
Wojciech Żaglewski