CHICAGO, IL (August 31, 2018) – Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.
Why the Homeless Need Their Pets
It is common to believe that people who are homeless should not have pets. The reasoning goes that the homeless should spend resources on themselves and that they can’t care for pets. However, studies have consistently shown that people who are homeless benefit from having pets, and the animals are not deprived.
From the article: “Homeless people with pets, the study argues, are drastically less likely to get depressed or engage in risky behaviors than those without animal friends.”
The Religious Typology:
Like slicing a loaf of bread along its length rather than vertically, a new study by the Pew Forum uses a different typology to categorize religious Americans. Although the study cuts across religious groups that include Muslims, Jews, and Seventh-Day Adventists, the naming of one category as “Sunday Stalwarts” will be off-putting to some readers, but researchers said the name was used after nine of ten respondents identified themselves as Christians.
From the article: “Pew Research Center’s religious typology sorts American adults into seven cohesive, like-minded groups based on the religious and spiritual beliefs they share, how actively they practice their faith, the value they place on their religion, and the other sources of meaning and fulfillment in their lives.”
La Vie on the Wharf is so Bad I’m Only Writing About It as a Warning
Is there anything juicier than a snarky restaurant review? (It’s not like Jesus couldn’t be a little pointed. Read Matthew 23.) The restaurant’s owner gave a grateful response to the Washingtonian.
From the article: “Sorry final impressions. A restaurant should make the dessert course worth lingering over. Coconut sorbet should not smack of frozen candle wax. Crepes should not remind you of leather. Once the province of fine dining, molten chocolate cake is now so commonplace, the confection appears on the menu at fast-casual Denny’s — which (for real!) makes a superior version.”
The Red Delicious is an Apple Atrocity
Speaking of awful food that is less juicy than the review, the Red Delicious has been maligned for years, but it had been the most widely grown apple for decades – until this year. The Gala has forced it into second, with Granny Smith third, and Fuji fourth. Honey Crisp is coming up on the outside in fifth – these do sound like horse names – and is expected to reach the top three in two years. Is it possible we are becoming more interested in quality as opposed to how something might shine?
From the article: “Almost everyone agrees: The Red Delicious is a crime against the apple. The fruit makes for a joyless snack, despite the false promise of its name, with a bitter skin that gives way to crumbling, mealy flesh. The Red Delicious is a bit like a Styrofoam prop: It looks picturesque, but really has no business in the mouth. Maybe that’s why the New York Apple Association suggests people use their Red Delicious in holiday wreaths and centerpieces. They sure look nice, but they taste like inanimate objects.”
How Religion Shapes the Way People Approach Medicine
More than 30 states have given exemptions from child abuse and neglect laws for parents who withhold medical care for children due to religious beliefs. Now, some medical schools are finding ways to teach students about religion and the role it plays in interactions between parents and physicians.
From the article: “If you put eternal damnation against taking a flu shot, probably the flu shot’s going to lose.”
