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A few items on NPR have caught my attention recently; here are the links to the stories...

A while back, NPR began a series they're calling The Young and the Godly. Here's how NPR describes the year-long series:

Americans remain largely religious, but their beliefs have grown more diverse. As we follow a new generation of spiritual leaders, we'll explore what draws them to the calling — and what drives the faithful in a world where religion remains a potent force.

So far, they've talked with an Episcopal deacon entering the ministry as her second career, a young United Methodist clergy couple who have just graduated from Wesley, and a young Imam in Virginia. It's pretty interesting. Somehow, it's a bit of a relief to know that moderate religious voices get coverage somewhere in the mainstream media!

Another story - far weirder than the the first - was about the growing trend among America's wealthiest families to have larger numbers of kids. (This is quite a reversal, demographically speaking; typically, as western industrialized folk have gotten richer, their families have gotten smaller.) Some of the ideas on why some are bucking that trend are intriguing. Actually, I found this story a little creepy. NPR didn't publish the entire transcript on their site, but you can read a synopsis and listen to the story on their site.

Last but not least is a conversation that took place on Marketplace. Typically, I rather like that show, in part because I think the host (Kai Ryssdal) does such a good job. But in this story, which I'll just nickname RoboCop Soldiers, there were some downright disturbing ideas about how best to fight a war. Here's what a representative from Taser had to say:

Well, there are an enormous number of advantages in having robotic guards or robotic soldiers. Robots don't get bored. Robots do exactly what they're told. You don't have to write condolence letters for them. They are infinitely brave. When you don't need them, you can shrink-wrap them and put them in storage. They don't have families that need to have housing. And if you put them on a battlefield with lethal weapons, they will kill without remorse. They will kill without pity and without compunction, which is not something that you would say about human soldiers.

Yikes. What do y'all think?

For our honeymoon, Alex and I drove from Denver up to Oregon and Washington, camping out along the coast. One of my fond memories of that trip is buying a book-on-tape from a truck-stop. Actually, we bought several. But one of the tapes I most enjoyed was of Molly Ivins reading one of her books about George W.

I just noticed on NPR's site that she has died after a long battle with cancer. You can read more about her on NPR's website.

Recently, I've heard a couple of stories on NPR that I thought were worth passing along.

The first is an essay from the series "This I Believe"--it's an essay by a Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr. At one point, he says:

Whenever I think there's a perfect pattern, further reading and study reveal an exception. Whenever I want to say "only" or "always," someone or something proves me wrong. My scientist friends have come up with things like "principles of uncertainty" and dark holes. They're willing to live inside imagined hypotheses and theories. But many religious folks insist on answers that are always true. We love closure, resolution and clarity, while thinking that we are people of "faith"! How strange that the very word "faith" has come to mean its exact opposite.

His piece ws entitled "Utterly Humbled by Mystery."

Another good story was an interview that Steve Inskeep did with Rev. James Lawson, a champion of non-violence. He and Inskeep butted heads a bit, trying to determine the direction of the interview. This exchange will give you a sense of their discussion:

Inskeep: Are there limits to nonviolence as a tactic or as a strategy?

Lawson: Isn't the bigger question are there limits to the role of violence in solving problems?

Inskeep: Well, let's grant you that question and say the answer is yes--and I think everyone would agree that there are limits to when violence can be effective...

Lawson: (Interrupting) But - but - but... but Steve... but Steve! Nonviolence has hardly been tried! Just take one illustration: the Middle East...

(Inskeep pushes Lawson on the viability of nonviolence in the Middle East)

Lawson: ...what I'm saying to you, Steve, is that you are asking that question from the wrong side.

You can hear the interview on NPR's website.