Sometimes, the truth is so simple that it’s difficult to believe. Take manipulation, for example, which is to control another person’s behavior, generally without his knowledge, and in an unscrupulous manner. The word is not used in a positive sense. Manipulation employs deceit; and deceit is a lie. Deceit, also, is not a positive word,…

It doesn’t take much to be a dissident to today’s society. All it involves are two things: 1) Asking questions and 2) Refusing to passively accept everything that we are told. At an art museum, a dissident viewer is one who asks the guide, “Why, specifically, is this painting so famous and expensive? In all…

Have you ever said this? I have: “I’m a Christian, but I’m not religious.” Religious, as an adjective, isn’t a particularly complimentary word, because it implies that the person participating in it is too focused on outward trappings: saying Thee and Thou instead of You; wearing esoteric clothing that separates him or her from the…

If you’re a Christian, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that many people out there think we’re stupid. After all, playground tactics, in which Child A calls Child B “Stupid!” for daring to disagree, extend far into adulthood. (Although, come to think of it, with Zero Tolerance for Anything policies in public schools these days,…

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