THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Alexander William Kinglake is a name snuggled deeply inside of all-knowing Google. He was a 19th century lawyer who gave up his legal practice to become an author, best known for a single proverb: “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” It is believed that Kinglake’s intent was to help
Read moreThe Abilene Interfaith Council and Cultura Local ABI are hosting a program about Dia de los Muertos at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Center for Contemporary Arts. The program is free, and the public is invited. Joyce Martinez-Sledge will speak about the cultural significance and impact of Dia de los Muertos traditions in our local area. Guests are
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By ANNA SCHILLER Pew Research Center As houses of worship continue to reopen, most U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services voice confidence in their clergy to provide guidance on the coronavirus vaccines – and far more say they have heard their pastor, priest, rabbi or imam encourage people to get vaccinated than have heard their clergy raise doubts about
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By LORETTA FULTON Letters from former students, colleagues, and friends poured in a year ago when McMurry University planned to honor professor emeritus of religion Dr. Robert C. Monk. But COVID-19–the grinch that stole 2020–dashed that plan and the ceremony was postponed until Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Monk has had a year to savor those letters, and on Friday he
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK I have not kept up with all the new trends in modern American education since my retirement from public school teaching in 2004. Although I continued to teach at the college level for another 10 years, I discovered that not all state rules apply to private college education. In the Sept. 14, 2021, edition of the Abilene
Read moreTHE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury During almost two decades of writing weekly accounts of humorous and/or unlikely occurrences, I’ve never come across anything quite so bizarre as the subject of this week’s epistle. It is a legal case in progress, as the wheels of justice necessarily turn slowly. Otherwise, the folks at Alta Mesa Church of Christ in Fort Worth
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON I walked into the backyard one evening, sat in the rocker, and gazed into the clear night sky. I thought about the grandeur of all the heavenly bodies that God placed within our sight. Then I wondered, “How many others over the centuries had gazed at the same array and felt the awe of something greater than
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Jay Moore’s newest book, “Abilene Daily: Snapshots of Home,” contains one or more vignettes from Abilene’s history for each day of the year. Periodically, stories with some connection–however loose–to Abilene’s religious life will be featured in Spirit of Abilene. The book can be purchased at Texas Star Trading Co., 174 Cypress St. www.texasstartrading.com or call 325-672-9696. Books are $27.50. Following is an
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By JIM NICHOLS The Meals on Wheels client was complaining about the expense and size of the local newspaper. The price had gone up and the size had gone down, and she wondered whether it was still worth taking. “The only reason I take it anymore is for the comics and the obituaries,” she said. I used to think people
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