Items included on this page come from a variety of sources. The perspectives conveyed may or may not express a Lutheran ethos. They can serve our instruction as discussion-starters, examples (positive and negative), and illustrations of intersections between God’s two kingdoms, intersections sometimes characterized by tension, sometimes by congruence. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Meg Meeker, MD, on Teenagers and the STD nobody is talking about: Most people are aware of the physical repercussions of sex–we e now have 35 known STDs (in 1960, we only had two); teenagers make up one-third of the U.S. population, but they carry 50 percent of STDs; one in four teens has an STD. […]
Trafficking in Priceless Goods: The Invisible Epidemic of Modern Day Slavery: The author, Wendy L. Patrick, J.D., is a career prosecutor in the San Diego District Attorney’s Office with years of experience prosecuting human trafficking cases and sex crimes. She has a MDiv degree and a PhD in Theology, is an ordained Baptist minister, and is […]
Lectures on Inhumanity: Teaching Medical Ethics in German Medical Schools Under Nazism — Students should learn that comparisons and analogies to Nazi Germany are often tenuous. Nevertheless this study from the Annals of Internal Medicine offers an informed examination of ethics gone awry in one of the most advanced cultures in history: “Course catalogs and […]
Why Does the Bible Require New Mothers to Atone after Childbirth? — Leviticus 12-13 says that when a woman gives birth, she is impure for several weeks, after which she must offer two distinct sacrifices: an “olah,” or burnt offering, and a “ḥatat,” or sin offering. This article offers some different views on the text. How might […]
The Science of Sinning Less: What new research reveals about self-control and willpower — Few topics in social science right now are hotter than willpower and self-control, considering both the number of studies on the subject and the disputes over their validity. Psychologists, sociologists, and other scientists aren’t just interested in self-control’s practical benefits. They want to […]
A Baby With 3 Genetic Parents Seems Healthy, But Questions Remain: A new report describes in further detail both the technique and the participants in the recent birth of a healthy boy with the blended DNA of the birth mother, father, and an unrelated female donor. This event has prompted numerous ethical and scientific questions. See also […]
‘You Can’t Give In’: Monty Williams On Life After Tragedy — This depth story discusses in detail the circumstances of the NBA coach and his struggle through the death of his wife from a criminally horrific auto collision to arriving at that peace that passes all understanding. Students in various courses may find this article […]
March Mildness? Americans Say Sports Isn’t All About Winning: 52 percent of Americans describe their philosophy of sports by saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose—it’s how you play the game.” Most Americans want players to play the game ‘the right way’ and not potentially endanger others simply for the sake of winning. 40 percent of Americans […]
Supreme Incoherence: Transgender Ideology and the End of the Law — Agree or disagree with the author, this careful analysis will challenge students to think carefully about language, positive law, and the claims our words make to natural and revealed knowledge. This might be the essay to help students on any side of the gender identity […]
Doctors harvesting organs from Canadian patients who underwent medically assisted death: Doctors have already harvested organs from dozens of Canadians who underwent medically assisted death, a practice supporters say expands the pool of desperately needed organs, but ethicists worry could make it harder for euthanasia patients to voice a last-minute change of heart.
