I understand the almost reflexive reliance on prayer when crises engulf our lives. People deserve to find comfort how and where they can. If praying provides that comfort for people of faith, so much the better.
Scientists say human beings are the only Earthly lifeform to be fully aware of their mortality. We know from an early age that our earthly tenure is limited. There is no escape.
I was inspired to write this piece when I heard on the radio that Teddy Roosevelt had called Thomas Paine “a dirty little atheist.” I have continued my research by extending it to our 16th president.
As I compose this article, 2,290,488 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization. And yet, compared to some events in history, we’re in relatively good shape, which I attribute to God’s grace toward mankind.
They do share something in common that has also been the theme of sermons and homilies in some Spokane Christian services over the weekend: the belief that every human life is sacred, from womb to tomb
Recently, the Human Rights Campaign released its annual Municipal Equality Index, which assigns cities in each state a score based on steps taken towards LGBTQ+ equality and safety. Spokane earned 67 points out of 100, while Pullman was given a score of 56.