Essays on the Radio
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When he was young, Paul Thorn left the church he was raised in because he refused to publicly confess his sins. Since then, the Mississippi singer/songwriter has forged his own path to believing in God--a path free from fear and intimidation. | ||
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As a politician, bureaucrat, and consultant, Christine Todd Whitman has had many people advising her what to do and what to think. But over the years, the former governor and former EPA chief has come to believe in trusting her own inner voice. | ||
Our Vulnerability Is Our Strength
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Penn State student Colin Bates is an aide to two men who are mentally disabled. It’s a stressful job and the pay is low, but Bates loves the work. It’s given him new perspectives on success and failure, and he has discovered it’s okay to need help. | ||
Finding the Flexibility to Survive
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Brighton Earley’s mom shops at a gas station because she can no longer afford to buy food at a regular grocery. At first Earley was ashamed to go on these shopping trips, but now the Los Angeles student believes they’ve taught her a valuable lesson. | ||
What Is the Value of a Human Life?
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In setting compensation for victims of the 9/11 attacks, attorney Kenneth Feinberg felt awkward paying survivors of a banker who was killed more than survivors of a janitor. The experience left him believing that all lives should be valued equally. | ||
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Laura Hall used to hate the hip-hop music her husband listened to. But when she had to quit school and take a factory job to support her family, Hall started to hear the songs in a new way. Now she says hip-hop is a source of inspiration for her. | ||
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Listener Holly Dunsworth says she doesn’t need faith or hope to believe evolution. The Penn State paleoanthropologist says evolution “just is.” It helps Dunsworth understand how she came to be and how humans are connected to all living things. | ||
Strangers Bring Us Closer to God
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Taking her first communion led San Francisco writer Sara Miles to become a Christian. The idea of breaking bread with others inspired her to start a food pantry at her church. Miles believes we come to know God through service to strangers. | ||
Adapting to the Possibilities of Life
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When Dr. Donald Rosenstein discovered his son was autistic, he grieved the loss of many of his own dreams. But in watching his son grow, Rosenstein came to believe in the ability of people to adapt to and even find joy in difficult circumstances. | ||
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High school senior Maria Zapetis has a comfortable life, but an experience at a summer camp taught her that many people around the world aren’t as fortunate. Now the Miami student believes it’s time she started fighting hunger and poverty. | ||
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While our nation is at war, New Jersey listener Aileen Mory wonders why her life hasn’t changed. She’s not having to sacrifice, and her kids aren’t being drafted. Yet Mory believes living in a democracy means we should equally share in its burdens. | ||
God Is God Because He Remembers
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During World War II, Elie Wiesel’s parents and a sister were killed in Nazi death camps, and he was imprisoned at Buchenwald. In later years, the Nobel laureate came to believe it was his job to share his memories of the horrors he experienced. | ||
The Heartbreaking Splendor of Human Bodies
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College administrator Carole Chabries had three pregnancies in three years. But two of her children were born prematurely and died. The daughter who lived has helped Chabries come to appreciate the complexities and frailties of the human body. | ||
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Chemist John Warner is proud of the new compounds he’s helped create. But when his son died from liver failure, Warner began to wonder why he was creating those chemicals at all. Now he believes in challenging the old assumptions of science. | ||
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How much do you tell your kids about things like drugs, death or sex? Martha Leathe believes in being honest with her children, even when it makes her uncomfortable. By being honest with them, Leathe says they are more open and truthful with her. | ||
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