Weekly Web Roundup (8/1/16)

Photo Credit: Ian Sane

Here are some interesting stories from around the web during this past week:

A Call For Peace And Unity From America’s HBCU Community by Michael J. Sorrell

Here is a statement of heartfelt solidarity against the violence that our country is currently experiencing from the presidents of America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Genetic Testing and Tribal Identity: Why many Native Americans have concerns about DNA kits like 23andme by Rose Eveleth

"In the past decade, questions of how a person's genetic material gets used have become more and more common. Researchers and ethicists are still figuring how how to balance scientific goals with the need to respect individual and cultural privacy. And for Native Americans, the question of how to do that, like nearly everything, is bound up in a long history of racism and colonialism."

Reflections on Black Lives by Carl F. Ellis

Dr. Ellis is a respected black Christian leader who I was privileged to have for a seminary class a couple of years ago. In this article, he makes a distinction between the belief that "black lives matter" and the Black Lives Matter movement. It's worth the read for those that have wondered how to affirm the value of black lives while not endorsing everything the BLM movement stands for.

The Danger of Partisan Christianity by Jesse Carey

"Thanks to the hyper-polarizing, super-competitive onslaught of political messages, most Americans have been brainwashed to view every issue through two lenses: liberal or conservative. This is what the parties want. Our system encourages clear idealogical battle lines. After all, at the ballot box, we (for the most part and especially at the federal level) aren’t voting on individual issues; we’re voting on candidates who represent a party. 

Followers of Christ shouldn’t view issues through the lens of liberal or conservative. We should only see them through the lens of the Gospel. But this tactic can trick us into believing that everything we read, watch or hear about a social issue is part of a hidden political agenda, attempting to sway our entire ideology. The Church, however, should approach things differently: Followers of Christ shouldn’t view issues through the lens of liberal or conservative. We should only see them through the lens of the Gospel."

Take an ASL Tour of the West Wing with the Deaf Receptionist Who Works There (from Mental Floss)

West Wing Receptionist Leah Katz-Hernandez narrates a tour of the White's House's West Wing in American Sign Language. Watch the video here.