We hear many these days urging the necessity for faith ⎯ faith in the future, faith in God, faith in the ultimate triumph of right, faith in the unknown ⎯ but what is this faith that is so freely...
Sometimes we build such a strong case for the great virtue of tolerance that, in doing so, we fail to remember that tolerance, like all other great virtues, can be abused, at which point it ceases...
To be tolerant of others it is not necessary to partake of their beliefs or of their manner of living. In fact, one may be tolerant of another and still vigorously oppose everything he represents,...
The gains and losses, the accomplishments and the failures, of each hour or of each day are not significant, except as they become part of far-reaching achievements and permanent victories. In...
We frequently hear people complain of the inadequacy of words. The stammering student is often heard to say that he knows the answer but can’t express is. There are times of deep emotion in...
There is one characteristic that many of us have in common, and that is our unwillingness to believe what we do not understand. It requires a man of considerable faith to believe what he does not or...
How and by what authority is the basic moral standard fixed? Many answers have been given to this question. Some have contended that basic morality is determined by custom—but customs change and the...
The story is told of a young lad who had gone with an older companion to the prominence of a high hill that overlooked the valley of his home. The long effort upward had tired the boy, and he...
During the course of every day, each of us is called upon to make many decisions. Some of them are inconsequential, involving nothing more significant perhaps than a choice between two neckties. But...
If a man has a greed for money, you can’t appease that greed by giving him more money. The appetite increases with the attempt to satisfy it. Nor has anyone ever been able to appease the...
Sometimes in the confusion with which we live, we find ourselves longing for quiet places. The intensity of everything we do leaves us breathless from day to day, and before we have emerged from one...
If we want to know how far we can depend upon a person, we should know at least two things about him: We should know what he believes, what his philosophy of life is, what his ultimate objectives...
We all do some wise things in life, and we all do some foolish things. We are constantly facing critical decisions, some of which we recognize as such, and some of which seem to be of relatively...
“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother.” This poignant fact, recorded by John the Beloved, brings with it its reminder of the countless number of times the mothers of men...
One of the ever-startling things about humankind is the quality that sometimes permit us to be so sure about things we don’t know…to be so utterly positive in our opinions, and yet so...
The beginning of a new year is conceded to be a good time to look critically at some of the factors that make up our lives, at some of the things we do, and at some of the thinking, both true and...
Ofttimes in the face of some eventuality that has overtaken us, we find ourselves saying regretfully: “If I had only known, I would have done differently.” Sometimes this is true, but...
Often, and especially when we are young, we see someone playing a great part, and we wish we could play a great part also, but without much thought as to what goes into the making of a man. We often...
The young people of our day receive much attention. Their needs and their problems are much talked of. Their training, their education, and their care, account for a large part of our income....
Perhaps it would not be untimely to retell the story of Antaeus, the giant of mythology, whose strength was unconquerable so long as he remained in contact with his mother, Earth. Those who came to...