Being Human: Ancient Wisdom and Eternal Hope, Part 2

April 17th, 2023 | Dr. Charlie Self

Indignation concerning the anthropological anarchy of our age is understandable and moral outrage concerning the propaganda directed at vulnerable children and adolescents is appropriate. But indignation and outrage must give way to thoughtfulness and reimagination of the good so that the beauty of “normal” can recapture hearts and minds. In the last post, we shared the current gender and sexual identity crises and offered some pillars of wisdom for social progress. In this essay, we will explore the foundations for recovering our sanity and social conscience. Here are five foundations that will help us rebuild, renew, and restore virtue.

Being Human: Ancient Wisdom and Eternal Hope, Part 1

April 12th, 2023 | Dr. Charlie Self

Until the last few decades, all civilizations and religious traditions affirmed the uniqueness of humankind and biological male and female identity. Marriage was reserved for relationships that (at least potentially) produced the next generation and secured the common good of the tribe or nation. Alongside this common heritage have been all kinds of permitted (and even religious) sexual behaviors, but the primacy of identity and family continuity were enshrined in law and tradition.

Becoming Thoughtful, Part 2

February 11th, 2023 | Dr. Charlie Self

Thoughtfulness is in short supply in our world of instant information and rapid reaction. One influential source shares a headline and suddenly it is everywhere, treated as fact. On closer examination, it may be a mere rumor or a political accusation, but the damage to civility and objectivity is done. We need a new pathway for our minds. In this essay, we will share further insights in a five-step journey toward thoughtfulness. I do not pretend to be the final word on this topic. Hopefully these ideas can assist us toward sanity and a better public square.

Becoming Thoughtful, Part 1

February 6th, 2023 | Dr. Charlie Self

For more than two decades, I have been known to some as a “Messenger to the Thoughtful.” This is not an exclusive club, but an invitation to conversation that is not merely retweeting headlines. My life has been enriched by the insights of many as we have explored serious issues, laughed and wept at the human condition, and sought hope is a world full of anxiety.

Certainties for 2023, Part 2

January 24th, 2023 | Dr. Charlie Self

As we look ahead to a new year, there are often feelings of hope and trepidation, a sense of a fresh start battling with nascent fatalism that wonders if life can change. The good news is that while we cannot control all the decisions of others or the events around us, we can prayerfully make wise decisions. Here are four more certainties for the coming year.