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International lecturer and syndicated columnist Rusty Wright makes his articles and audio/video resources available to you gratis.  All we ask is that you give proper credit, let us know when you post and/or translate our stuff, and link back to RustyWright.com.

Topics include humor, films, current events, relationships, AIDS, success, forgiveness, anxiety, fear, security, hope, disappointment, communication, racism, faith, Freud, Marx, Elvis, Wonder Woman, and Superman.

Civility Resources:

Cultivating Civility: Can philosophical opposites get along?  Tired of polarizing rancor, food-fight media, and constant “gotcha” bickering?  Try befriending someone from the “other side” whose views differ greatly from your own.  You might learn lots.  We did.  (Short op-ed by Rusty Wright and Mark I. Pinsky)  Washington Examiner version.  MSN.com version.

The Odd Couple: Mark Pinsky and Rusty Wright on Steve Brown, Etc. nationally syndicated radio broadcast:  “Can people with differing religious and political views get along? Friends Mark Pinsky and Rusty Wright think so. …Steve and the gang chat with the veteran writers about their enduring, if unlikely, friendship and what we can learn from it.” Online video (41:24; scroll down page to access video) and audio (44:47).  Related article.  

Cultivating Civility: Braver Angels aims at depolarization. It’s no secret that we live in a polarized world. Even if you ignore politics (good luck trying that), you’d also have to ignore entertainment news (exes or coworkers squabbling), sports news (rivals or teammates bickering), and social media (dislikes, trolls, goofs gone viral) to escape polarization. But one impressive group is trying to ratchet down fiery rhetoric by helping people have conversations. (Short op-ed)  Washington Examiner version.  MSN.com version

Civil Discourse?  Tired of TV talking heads yelling at each other?  Exhausted/disgusted with debates and discussions that become food fights?  Consider inspiring stories of risk-takers who build bridges of understanding and communication across philosophical, political and religious lines.  Practical examples to help inform your own interaction with those with whom you differ.  (Probe radio series transcript.)

Is Anyone Listening?  Ever feel like you’re talking to a brick wall?  Conversation has been defined as “a vocal competition in which the one who is catching his breath is called the listener.”  A fun look at listening’s merits.  (Short op-ed)

Leftist Jewish Journalist Survives Evangelical Beat.  What do you get when you take one leftist Jewish journalist, assign him to the evangelical Christian beat for major newspapers on both US coasts, sprinkle in some fiery sermons and politically conservative speeches, mix thoroughly, and bake with the heat of fiercely contested national elections?  Important lessons from a peculiar and unlikely journey. (Short op-ed)

Understanding: A valuable commodity.  Humorous linguistic goofs and confusion illustrate the importance of working hard to understand each other.  (Short op-ed)

 

Some recent samples:

The King of Kings movie: Charles Dickens’ ‘secret’ story. Renowned storyteller Charles Dickens brought the world characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, David Copperfield, and Oliver Twist. He wrote a story for his own children that he read to them annually. He didn’t want it published, but it was published posthumously and now is the basis for a major motion picture. (Short op-ed published by Washington Examiner)

MGM’s House of David: Israeli king’s lessons for today? What does the 3,000-year-old history of a shepherd turned king have to say today? MGM begins showing its House of David video series worldwide this month. (Short op-ed)

Best Christmas Pageant Ever movie: Humor with meaning. “The Herdmans were the worst kids in the history of the world,” declares Barbara Robinson’s classic seasonal novel, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Now, a new movie brings the Herdman children’s mischievous shenanigans to the big screen … and along the way, glimpses of touching warmth. (Short op-ed; published by Washington Examiner)

Average Joe movie: Supreme Court, praying football coach backstory. When Coach Joe Kennedy knelt to pray at the 50-yard line after a high school football game, he had no idea of the seismic legal transformation he was triggering. A new film explores his backstory and the U.S. Supreme Court decision his actions prompted. He’s an unlikely protagonist for such a momentous development. (Short op-ed;  published by Washington Examiner) 

Reagan movie: 40th U.S. president’s roots, relationships, revolution. Hailed by many as a history-altering savior responsible for communism’s decline. Scorned by others as a clueless, intellectually unsophisticated actor out of touch with both common folks and the real world. Ronald Reagan made a lasting global impact. A new film explores the roots of his confidence, the relationships that nurtured it, and the revolution he inspired. (Short op-ed)  Washington Examiner version

Freud’s Last Session movie: Freud and C.S. Lewis square off. Harvard psychiatrist Armand Nicholi taught a popular course on “The Question of God,” examining Sigmund Freud’s atheism and C.S. Lewis’ faith. Now a related Sony theatrical film imagines that the two met in London shortly before Freud’s death. The result is a fascinating historical drama probing their intellectual, emotional, psychological, and spiritual development. Anthony Hopkins is masterful as Freud. Matthew Goode plays Lewis. (Short op-ed)  Washington Examiner version.

Surprised by Oxford movie: Remedying broken relationships.  Ever feel awkward opening yourself emotionally in a relationship?  Got any family issues that make trusting others difficult?  Does that affect your social life, job, or home life?  Do you ever use work, studies, or accomplishments to bolster your self-image when, inside, you’re hiding from others?  Perhaps you’ll resonate with this film’s protagonist.  (Short op-ed)  Washington Examiner version.

Divine dilemma: Who gets God’s nod in March Madness?  By Mark I. Pinsky and Rusty Wright. Thursday evening (March16), in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Duke University, a historically Methodist school in Durham, North Carolina, tips off with Pentecostal powerhouse Oral Roberts University, in Orlando, Florida — a Southern Baptist stronghold and a part of the country that takes both religion and college athletics very seriously.  If two Christian schools’ fans pray for victory, which one gets God’s favor?  (Religion News Service release 3/16/23).

Jesus Revolution movie: ’60s turmoil, radical responses.  “Is God Dead?” a 1966 Time magazine cover asked.  A 1971 Time cover heralded “The Jesus Revolution.”  What caused this cultural shift in the radical 1960s that still impacts us today?  Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) stars in a new film that tells part of the story: how a hippie, a drugged-out teenager and a straight-laced California pastor linked up to bring hope to millions.  (Short op-ed)   Washington Examiner version 

Have a look at more …

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