Weekend Reads 6/24/17

Dear purple church pastor

But I have been trying to remember that these purple churches of ours are a gift. I honestly can’t think of many other places that are left in our world where people who disagree (or who totally and completely disagree) about politics choose to spend time together every single week. Voluntarily, they come together. They sit next to each other in the pews. They hold hands during prayers. They discuss the Bible in Sunday school. They believe there is a cord of unity that holds us all together in the body of Christ. When, out in public, people say those who disagree with them are “un-American,” it’s a big deal that we maintain this purple space where we love and interact with those of different opinions.

Chess Player Sues FIDE For Not Giving Him The GM Title

How does one become a grandmaster? It's one of the most frequently asked questions by people who are just starting to get interested in chess. International Master Fernando Braga is still looking for an answer.

A Close Encounter of the Ark Kind

It wasn’t until I was older that I really read the story—on my own, away from the storytelling aspect and away from the guidance of a sermon—and only then did something deeply unsettling begin to creep into my soul. I tried to rationalize why an all-powerful (yet all-loving) God would choose to destroy people in a very matter-of-fact way and tone.

We’re Not in a Civil War, but We Are Drifting Toward Divorce

This contention rests fundamentally in two trends, one political and the other far beyond politics. The combination of negative polarization and a phenomenon that economist Tyler Cowen calls “matching” is leading to a national separation so profound that Americans may not have the desire to fight to stay together. Unless trends are reversed, red and blue may ultimately bid each other adieu.