Today the 3rd of July in 529 was The Synod of Orange. There was a group Led by the ‘Augustinians‘ of the day, (somewhat forceable group too). After exerting influence, the synod upheld Augustine’s doctrines of grace and free will while condemning the views of Semi-Pelagians, including John Cassian and Faustus of Riez. They believed the human […]
Read more "Are we really semi- Pelagians and don’t know it?"“With joy you shall draw water.” (Isaiah 12:3) How plentiful and accessible is fresh, clean water in this day and age? Are we using water in a sustainable manner, in a way that meets present needs of all people and the needs of future generations? For sustenance and continuance of life on the earth, fresh, […]
Read more "“Imagine if we used $18 billion to ensure healthy tap water for all people in the US.” By Julie Peller Ph.D."All plastic materials are resistant to natural decomposition processes; they will exist for hundreds of years or more. This is one of the reasons that plastic waste is a huge pollution problem. This might elicit questions: what has happened to the 8 billion metric tons of plastic that have been produced? Should plastic materials be […]
Read more "Thank You Ellison Pratley. By Julie Peller Ph.D"Green Junction The next few Green Junction columns will focus on plastic pollution, which is an extensive, global environmental and public health problem. Each will also offer a college student’s view through poetry, as we need to understand the concerns of the younger generation. My colleagues and I have written and instituted a lab experiment […]
Read more "The next few Green Junction columns will focus on plastic pollution by Julie Peller Ph.D"Green Junction Over the past several weeks, the pace of human society has dramatically slowed as a result of a natural phenomenon – the spread of a new virus. Technically classified as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, this coronavirus has led to a pandemic, a public health crisis on the international scale. Infectious disease is not new […]
Read more "The call from Pope Francis By Julie Peller Ph.D."Welcome to Green Junction Humans are part of the natural web of life. However, in many ways, we have disconnected from the natural world. When we view nature as just a source of materials for human satisfaction, we sever our relationship with the rest of creation. We are unable to see the damage inflicted on […]
Read more "The earth as a place of beauty and inspiration, Julie Peller Ph.D"I was thinking about the Church in Europe and the US during the 30s,40s,50s, and early ’60s. A church that had a mantra and focuses on restorative justice, social programs, worker rights. We saw such movements that were collectively known as “Catholic Action” and involved more laypeople than a hierarchy to some extent in their […]
Read more "What happened to Church Social Movements?"Green Junction We are living in a time where society constantly encourages us to buy stuff. Commercials on television and online ads bombard us with images that entice us to purchase all kinds of goods, from home improvement items to clothing to toys and gadgets. As a result, giving up non-essential purchases is not an […]
Read more "Green Junction” wonderful examples of living in harmony with nature” by Julie Petter Ph.D"A common perception among many if not all of the patristic fathers and mothers was the understanding of what we call “significant‘ in our lives as being something we learned through experience. We then give ‘meaning‘ to the reality experienced. This applies to our spirituality and our search for the ‘significant other‘ in our lives […]
Read more "Thinking of Origen’s visionary experiences"Green Junction The second suggestion in this season’s Lenten journey for “giving up” stuff/behaviors harmful to nature and one another is to reduce the plastic in our lives. Global plastic production has been doubling about every 11 years, which means we are likely purchasing more plastic materials. In turn, the devastation from plastic waste has […]
Read more "“Reduce the plastic in our lives”. by Julie Peller Ph.D"