1. At Least 10 Religious Groups Have Come Out Against Anti-LGBT 'Religious Liberty' Laws
"While substantial attention has been paid to the lawmakers, athletes, businesses, and celebrities who have challenged the new laws, less has been said about the steady flow of criticism from the exact group these RFRAs are ostensibly designed to protect: people of faith."
2. Stress and Hope in Tehran
On Thursday, the U.S. and Iran along with five world powers reached a preliminary deal that would curb Iran’s nuclear program and address sanctions imposed upon the country. The New York Times offers this glimpse into what those sanctions mean for ordinary Iranians.
3. Outcry Over RFRA Might Be a Fear of Christians
"The outcry isn’t about the law, it’s about us. It’s a fear that we will discriminate. And it is a fear based on a history that, whether we like it or not, is ours. We have, in no shortage of ways, broken relationships with the LGBTQ community. We have expelled our sons and daughters. We have protested them. We blamed them for the ills of society like a scapegoat. And no matter what we believe about same-sex marriage, that is wrong. Because of that, restoring relationship and trust with the LGBTQ community is on us."
4. Why I Won't Wear White on My Wedding Day
"As far as we have come, and as removed from these traditions’ origins as we may be, we are still attached to these remnants of a woman’s worth and identity being grounded in her sexual activity, importantly solely for the purposes of her pleasing a man."
5. Arkansas Governor's Son Urges Dad to Rework RFRA Bill to Address Discrimination
In a Facebook post, Seth Hutchinson applauded dad Gov. Asa Hutchinson's decision to work with lawmakers to edit the proposed religious freedom legislation to include protections for LGBTQ individuals from discrimination. Gov. Hutchinson has since indicated he won't sign a bill unless it mirrors the federal legislation.
6. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans Take Some Kind of Drug Daily to Relax
According to pollsters, that number may be even higher, given that the surveys were done over the phone and people may have understated their use. Higher use coincided with states that had an overall low wellbeing index. Click the link for a list of the 10 states with lowest use.
7. Celebrities' Real Talk on Post-Partum Life
While the days of "Find Out Her Secret" headlines accompanying photos of toned famous bikini-clad new moms are likely far from over, we welcome a new trend of celebrities being more realistic about their post-baby days. Actresses like Olivia Wilde are even penning their own magazine columns to address the topic. "The photos of me in this magazine have been generously constructed to show my best angles, and I assure you, good lighting has been warmly embraced. The truth is, I’m a mother, and I look like one.”
8. Depressed Doesn't Mean Dangerous
"News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill."
9. The Ascent Of Afghan Women
"Afghanistan is a mountainous land where mountain climbing is rare among men and virtually nonexistent among women. An American is now preparing young Afghan women to scale the country's highest peak."
10. For Holy Week, Here’s How You Can Match Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type to a Patron Saint
Mother Teresa? St. Francis? What's your (holy) personality?
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