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A Spiritual Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe:An Interview with Paul Rademacher
While researching his non-fiction, bestselling book, The Men Who Stare at Goats, author Jon Ronson visited The Monroe Institute, located in Faber, Virginia. The book, now a movie starring George Clooney and Jeff Bridges, chronicles the activities of the First Earth Battalion, a secret U.S. Army program formed in 1979 that attempted to use various methods of “psychic warfare” to combat America’s enemies. Although the film is positioned as a satirical comedy, the work being done at The Monroe Institute (TMI) in the exploration of human consciousness is no laughing matter. Indeed, F. Holmes (Skip) Atwater, president of TMI, was a former participant in the Army’s attempts to use remote viewing to aid United States intelligence-gathering operations and counterintelligence efforts around the globe for nearly thirty years. More. Creating A Political Firestorm That Is Still BurningAn Interview with Frank Schaeffer
In Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don’t Like Religion (or Atheism) (Da Capo Press, 2009), Schaeffer offers a middle ground for those who find right-wing evangelists as distasteful as the uber-liberal lefties who mock them. As Schaeffer explains, there are many people—Republicans and Democrats—who are disgusted with the polarizing forces that exist in our nation, and who believe (or at least try to believe) in God. In fact, studies show that some 85% of Americans adhere to some form of religion. More. Creating A Political Firestorm That Is Still BurningAn Interview with Frank Schaeffer
The interview, "Creating a Political Firestorm That Is Still Burning," is a candid discussion of politics, the current state of our country, and the evolution of the evangelical movement between two individuals, Schaeffer and Whitehead, whose ideas and actions have shaped our national dialogue on matters of faith, freedom and politics. More. Fighting for Our DaughtersAn Interview with Pedro Moreno
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Paul Rademacher, the executive director of The Monroe Institute and author of A Spiritual Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe: Travel Tips for the Spiritually Perplexed (Hampton Roads, 2009) talks with John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, about the intersections between consciousness, spirituality and the Christian tradition.
OldSpeak hosts a provocative discussion between Frank Schaeffer, the son of Christian evangelist Francis Schaeffer and author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back, and John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute.
Partly because of the lack of education, too many girls end up in domestic servitude, early marriage, abused and/or neglected, trafficked and prostituted, genitally mutilated, unable to access opportunities and continually dependent on others for all their needs. Of the 774 million illiterate adults worldwide, 64% are women. Thus the vicious circle continues, particularly as countries move toward a knowledge society, since an illiterate mother is far less likely to send her daughters to school.
Genesis Rejuvenated (Princeton, NJ: 360ie, 2008), is a unique translation of the Bible that seeks to reconcile Creationism and Evolution and provide a blueprint for how the human race can transform the earth into a place that’s good for all people and for our fellow creatures. Written by attorney Bill Jemas, who during his distinguished career has served as Vice President of Business Affairs for the National Basketball Association and President of Marvel Enterprises, Genesis Rejuvenated is a controversial look at the Book of Genesis. Mr. Jemas took a few moments out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his new book. 
“It is no secret that the percentage of Americans in church on any given Sunday is dropping fast,” writes author and journalist Julia Duin in her book Quitting Church: Why the Faithful are Fleeing and What to Do about It (Baker Books, 2008). In fact, studies indicate that anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of Americans are not attending a church. But, according to Duin, that does not mean that people are leaving God. “I have met people who feel that leaving church is taking the high road,” she says. “It saves the church from more unnecessary fighting and backbiting.”
When people speak of zombie movies today, they’re really talking about movies that are either made by or directly influenced by one man, director George A. Romero. Now an avuncular, grandfatherly figure with thick glasses and a big smile, it is difficult to imagine Romero crafting images of such horror and grotesquery. His movies and their related progeny are enormously popular in the United States and even more so worldwide, despite their very low budgets and lack of any bankable stars. Only Romero’s most recent, Land of the Dead (2005), and the remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), included even B-list actors. 
After reading John W. Whitehead’s new book, The Change Manifesto: Join the Block by Block Movement to Remake America (Sourcebooks, 2008), Nat Hentoff was moved to remark that “John Whitehead is the Tom Paine of our time.” Indeed, in his 30-plus years as a constitutional attorney and author, Whitehead has gained a reputation for being a legal, political and cultural watchdog—sounding the call for integrity, accountability and an adherence to the democratic principles on which this country was founded.
How does a strong and growing economy lend itself to job uncertainty, debt, bankruptcy and economic fear for a vast number of Americans? In Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill) (Portfolio, 2007), David Cay Johnston argues that the answer lies in today’s governmental policies and spending that reaches deep into the wallets of the many for the benefit of what he calls the “rapacious rich.”
In I Don’t Believe in Atheists (Free Press, 2008), best-selling author Chris Hedges identifies the “New Atheists,” including Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, as those who attack religion to advance the worst of global capitalism, intolerance and imperialist projects. He accuses them of a disturbing agenda—embracing a belief system as intolerant, chauvinistic and bigoted as that of religious fundamentalists.
Many believe in the possibility of an after-life, but what about the possibility of a before-life? Is reincarnation possible? Jim B. Tucker, MD, attempts to provide answers to these questions and more in his book Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005).
In today’s winner-take-all world, where personal advancement is highly rewarded and individuals actively seek to perform and advertise altruistic measures in order to gain their 15 minutes of fame, appreciation for virtues such as honesty and humility has been steadily declining. Over the past few decades, American society has become one which increasingly promotes self-progress over the service and advancement of others—ultimately condoning narcissistic attitudes and thwarting the very virtues which are fundamental to the advancement of humanity as a whole. In his book Humility: The Quiet Virtue, Everett L. Worthington, Jr. strives to revive the virtue of humility by drawing attention to its importance and meaning, as well as educating the public on its ultimate attainment. 
We are witnessing the end of an era. The deaths of Jerry Falwell (May 15, 2007) and Dr. D. James Kennedy (September 5, 2007) augured a decided downward shift in the Christian Right's steady march to power. Yet long before these men were laid to rest, the movement they helped energize had begun its steady decline.
In her new book, Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Willey looks back on her years as a Clinton supporter and fundraiser, describes in vivid detail her allegations of being subjected to unwanted sexual advances in the Oval Office and speaks candidly about the fallout that arose after she went public with her charges of sexual harassment. 
When asked what advice he would give to
Americans concerned about the growing power of the federal government
and the various threats to our liberties, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.)
quoted Samuel Adams: “Every individual has a responsibility to be
informed, to know what is going on and to know the issues. 
Preaching a message of “buy less and give more,” Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping took their show on the road, embarking on a cross-country tour that concluded with a musical anti-Disney march down Disneyland’s Main Street in late 2005. They’re now featured in a new film documentary covering this journey and others. What Would Jesus Buy? is produced by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock and directed by Sundance award winner Rob VanAlkemade. The film focuses on materialism—specifically the commercialization of Christmas, large corporations and their harmful effects on society and globalization. It premiered in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles on November 16, 2007. Taking a short break from their protesting and promoting, Billy and Savitri sat down to talk to me about their mission, their movement and their new movie. 
New York Times best-selling author Frank Schaeffer, the son of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, is a “survivor of both polio and an evangelical/fundamentalist childhood,” an acclaimed writer who overcame severe dyslexia, a home-schooled and self-taught documentary movie director, a feature film director and producer of four low budget Hollywood features that Frank has described as “pretty terrible.” 
With the elections of 2008 a little over a year away, presidential campaigns are already swinging into full gear. The media is abuzz with negative campaigning and discussions of “red” states versus “blue” states. With this emphasis on partisanship and polarization, however, issues of real substance are often obscured while meaningful debate, constructive compromise and thoughtful decision-making are all made impossible. When polarization paralyzes a government and focuses campaigns on division and negativity, what are the costs to the American people? Where did this partisan war begin, and how can it come to an end? 
Bruce Fein has worked in an impressive assortment of areas in constitutional law, both in the local and international arena. Many distinguished national publications such as the New York Times, Financial Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and Newsweek, among others, recognize his expertise. 
“Love, love, love... Love, love, love… Love, love, love.” So went the rather simplistic beginning to the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” As a BBC TV camera closed in on John Lennon, bedecked with a tiara of some sort, he followed with a verse that began, “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done, nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.” 