One of the most strategic locations in the Roman world was the isthmus of Corinth. This narrow neck of land between the Corinthian Gulf and the Saronic Gulf guaranteed its continued commercial prosperity. The transit across this isthmus avoided the long, risky voyage around the rocky, storm-tossed capes at the south of the Peloponnesus. It was literally the crossroad of the world where the north-south trade routes intersected the east-west traffic. It thus became one of the most dominant cultural centers of its day: materially prosperous, intellectually alert, and morally corrupt. Even in the pagan world the city was known for its moral corruption. "Corinth" came to imply licentiousness; korinthiazesthai, "Corinthianize," meant to live in debauchery. It was Hollywood, Las Vegas, and New York all rolled into one.
It is no wonder then that the letters to the church at Corinth embody so many of the concerns that plague us today. It is also impressive to discover how many basic Christian issues are addressed in these two (remaining) letters Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: the "foolishness" of God contrasted with the "wisdom" of man, the distinction between salvation and rewards, problems of church discipline, resorting to lawsuits, marriage ...   more »

Earlier this month, for the first time in history, the price of oil hit $100 a barrel. Oil prices have increased 5-fold in the last six years, starting from a low of less than $20 a barrel in early 2002. In 2007 alone, crude oil prices jumped nearly 60 percent. Analysts blame a weak dollar and rising demand for the spike in prices. Rising oil prices have brought into sharp focus the economic challenges facing our nation. In recent years the value of the US dollar has dropped, consumer debt has reached an all-time high, and we've entered into a nationwide housing crisis in which about one out of every 100 mortgages could end in foreclosure.
While some experts speculate that we may be headed for a recession, others say its already here. Top economists from two major Wall Street firms - Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs - recently predicted that the US economy would go into a recession this year. They cited a rise in unemployment and lower than expected retail sales as indicators. On Tuesday recession fears prompted the Federal Reserve to take emergency measures - reducing the federal funds rate from 4.25 percent down to 3.5 percent. ...   more »

Disappearing dirt rivals global warming as an environmental threat
By TOM PAULSON
The planet is getting skinned.
While many worry about the potential consequences of atmospheric warming, a few experts are trying to call attention to another global crisis quietly taking place under our feet.
- Sustainable farming not an easy sell
Call it the thin brown line. Dirt. On average, the planet is covered with little more than 3 feet of topsoil -- the shallow skin of nutrient-rich matter that sustains most of our food and appears to play a critical role in supporting life on Earth.
"We're losing more and more of it every day," said David Montgomery, a geologist at the University of Washington. "The estimate is that we are now losing about 1 percent of our topsoil every year to erosion, most of this caused by agriculture."
"It's just crazy," fumed John Aeschliman, a fifth-generation farmer who grows wheat and other grains on the Palouse near the tiny town of Almota, just west of Pullman.
"We're tearing up the soil and watching tons of it wash away every year," Aeschliman said. He's one of a growing number of farmers trying to persuade others to adopt "no-till" ...   more »