MSI Press Blog

  How Hypocrisy in a Christian Home Can Push a Child Toward Atheism When children witness a stark gap between professed Christian values and lived behavior, especially from parents or authority figures, it can deeply undermine their trust in both the messenger and the message. This dissonance often shapes their long-term spiritual orientation. 1. Moral Incoherence and Cognitive Dissonance Children are sensitive to inconsistency. When they hear teachings about love, humility, and forgiveness but observe cruelty, arrogance, or manipulation, they may experience cognitive dissonance: If Christianity teaches goodness, why do my parents act this way? Is the religion itself flawed, or just the people who claim it? Some resolve this tension by rejecting the entire framework as hypocritical or morally incoherent. 2. Loss of Credibility in Religious Authority Parents often serve as a child’s first spiritual guides. When their behavior contradicts their teachings, it can erode the ...

  Cats are not children — but they are astonishingly good at teaching you how to be with children. Mine certainly did. Somewhere between the “mwout” debates, the 3 a.m. hallway zoomies, and the silent stares that communicated entire paragraphs, I realized I was being trained. Thoroughly. And with great precision. Here are the lessons I didn’t know I needed: Patience is not optional. A cat will come when a cat is ready. So will a child. You can call, coax, plead, or offer treats, but the moment you stop hovering is the moment they appear. Boundaries are love in action. A cat who walks away is not rejecting you; they’re regulating themselves. Children do the same. Respecting space is part of respecting personhood. Affection has its own timing. Cats give affection in bursts — sudden, intense, and often when you’re busy. Children, too, have windows of connection. Miss them, and you wait for the next one. Routines matter more than rules. Feeding time, play time, quiet time — ...

  Today's Publisher's Pride is  One Family Indivisible  by Steven Greenebaum, which reached #323 among Amazon top sellers in Christian ecumenism. Book Description: Throughout history we have divided ourselves into groupings of "us" and "them".  One Family: Indivisible  engagingly  invites the reader into the deeply spiritual and lifelong journey of the author to find a way to acknowledge our differences without dividing and subdividing ourselves into competing tribes. It is a journey of mountain tops and deep valleys, but it leads to the inclusivity and mutual respect possible with Interfaith. This is a book for seekers of all races, ethnicities, and spiritual paths who search for that elusive goal of a community of love and inclusion that also respects our diversity. AWARDS Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist, American Book Fest Best Books Award Finalist (religion) Keywords: interfaith, spiritual journey, common humanity, religious diversity, unity in dive...