By Stan Friedman

CHICAGO, IL (July 11, 2014) — Many Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos with one another that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement of any views expressed.

Why Are All the Cartoon Mothers Dead?

Have you ever noticed how many mothers in animated films are either dead before the movie starts or killed off at some point? Just a partial list: Nemo’s mother, Lilo’s mother, Ariel’s mother (“Little Mermaid”), Aladdin, Pocahontas, Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Great Mouse Detective,” “Ratatouille,” and “Despicable Me.” And the list goes on. Why do creators think this is a necessary plot device? And why has the stereotypical evil stepmother so often been replaced by the fun and caring father?

Meet the Enneagram: The Hardest and Best Test You’ll Ever Take

If I were still a pastor, I would be using this in the church in any number of ways. Several departments here at Covenant Offices, including Communications, have taken it together. It is helpful to have someone who really understands it guide you in interpreting the results, though it’s not necessary. (By the way, I’m a solid seven in case anyone’s wondering.)

Religious Freedom in Peril

Nicholas Kristof does a nice job of trying to honestly tackle a subject. While being critical of those who don’t want to say anything about religious oppression in some Islamic countries, he clearly doesn’t want to feed into Islamophobia, and he recognizes that many Muslims seek to be reconcilers and peacemakers.

How Church Sales Reflect the Shifting American Demographic

Don’t be too surprised if that First Church you’ve always driven by suddenly becomes a Hindu temple. And it’s not just Christians who are selling their houses of worship due to the recession and changing demographics.

Reporting on Chicago Gun Violence

This is a unique way of sharing the story about the almost unbelievable amount of violence that occurred in this city last weekend. The ChicagoTribune pulled together on one web page the tweets and pictures taken by a reporter and photographer as they covered one shooting after another. Tweet on the final numbers: “81 shot, 14 fatal, 330p Thursday-330a Monday. 5 of 81 by police (2 dead, 3 wounded).”