In its ninety-year history, The Christian Science Monitor has won a fair share of journalism awards, including six Pulitzer Prizes. Perhaps more important, it has won readers' hearts to a fairer view of humanity, supplying realism that is both truthful and respectful. The Journal offers this occasional column to record what Monitor readers say this newspaper means to them.
The Monitor introduces me every day to new people, new ideas, new perspectives on life's challenges. It also demands that I confront biases, which restrict useful thinking and learning. When I find myself agitated over a story, an editorial, or an advertisement, I know I need to reconsider my assumptions.
Having a strong bias makes it seem that life consists of a lot of different opinions, with no universal standard. We feel injustice, blame, anger, and worst of all, helplessness. We might wonder, What is the strength of one point of view as compared with the weight of popular opinion?
