Last night, as on most nights, I fulfilled a vow that I made when I was a bachelor who wanted to be a father more than anything in the world: I put my arms around my daughter and sang Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle” to her as part of our bedtime ritual. The song reminds parents to spend time with their children, to focus on the essential things in life and set aside the daily distractions (“planes to catch, bills to pay”) that cause us to neglect the things that matter most.
Part of me wants to send a YouTube link of the song to John Dehlin, the subject of at least a dozen emails from Jewish readers this month. He’s a well-known Mormon blogger and podcaster who is facing possible excommunication next month for apostasy. Since contemporary Jews apply the same penalty for similar reasons, it should be easy for them to understand why Mr. Dehlin finds himself in this unenviable position
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