🙏 Should we say grace before meals?

It’s Saturday, November 18 — people are talking about Snoop Dogg’s recent announcement, the pros and cons of saying grace before meals, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

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- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

💨 Snoop Dogg is quitting smoke

Snoop Dogg dropped a big announcement on his social: He's “giving up smoke”.

💨 Rapper Snoop Dogg, known for his love of smoking marijuana, announced that he was “giving up smoke”. The news got a lot of people buzzing.

💨 @joy2thaworld_ applauded Snoop's efforts: Quitting is hard! But when you get older, you realize the need to kick unhealthy habits.

💨 The Washington Examiner said we should learn from Snoop's example. “Smoke weed every day” is not a mantra for a healthy, long life!

💨 But The Root had a different take: This may just be a marketing campaign for a new edible business. Whatever it is, hopefully it's for the best.

🙏 Should we say grace before meals?

Should we be saying grace before meals, even if not part of a religious practice?

🙏 Many people say grace before meals as a way of giving thanks for their food. Patheos says it's often religious, but doesn't have to be.

🙏 Broadview thinks it's very powerful, especially when done in a group setting. And the concept of "thank you" is a sentiment that transcends all faiths.

🙏 Evie Mag points out that saying grace has health benefits, too. It encourages you to eat more slowly and mindfully, which is better for digestion.

🙏 But a Redditor on r/Agnostic notes that religious blessings are awkward for non-believers. It can feel like a real imposition.

Quick hits

🗳️ A Colorado judge ruled to keep Trump on the ballot, but also said that he was “engaged in the insurrection” on January 6. (NPR)

🚀 In a second test of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft, the empty vessel reached space for the first time, but failed quickly afterward. (Reuters)

🏈 Bengals QB Joe Burrow has a torn ligament in his right wrist and will miss the rest of the NFL season. (Fox News)

🏀 The Clippers won their first game since acquiring James Harden from the 76ers. They had lost five straight when he first joined the team. (ESPN)