Author Archives: Bentley Owen

About Bentley Owen

Bentley Owen reads books and lives in Tulsa, OK. He's on twitter.

I Went to a Rick Santorum Speech and Lived to Blog About It

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Bentley Owen

I arrived a half hour early to the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University, which turned out to be a good idea. There were already hundreds of people crowded into the lobby waiting for a “town hall” sponsored by the ORU College … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 42 Comments

An Oklahoma Lawmaker Makes News – In a Good Way

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Bentley Owen

My home state, Oklahoma, has a reputation for producing inept legislators. Last month, Sen. Ralph Shortey tried to ban aborted fetuses from our food (you know, just in case). Rep. Sally Kern declared in 2008 that “no society that has totally … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, General, Humor, Politics | 25 Comments

The Inspiring Story of Oral Roberts’ Grandson

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Bentley Owen

Randy R. Potts comes from a famous family. His grandfather was the pioneering televangelist Oral Roberts. His uncle, Richard Roberts, ran the conservative Christian university that bears Oral’s name until 2007, when a scandal forced him to resign. Richard continues … Continue reading →

Posted in General, GLBT | 8 Comments

Shit Skeptics Say

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Bentley Owen

You may think you’re sick and tired of the “Shit___ Say” meme, but John Rael’s “Shit Skeptics Say” is still worth two minutes of your time (NSFW language): There are many good lines, but a few stand out enough to … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 59 Comments

For Rick Santorum, a Pregnancy That Is the Result of Rape Is a ‘Broken Gift’

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Bentley Owen

Rick Santorum attempted to justify one of his most bizarre stances in an interview with Piers Morgan on Friday, and the results were predictably scary: Morgan: Do you really believe, in every case, [abortion] should be totally wrong, [including] cases … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, General, Politics | 80 Comments

And God Said to Pat Robertson…

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Bentley Owen

Pat Roberston has been talking to his sky-friend, and he learned something interesting. He thinks he knows who the next American president will be. But he’s “not supposed to talk about that,” so the rest of us are none the … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 40 Comments

A ‘Christian Perspective’ on the Demise of Intelligent Design

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Bentley Owen

Paul Wallace, a physicist and Christian, has added to the pile of obituaries of the Intelligent Design movement. Jason Rosenhouse wrote one back in November: In the mid-nineties it was possible to wonder seriously if ID was a serious intellectual … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pseudoscience, Science | 14 Comments

50/50, a Movie About Terminal Illness, Sidesteps a Big Question

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Bentley Owen

In the recent film 50/50, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a young professional with his life seemingly worked out: a rewarding career, a charming girlfriend, and a nice house. But then he hears the worst news he could expect: those pains he’s been … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 31 Comments

Chuck Klosterman Says Tim Tebow Makes Blind Faith a ‘Viable Option’

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Bentley Owen

I’m a big fan of Chuck Klosterman. He writes about pop culture and sports from a personal perspective, documenting what it truly feels like to participate in a media-saturated culture. But a recent column he wrote for Grantland about Tim … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pop Culture, Sports | 75 Comments

Lowe’s Pulls Ad From TLC’s ‘All-American Muslim’

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Bentley Owen

TLC’s All-American Muslim is a reality show depicting five Lebanese-American families in Dearborn, MI. I haven’t seen it, but this review from Entertainment Weekly‘s Ken Tucker sure makes it sound harmless: These “characters” are all reasonably appealing, either charming or entertainingly … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pop Culture | 55 Comments