I think part of what bugs me about the birthers is not just the stupidity of conspiracy theorizing in general, but the fact that the Christians who indulge in it (including, shamefully, Catholics) remind me of nothing so much as anti-Catholic conspiracy theorists. The sheer malignant uncharity, the complete credulity accorded any rumor that might vindicate that uncharity, is what strikes me. It’s like the anti-Catholics who grab some line from some Church Father to “prove” he believed in sola... Read more

Somebody named “Mark Shea” writes me the following invitation: Mark invited you to join the Facebook group “The Mark Shea’s”. I feel as though I have finally found My People! Read more

Today, my slavering hordes, I command you to Think Cool Thoughts and send them to The Dark Tower, care of your Imperial Master. It’s way hot here in the Land of Seattle, where the shadows lie. It spike to 102 degrees yesterday and we are expecting more today. And these layers of billowy black robes don’t help. I’ll be in my non-air-conditioned Inner Chamber, brooding–or napping. You guys have it easy down in those nice cool torture chambers and correctional... Read more

A concerned citizen probes the sinister lawn sprinkler conspiracy and holds forth on the shocking changes which have take place in the laws of physics over the past 20 years. People like this are an argument for the necessity of grace in salvation. If it were up to us to be smart enough to earn Heaven, then you have to wonder why God created so many dumb people. Read more

“Conspiracy theories are history for stupid people.” Conspiracies do happen. The murder of Caesar was a conspiracy. So was the murder of Jesus. And Lincoln. The Holocaust was a conspiracy. 9/11 was a conspiracy–but not one involving Bush or Mossad. So, for a little while, was Watergate. But here’s the thing: we know all about them. Why? Because conspiracies to commit big crimes are inherently unstable. They unravel and the whole thing gets exposed. Bad people are mainly about Looking... Read more

You can listen here via streaming. We’ll be talking about the pickle Fr. Vlasic is in and the general phenomenon of private revelation. You can read about the thorny problem of Private Revelation in Chapter 3 of Volume III of Mary, Mother of the Son. It’s really quite a tricky problem, pastorally speaking. Okay. I’m outta here. Lots to do today! Read more

In which we dilate on how the myth of the Perspicuity of Scripture assists in maintaining the semi-permeable membranes of the various Protestantisms. Read more

After a little rant about Francis Collins being made head of the NIH, Myers delivers some standard boilerplate attempting to derive Ought from Is via evolutionary handwaving. Myers declares that he knows right from wrong: Not because a god has whispered a rule into my head, but because I know that the successful relationships that build a cooperative network within the framework of my society are all formed on mutual trust, and that is a violation. We test these bonds... Read more

became the Sci-Fi Catholic. Read more

P.Z. Myers, failed academic and atheist cult leader, demagogues the Herd of Independent Minds with Personality Disorders and declares to the world that he is a *great* advertisement for the sciences. Normal people (including a growing number of scientists who are atheists) mutter, “Jerk“. Read more