UPDATE: See my followup post here. I came across a link today — with the words “Mitt Romney actually believes this!” — for a YouTube video entitled “Behind the Veil: Never-Before-Seen Videos of Secret Mormon Temple Rituals.” Since this was framed by the linker as an attack on Romney, I watched the video. As a scholar of religion, I found it fascinating. As a person of faith, I found it morally objectionable that these sacred ceremonies were surreptitiously recorded and broadcast... Read more
A few quick thoughts on the debate so far: Obama is definitely leveraging his incumbency. “I know that you’re not in a position to actually put your foreign policy into practice, but…” “One thing I’ve learned as Commander in Chief is…” This will come across as condescending and arrogant to people on the Right — but that’s largely because those on the Right assume that he is arrogant and condescending from the start. The Left will cheer it. The question... Read more
UPDATE: Welcome Instapundit readers! Please subscribe through the buttons at the right if you enjoy this post. Also, one of the commenters recommended: “Osama bin Laden was caught due to our extraordinary intelligence and military apparatus. You, Mr President, didn’t build that.” 1. When Obama misrepresents Romney’s proposals: “I think we can all agree that the person in this room with the most motive to mischaracterize my proposals is Barack Obama. He can be very eloquent. But one we’ve learned about... Read more
BREAKFAST LINKS for 10/22/12: Hunting Satan: “How does a simple statement of what may be true—“XYZ happened because of the work of the dark one”—end up justifying failure to embrace the redemptive work of God on the one hand and acts of unspeakable violence in Jesus’ name on the other?” Jonathan S. Tobin: No Bounce for Obama Troubling to Dems Ed Morrissey: When Desperation Strikes Incumbents Vote for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: “As this election draws near,... Read more
The three most dangerous words in the world are "it's a girl." And it's a damnable lie when we call infanticide and gendercide anything other than what it is: murder. Read more
In a post entitled “Three Course Corrections: An Open Letter to Mitt Romney,” I wrote back in January that Romney should not be afraid to “let his faith flag fly.” I took some heat from some of my friends for criticizing the campaign openly, but my intention was to be constructive, so I forwarded the post to some friends in the Romney campaign. While I’m certain that my post had no influence whatsoever, it represented a common sentiment in certain... Read more
Breakfast Links for 10/19/12: Faith & Religion Three Deadliest Words: “It’s a Girl”: A girl’s life in these places is cruel and short. Better to end it at the outset (besides, there are too many of their kind in the first place, seems the implication)…But horrible as the film shows such practices to be, is it all that different from any system in which our existence depends upon our worth, and our worth upon our cost? Brian D. McLaren: Why... Read more
It was unsurprising that President Obama performed better on Long Island than he did in Denver. If there is one thing his friends and foes agree upon when it comes to the character of Barack Obama, it’s that he’s intensely competitive. According to reports, Obama did not know how poorly he had performed in Denver. Once he had digested the overwhelming criticism of his performance, however, the President put in the time, prepared, and delivered a much better performance. It’s... Read more
Links For 10/18/12: Ryan Holmes: Why It’s Time to Kill Email Timothy Dalrymple: We Need Better, Not Less, Religion in Politics USA Today: Debate a Split Decision New York Times Editorial: Obama Turns It Around New York Post Editorial: Mitt Wins on Points RealClearPolitics: Crowley Says Romney Was Mainly Right about Libya Terrorism Critique Adelle M. Banks: Evangelicals for the Pill Peter Brookes: Al-Qaeda Again on Rise George Jonas: Sanctions Won’t Stop Iran Ron Sider: War, Pacifism and a Third... Read more
If Robert Jeffress—who famously called Mormonism a “cult” and Romney “not a Christian”—had merely urged Christians to prefer their fellow Christians amongst equally qualified candidates, he would not have found himself in such hot water. A simple thought experiment shows us that most of us are, in fact, willing to consider a candidate’s faith in our assessments of his or her suitability for office. Would you be unwilling (or at least less willing) to vote for an atheist? Or a... Read more
Philosophical Fragments
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In