The quote comes from a post on Fred Clark’s Slacktivist blog. Just look at that word “Christian.” It suggests a faith based and centered on Jesus Christ. When Jesus gets replaced by the Bible, shouldn’t that word be changed to reflect that? Read more
Today's Non Sequitur. One of life's mysteries is where the missing socks go. But apparently not everyone is so focused on that particular question. If you could have the answer to one great mystery as your final reward, what would you choose? Read more
CNN, the New York Times, the Independent, the Jerusalem Post, and the Guardian have had articles about it. James Tabor has mentioned it on his blog more than once, and others like Mark Goodacre, Bob Cargill, and Ben Witherington have also chimed in. I am referring, of course, to the not at all new suggestion that Jesus and other members of his family, including his wife and son, were buried in a tomb in what is now the Talpiot suburb... Read more
A colleague drew my attention to this infographic which claims to show the evolution of major religious traditions (click through to see the whole thing): Some parts strike me as quite bizarre – Hellenism as a religion, and a precursor of Theosophy while Gnosticism is off on a separate branch. Some are probably more accurate than some would admit – Canaanite polytheism as the ancestor of Judaism. Some reflect a view that some might share, but a group itself would not – such... Read more
The episode begins with John Locke getting home in a van that is designed to accomodate his wheelchair. He falls and then the sprinklers go off. Helen comes out and we learn that they are together and soon to be married. She suggests that it might be destiny that he met a spinal surgeon at lost luggage. At work, we discover that Locke lied to his employer, being paid to travel to Sydney for a conference but then going in... Read more
In our day and age many Christians, including very prominent ones, have chosen a lifestyle that is fundamentally at odds with their claim to be Christians. This is a lifestyle choice I am talking about – it is not something genetic, something innate, something inevitable. It is a sin that is so abominable that it is condemned uncategorically in both Testaments. I am speaking, of course, of the tendency in particular among American Christians, and particularly among our leaders, to... Read more
It has been almost a week since the news broke that Thomas Jay Oord has been fired from his tenured position at Northwest Nazarene University. Ken Schenck and Ryan Scott have blogged about it. Christianity Today is among those who’ve suggested that Oord’s acceptance of evolution is a key reason for his dismissal. Tim Suttle pointed out that the firing was apparently carried out via e-mail. I won’t comment on the details, since I am not privy to them. I understand that Oord is not... Read more
See also Nicholas Clairmont’s recent article on “The Skeptic’s Credo.” It wrestles with the challenge of being appropriately and fairly skeptical in practice. And while sometimes doubting the reports of those in authority can be an example of misguided conspiracy theory thinking, when footage is captured that provides evidence, we may have good reason to withhold our trust. But even then, people can resist evidence and think they are being appropriately skeptical. Being skeptical of our own motives, of claims that fit... Read more
The episode begins with the fact that Sayid died and now is alive. Sawyer sarcastically comments on the fact that Sayid gets another chance, being an Iraqi torturer who shoots children. Left unspoken is the fact that Juliette did not live. The Japanese-speaking man Dogen tortures Sayid as a test, “to be sure,” but he is told that he passed, even though apparently he did not. They tell Jack that Sayid is “infected” – presumably referring to the same thing... Read more
This came to my attention recently. You can purchase the bumper sticker and other items with this design via CafePress. And along the same lines, there’s this cartoon: Read more
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