The picture above was shared on Reddit. The best part is that someone offered an extended quote from C. S. Lewis in the comments. Here is the relevant section from his Mere Christianity: People get from books the idea that if you have married the right person you may expect to go on ‘being in love’ forever. As a result, when they find they are not, they think this proves they have made a mistake and are entitled to a... Read more
“I just know” replaces systematic reviews at top of evidence pyramid The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) announced today that “I just know” will replace systematic reviews as the top level of evidence available in medical research. For years scientists and doctors have dismissed anecdotes from the likes of anti-vaxxers and pseudoscience pushers, but it appears they are finally ready to listen. “After much research and deliberation, we feel we cannot ignore what a parent or conspiracy theorist... Read more
Planet of Evil is one of those episodes of Doctor Who that makes no sense, scientifically speaking. The Doctor and Sarah arrive on the “last known planet” in the universe, Zeta Minor, where a team of scientists is looking for a solution to Earth’s dwindling energy resources. However, they have in fact crossed over into the realm beyond the universe, and thus have stumbled across antimatter, and any attempt to leave with it and return to Earth will be cataclysmic.... Read more
Dr. Frauke Uhlenbruck, PhD (congratulations, Frauke!) mentioned on her blog Gods and Machines that the EABS call for papers for the 2015 conference in Cordoba is online, including the one for the program unit on science fiction and the Bible. There will be an open session, a themed session on dystopian apocalypses, and a joint panel on visualizations of sacred space in the ancient Levant and in science fiction. It sounds likely to be amazing! Read more
Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those Buzzfeed quizzes – although perhaps I should make it one! But in reading assignments from a course that I teach, I was struck by the contrast between Abraham and Job. Abraham and Job are both tested. Abraham obeys unquestioningly. Job questions daringly. How is it that people can point to Abraham as an ideal example of faith, and not mention that Job is also an example of faithfulness through testing – but whose response was... Read more
The title of this blog post is the equivalent of what the Christian Broadcasting Network recently offered, when it reported on a radical cleric in Pakistan who managed to get a grand total of 40 people to attend a funeral honoring the terrorists who killed people at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris. The headline they chose? “Pakistani Muslims Celebrate Paris Massacre.” I am pretty sure that Westboro Baptist Church alone could provide us with 40 people who rejoiced at an... Read more
An oldie but a goodie from PHD Comics. My thesis title was “John’s Apologetic Christology: Legitimation and Development in Johannine Christology.” Fits the cartoon pretty well, doesn’t it? Read more
Matthew Cobb shared this entertaining infographic about when to use “tu” or “vous” in French: I am tempted to make one for Romanian, which would be much more complex. When do you use tu, voi, dumneata, dumneavoastră, and maria ta? This is of religious and not just linguistic interest, as the infographic notes. God is addressed in Romance languages with the “tu” pronoun, and this should not surprise anyone who recalls that English used to have an equivalent pronoun, “thou.”... Read more
Terror of the Zygons was the episode that introduced the Zygons into the Doctor Who universe. The Zygons, of course, returned in the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor. The episode has the Zygons as beings whose planet has been destroyed, and thus refugees. The episode thus offers opportunity to discuss real life post-colonial and post-disaster situations, and what the rights of refugees and of others are. The episode also addresses environmental issues, as the Doctor comments on human... Read more
I am very impressed with the poster that Rebecca DeGrazia made for my upcoming brown bag lunchtime talk on the Mandaeans. On Thursday, January 22nd, I’ll be talking about the Mandaeans, their history, scholarship on them, and my work on translating and commenting on the Mandaean Book of John. Read more
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