These are videos of the Orchestra B performances from yesterday’s concert. This was my son’s first concert as concertmaster for his orchestra! Read more
These are videos of the Orchestra B performances from yesterday’s concert. This was my son’s first concert as concertmaster for his orchestra! Read more
Most of the more conservative to fundamentalist forms of Christianity place at least some emphasis on avoiding false teachers. The conservatives in every denomination – and those who claim not to have a denomination – can regularly be seen turning this weapon of religious competition against others. Charismatics and Pentecostals warn against those who claim that spiritual gifts have ceased, Presbyterians and Baptists are prone to warn against those who claim they haven’t.Non-denominational Christians warn against the lure of denominationalism.... Read more
When Colin Baker took on the role of the Doctor, something marvellous occurred. More than ever since the first regeneration, there were moments when one could really have believed that this was truly the same character that had featured on the show in its beginning. At times Colin Baker even seems to look like William Hartnell in his facial expressions. If William Hartnell had lived to see this era of the show, I think he would have felt proud, and... Read more
As Valentine’s Day Approaches, Star Wars fans will be looking for those expressions of love that are strong in the Force. There are lots of free Star Wars valentines available online, including some that are posted because their awfulness makes them somehow wonderful. There’s even a category dedicated to Star Wars Valentines on the site Something Awful. From all those I found online, here are a few that I particularly like (ones that require an intimate knowledge of Star Wars... Read more
“The Caves of Androzani,” the final episode of Peter Davison’s stint as the Doctor, is summed up well in something that the Doctor says in this episode: “Curiosity has always been my downfall.” In this case, the Doctor visits a rather barren world, Androzani Minor, for no obvious reason, and of course happens across some suspicious goings-on that cry out for investigation. The people of Androzani Major had discovered spectrox, a substance which can double one’s lifespan and thus has... Read more
I debated whether this was something appropriate to mention on my blog or not, but in the end I have decided to do so. I was rather shocked by a recent instance of blatant, public drug use, without apology or apparent shame. Someone whom I deeply respect and admire, a person of profound moral conviction, right before my eyes and those of everyone who is his friend on Facebook, used “drug” as though it were the past participle of “to... Read more
Several bloggers, including myself, have urged folks not to get too excited at this early stage about rumors regarding a very early – indeed, first-century – fragment of the Gospel of Mark having been found. But it is important that one respond with calm patience, not with the assumption that the claim is bogus. To illustrate the danger, I link to Timo Paananen’s post about Solomon Zeitlin’s insistence over the course of many years that the Dead Sea Scrolls were... Read more
With the episode “Planet of Fire,” Doctor Who revisits some classic tropes of religious skepticism. On a volcanic world inhabited by a people many of whom are devoutly religious, faith comes to the fore very early. But by the end of the episode, the central deity of their belief system, Logar, turns out to have been a person from another world wearing a heat-resistant thermal suit. Religion is thus viewed as the attempt of primitive people to make sense of... Read more
Sometimes people get into debates over whether something is literally true to be accepted without questioning however implausible, or false and therefore something only stupid people believe, not realizing that both are perhaps missing the point of the stories. And so for those whose ability to grasp symbolism and appreciate myth is poor, here are some Dr. Seuss covers redone to spell it out for you: Are there other stories, e.g. in the Bible, which people who just don’t get... Read more
The Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society conference is coming up soon, and while I have tended in recent years to attend and present at the Midwest SBL meeting, because Indiana is at the place where the two regions meet, I have at times attended the Eastern Great Lakes conference and found it a wonderful experience. The deadline for proposals is coming up soon. Part of the call for papers is reproduced below, but click through for more information and fuller... Read more
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