We meet Joseph Barsabbas in an odd little story in the first chapter of the book of Acts. The eleven disciples decide they need to pick a replacement for Judas Iscariot. Barsabbas is the guy they almost picked, but didn't. He's the patron saint of the short straw. Read more
Here's a slice of very local politics from the 1970s that starkly parallels our national politics in 2016. This is from my daughter's research on a Philly public housing battle during the Rizzo administration, but it illustrates the way that baldly racist segregationist policies get euphemized and repackaged as supposedly race-neutral policies today. Read more
Gordon Klingenschmitt is the kind of far-right fringe nut-job who gives most other far-right fringe nut-jobs the heebie-jeebies. But like dozens of other delirious religious extremists, Klingenschmitt isn't too extreme for Ted Cruz. Plus: Mary Hunt on "The Joy Love Club;" the Volcano Gambit; cloud-based childhood memories; and a funny (real-life) version of Marmaduke. Read more
"Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love — so you can’t know him if you don’t love." Read more
Rayford's challenge to "skeptics" here is not directed to the congregation of Rapture-believers he's addressing at New Hope Village Church. It's directed, instead, to any non-RTC readers of the Left Behind series. It's intended to prove that the authors cannot be dismissed as charlatans because their fictional portrayal of the fulfillment of "Bible prophecy" constitutes proof of what they're saying. Read more
Marc Mauer of the Marshall Project offers an excellent summary of what we need to remember, and to learn from, about the 1994 crime law. The good news is that both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders seem to have learned those lessons. Also: Recovering from the trauma of apocalyptic religion; "porn addiction" and depression; and more reactions to North Carolina's bigot bill. Read more
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers." Read more
What's striking here -- and all the more striking because the authors themselves seem not to notice it -- is how color-less Barnes' life as a sinner was. It would be wrong even to say he had lived the life of a sinner -- he hadn't lived life at all. Read more
Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill establishing "the Bible" as their official state book. But they didn't bother saying which Bible, so I don't know if, say, Tobit counts as part of Tennessee's official book. Also: Cotton Mather discusses lycanthropy; and why Jim Bakker shouldn't worry about The Gubmint putting people in jail for "teaching the Bible." Read more
Merle Haggard wrote and sang some terrific songs, and he collaborated and hung out with some of my favorite artists in the world of country music, but I had a hard time getting past his angry right-wing tribalism (whether he meant any of that, or if he was just selling records, isn't clear, but also doesn't really matter). Read more
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