Idiot plots, purity culture, and the cruel gods of farce

Last updated on: July 23, 2014 at 3:42 pm By Fred Clark

Roger Ebert’s movie glossary defines an Idiot Plot as “Any plot containing problems that would be solved instantly if all of the characters were not idiots.” Hemant Mehta eyes the trailer for Christian-brand comedy The Virgins and doubts that an Idiot Plot can be redeemed simply by attributing the characters’ idiocy to religious devotion. “I grow restless,” Ebert said, when the misunderstandings driving a plot “could be ended by words that the screenplay refuses to allow [the characters] to utter.” This was less of a pitfall... Read more

Tears for the perpetrators. Anger at the victims.

Last updated on: July 23, 2014 at 1:34 pm By Fred Clark

Those first two sentences cut to the heart of the matter: "Tears for the victims. Anger at the perpetrator." That provides the basis for a very simple test for whether we're opposing evil or abetting it. Who are we angry at? Who are we crying for? Read more

The Bible was written by and for humans from Earth

Last updated on: July 22, 2014 at 4:05 pm By Fred Clark

Humans from Earth are central to the story in the human's Bible because that Bible was written by and for humans from Earth. This is our story. It's a human medium expressing human truths for humans. Read more

Obama also did not create a religious exemption permitting discrimination on the basis of race or sex

Last updated on: July 22, 2014 at 3:02 am By Fred Clark

The Rev. Canon Susan Russell, who blogs at An Inch at a Time, wound up changing her plans for the weekend when she was invited to attend Monday’s White House signing ceremony for President Obama’s executive order prohibiting LGBT employment discrimination for government contractors. Russell was one of many religious leaders present at the ceremony. Obama’s executive order simply amends the existing policy prohibiting contractors from employment discrimination on the basis of race, creed, sex, color or national origin to also prohibit employment discrimination on... Read more

Never punch down

Last updated on: July 21, 2014 at 2:40 pm By Fred Clark

Never punch down. Never be afraid to punch up. Or we can state those affirmatively: Punch up. Reach down. That covers about 94 percent of being a decent person. And if you get that right, the other 6 percent will probably take care of itself. Here's a bunch of other people saying the same thing. Read more

Love and justice are what give us ears to hear

Last updated on: July 21, 2014 at 1:39 pm By Fred Clark

Let me revisit what I’m trying to say in the previous post — “Without justice, we’re not reading the same book.” Tony Jones points toward something similar in his recent discussion of Matthew Vines’ book God and the Gay Christian: Vines’s book is oddly lacking in autobiography. He briefly recounts the day that he came out to his parents — “my dad’s worst day” — but then gets right to his argument that long-term, monogamous, same-sex relationships are not contrary... Read more

Without justice, we’re not reading the same book

Last updated on: July 21, 2014 at 1:37 am By Fred Clark

We will never produce justice as a result of better biblical understanding unless we also produce better biblical understanding as a result of justice. Read more

Smart people saying smart things (7.20)

Last updated on: July 20, 2014 at 4:57 pm By Fred Clark

April Bo Wang on why poor communities need fewer heroes; Morgan Guyton on Satan as the original troll; Brian Walsh gives an appropriate answer to the non-question of a junior gatekeeper; Daniel Silliman on a Sunday in Christian America; and a new Tumblr where your big sister has got your back. Read more

Paint the grace you’re given

Last updated on: July 20, 2014 at 2:50 pm By Fred Clark

The Sunday afternoon links have landed, including: Furry, cotton-tailed Marxists; why biblical genealogies aren't as boring as they seem; a Klosely-held Kristian Korporation seeks its religious liberty; you wouldn't like him when he's angry; plus a bit of the old houghmagandy. Read more

Sunday favorites

Last updated on: May 8, 2014 at 3:02 pm By Fred Clark

"Do not let your good be spoken of as evil." Read more