"Who did Cain marry?" you asked back in Sunday school. And what you may have been told was an odd babble of legends, half-remembered allusions to other legends, and improvised-on-the-spot ideas. You were probably given an "explanation" that involved Cain marrying some previously unmentioned sister -- followed by some reassurance that this would have been perfectly fine due to some mumbled rehash of a pulpit myth mangling both genetics and Mosaic law. Read more
Jane Lui covers Kermit the Frog, plus some midweek links, including: the problem with literal readings; the inevitable end of the Gospel of Mark; celebrating small first steps; one simple trick to ripping off the credulous; lunar salad recipe needs work; if you liked your Doctor, you still won't get to keep him. Read more
"Homo sapiens evolved in Africa about 200,000 years ago, and then humans expanded out of Africa 60,000 years ago, after which they interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans. So, yes, many people on Earth today are have direct ancestors that were Neanderthals. Some have direct ancestors that were Denisovans." Read more
Blasphemy laws are being used for extortion because that's what blasphemy laws are for. The "doctrine" of Hell is the worst imaginable slander against God. A positive step in Israel likely to cause religious right heads to explode in U.S. Sasheer Zamata is funny. Southern states determined to keep leading nation in unintended pregnancy. Read more
Jason Pitzl-Waters reads and gleans a lot, offering a wide cross-section of diverse views, ideas, opinions and happenings in the Pagan community. If you're looking for one-stop shopping to keep abreast of all things Pagan then ... well, then you're probably asking too much, because that movement is too sprawling, vibrant and diverse for any one site to cover everything. But the Wild Hunt is a good place to start. Read more
"John Howard Yoder (1927-1997) was perhaps the most well-known Mennonite theologian in the 20th century. While his work on Christian ethics helped define Anabaptism to an audience far outside the Mennonite Church, he is also remembered for his long-term sexual harassment and abuse of women." Read more
"Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." Read more
The upside-down world of the 21st century is such that the Satanic Temple has become a champion of the Golden Rule while the Little Sisters of the Poor have become sinful champions of unjust coercion. My congressman is retiring, but my district is still a model of anti-people gerrymandering, so it hardly matters. The first female chair of the Federal Reserve is a big milestone, but it's hard to be proud of such milestones when they come so very, very late. Read more
Andre Johnson's own writing is pretty terrific, but the best thing about R3 may be the diverse team of contributors and guest writers he has pulled together for the site. Read more
I like the original from Vampire Weekend, but Phosphorescent’s take on the song “Ya Hey” finds something sad and beautiful and heartbreaking in there. Stripped down like this, it becomes a love song about an unrequited love that never gives up. That’s Epiphany in a nutshell. Through the fire and through the flames You won’t even say your name Only “I am that I am” But who could ever live that way? Merry Christmas. Read more
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