Victor Hugo: "On the part of the selfish, the prejudices, shadows of costly education, appetite increasing through intoxication, a giddiness of prosperity which dulls, a fear of suffering which, in some, goes as far as an aversion for the suffering, an implacable satisfaction, the I so swollen that it bars the soul. ..." Read more
Here's a bunch of recent listicles that I found thoughtful, helpful, funny and/or entertaining. Books, maps, feminism, wonkery, UFOs, dinosaurs, Hitchcock, debt collectors, civil disobedience, toxic churches, living wages and cruel politicians -- all enumerated for your reading pleasure. Read more
The prohibition against torture arises from the dignity of the individual, which exists independent from and prior to any legal framework, national or international. Some people know this, and some do not. Read more
It's bonkers. But Hattie and Rayford are nonchalantly behaving as though it's not. The authors themselves steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the mind-blowing, delirious bonkerosity of the scene they're presenting. This happens all the time in these books. Reading the Left Behind series means constantly being gaslighted by the authors, constantly second-guessing one's response to the deeply weird scenes unfolding as though they were completely normal. Read more
Judge spared from horrible mistake fires employee who saved his butt.Mistaking an extreme Madonna/whore complex for piety. Is "vote for me, I'll take food off your table" really a winning electoral strategy? Opponents of post-Sandy aid say disaster relief is necessary for their communities. Self-proclaimed moral authorities losing their moral authority due to lack of morals. A look at the town that's being swallowed by a 24-acre, 750-foot deep sinkhole. Piper and Pangloss. Read more
Bad theology is incompatible with science, but that's not the biggest problem facing it. The more immediate problem facing bad theology is that it is incompatible with good theology. Read more
Some Thursday evening links, including: One terrific Chinese grandma; erotic coffees; one terrific Tar Heel grandma; the woman who predicted what has happened points out it was utterly predictable; the meaning of sin; first, try turning it off and then turning it back on; why a big pile of poop proves creationism is a big pile of poop; and a mini-history of Christians and alcohol. Read more
Wieland claims that his conscience is grievously mortified because of X. This isn't a lie because X happens not to be real. This is a lie because Wieland doesn't care whether or not X is real. If he really believed what he claims to believe, he would have to be very interested in that. If his conscience were truly involved in this, then that conscience would compel him, require him, force him to go and examine the evidence that he is steadfastly, actively refusing to look at. Read more
Jesus returning to revive Newsweek? Don't take the wrong lessons from Nehemiah. If you're anti-immigrant, you can't call yourself "Pentecostal." Policy wonks review TV show, with data. Country songs about how very country these country songs are. No reception. Read more
Richard Rohr explains his hermeneutic, which is about Jesus, not literalism; Kiese Laymon on "The Worst of White Folks;" Helaine Olen on the victim-blaming "tyranny of personal finance;" Erik Loomis on outsourcing slave-wages and poison; and Cheryl Overs on how dehumanizing sex workers dehumanizes us all. Read more
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