Colleges may still fret about "graduation rates" for Division I athletes, but once they accepted the argument that college education is primarily an investment in future income, they lost any basis for opposing an athlete's decision to turn pro before graduating. Allen Iverson left Georgetown after only one year and thus secured for himself everything that the school had promised to provide -- a higher future income. If that is primarily what college is for, then why shouldn't someone like him leap to take the cash in the NBA draft? Read more

An English major in traffic. Religious right lie predicted here on Sept. 30 is told by religious right liar on Oct. 12. Three misconceived doctrines. What do progressive Christian congregations fight about? Hobby Lobby is very sorry that "you people" are so sensitive. "Private" charities distribute government food. Read more

What happens when two or more moral absolutes clash? What do you do? Well, that depends on the situation. But what if you've been strictly taught that you must never say "that depends on the situation"? That escalates the dilemma -- pushing it from a thorny question to a full-blown crisis of faith. And for those who have been taught to denounce "moral relativism," such crises are inevitable, insoluble and insurmountable. Read more

Chuck Colson doesn't come off as well in this story as the Bay City Rollers do. When WonkBlog overdoes it. Muffy Potter Aston wants tax breaks for wealthy New Yorkers. Pat Robertson and Bryan Fischer can say anything and remain respected public spokespeople. Richard Beck and Michelle Kwan both cover Guns N' Roses. Read more

My point here is that the automakers' lobbying strategy has been foolish. Their approach, for decades, has been to portray themselves as technologically incompetent, as incapable of meeting new challenges. Somehow they never considered how this would affect their reputation with the car-buying public. Read more

Curse you, Thai cell phone company, for getting me all choked up with your stupid ad! Plus some Thursday afternoon links, including: Some real heroes, heaven and Earth, stoic turtles, the perils of JesusWeen, harmful "healing," the island of the homeless dead, treasures in attics, and the meaninglessness of thread-counts above 400. Read more

Josh Holland looks at a study of how Republican teavangelicals "feel beseiged as the cultural ground shifts beneath them." Michael Lind discusses the GOP's "strategy for maximizing the relative power of provincial white elites at a time when their numbers are in decline and history has turned against them." Garry Wills writes about the shutdown and the threat of impending default as "Back Door Secession." There seems to be a pattern here ... Read more

The Gospels are full of such incivilities, as are the prophets. "You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. ... You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions," Amos says. "You sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals." Read more